There is nothing more annoying than the airline losing or delaying your checked bag when you go on vacation. What are your rights when there is a baggage delay?
Unfortunately for us passengers, the airlines don’t really compensate much for delayed bags. If you are on vacation and find yourself with no clothes or toiletries, the airlines do reimburse you for interim expenses, up to $50-$100 a day. However, this doesn’t get you very far, especially if you are at a vacation destination or resort where prices are grossly inflated for a captive audience (AKA tourists with no other option).
If your bag is delayed be sure to follow these steps to maximize your compensation:
- File a claim right away. There is usually a baggage desk for the airlines nearby the carousel in baggage claim. Find your airline’s baggage desk and ask to file a report for a delayed/missing bag. The agent can check your baggage claim ticket to confirm baggage delay status. You are annoyed I know, but try to stay calm when dealing with the agent. They deal with these issues all the time so they are quite indifferent – there is no point getting mad at them because they just don’t care.
- Fill out the claim form completely. There will be questions about the type and color of the bag. This information will help identify your bag when it is found (and most likely it will be!).
- Keep all receipts, including your boarding passes and claim checks. The airlines don’t advertise this when you file the report, but they will likely compensate you for expenses incurred while your bag is missing. They typically cap it at $50 – $100 a day, but it is possible to go above as long as the expenses are reasonable. For example, you may be at a resort or vacation destination where everything is super expensive. However until you receive the check it may be difficult to know what will and will not be reimbursed. If you think you will spend above the $50-$100 limit per day (which is very likely), it might be a good idea to call the toll-free number for your airline to let them know this is the case. When I experienced a baggage delay with United Airlines, I contacted the toll free number that night to understand restrictions and to let them know I have spent above the $100 per day limit they have due to the high cost of the area I was in. I made them document this in the records in case I have trouble getting reimbursement in the future.
- Contact the airline. When you contact them ask them about the reimbursement process for delayed baggage. There is usually a form that you need to fill out where you will need to itemize all purchases and provide proof of purchase. Luckily for me, United Airlines allowed digital documentation, so I was able to email my claim which is faster than trying to submit my claim via postal mail. However the claims process for United took a long time – they quoted 7-10 weeks for the claim to be processed and completed, so you will need to be patient!
- Contact your credit card. Many credit cards also have baggage delay benefits if you purchase the full plane ticket using the said card, and the benefits are usually very similar to what the airlines offer. These benefits are not mutually exclusive with the airline compensation, so you can “double dip” and file for both to maximize the chance that your full expenses will be reimbursed between the two claims. I filed a claim with my Visa Signature card by calling the toll-free number, and it was a much quicker process than United Airlines’ process. Once the claim was opened via phone, I was able to submit the documentation online, and from that point it took them 72 hours to approve and process the claim. The check was in the mail within 10 business days!
- Provide feedback. If you truly had an unhappy experience with the delayed baggage, make your voice heard! Contact your airline’s customer service department to let them know. If there is something wrong with their processes at the airports, your feedback will truly help them improve (we hope). A secondary benefit is you might receive airline miles or voucher as a goodwill gesture for your inconvenience. For my baggage delay experience I received $100 voucher from United as a goodwill gesture because I had a really awful experience. While this won’t change what happened, it does me feel a little bit better about the airline and what they put me through.
What’s Reimbursable?
What’s considered “reasonable” and “necessary” expense is at the discretion of each claims manager, so you are taking a chance on what’s reimbursable and not reimbursable. When my baggage was lost on my recent trip, we submitted claims for the following items:
- Toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, contact solution, cotton balls)
- Pajamas, bath robe, and slippers
- Lingerie and socks
- Towel
- Swim suit
- Lancome skin products (cleanser, concentrate, night cream)
The total came out to be $407.67 USD. I submitted claims to United Airlines and Visa Signature from which I made the plane ticket purchase with. Two weeks after my trip, I received a $300 USD check from Visa Signature. It took five weeks for me to receive a $407.67 check from United Airlines. They covered all my purchases!