Missing Luggage

http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/dot-cracks-down-on-lost-baggage-rules-for-reimbursement/ It looks like the max is $3300 per traveller? According to a friend who happens to be a well travelled lawyer who lost his luggage twice, we are internationally covered by Article 22.2 of the Montreal Convention. http://www.montrealconvention.org/montreal_convention/Article22.htm Also on October 9, 2009, the DOT released Guidance on Reimbursement of Passenger Expenses Incurred as a Result of ...Delayed Baggage. http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/dot-cracks-down-on-lost-baggage-rules-for-reimbursement/ He only claimed $200 on a trip through Allegiant travel company and 400 EUR on a trip on Lufthansa.

I'm afraid the question is a bit too vague to answer effectively. Crystal ball very foggy... It depends on where. Domestic travel vs international. And its not measured in a normal currency. When and where did you lose your bag? The short answer, BTW, in most cases is ... not much.

Nigel is right. And it depends on the airline. Five years ago US Airways lost my luggage on a two-week trip to Europe. I was without it for the whole two weeks and had to buy new clothes and toiletries. Plus, because we were dealing with the claims office for 1-2 hours, we missed our train and our flight and had to buy new tickets. US Airways would only compensate me $75 per day for up to 3 days.

If it is truly lost (as in you will never see it again), the amount of compensation used to be based on the weight of the bag as well as international/domestic. I think Montreal convention changed to a flat maximum. If it is delayed, I think the airlines do what they want. I made the mistake on a flight from Geneva to Stockholm of telling the airline that I lived in Stockholm (which I did at the time). My bag was delayed 5 days and I got no compensation during that time. An American co-worker (also living in Stockholm) told the the airline that he lived in the U.S. and got compensation for each day his bag was delayed.

Many thanks for your replies. I suspected that the maximum compensation for lost luggage might reflect successful lobbying efforts of airlines to make sure that they did not have to waste money paying salaries for additional employees to better secure passengers' luggage. I wonder how many people are affected each year by this problem. I am now inclined, after my luggage loss, to categorize the inconveniences of air travel as quality of life issues. Flying was very much more pleasant 30 years ago than it is now. Any ideas on ways to have a message go viral on Facebook about lost luggage? The cost of replacing lost luggage is bad enough, but I'm also angry at having lost a couple of favorite articles of clothing, too.

If the airline is on Facebook, you can "Like" them and then post angry messages on their page for everyone else who "Likes" them to see. I would guess if they're on Twitter, you could follow them and post messages, but I'm not completely clear how Twitter works. You can also post messages about their incompetence on your Facebook profile so all your friends can see it.

The actual percentage of lost luggage is less than half a percent. In most business an error of .005 would be outstanding. Unless, of course, you are part of the .005. Even at that level that is maybe a 1000 bags per day. While it is unfortunate, it is a part of airline travel and some of the risk that you assume. Ya, airline travel was much more pleasant 30/40 years ago and it was about three times more expensive. We get what we pay for. You want cheap, you get cheap. I can remember when you wore a coat and tie to travel on a plane. Today it is a bus. I would love to roll back the clock but you cannot. You do you really think a big rant about lost luggage will gain anything other than perhaps feeling a little better. May get you on the no fly list.

Michael, what airline and for how long has it been lost? When I had a bag lost for an extended period, I called the airline everyday. When we got to about day 5, they asked me to make a list of the contents and note anything that might help them identify it was my bag by the contents. I did get my bag back before I got the list to them (turned out it got sent to the wrong airport and it took a while before that airport did anything about it).

This is a complicated question. The short answer is that if the luggage is permanently lost, then the airlines will compensate you the current value of the possessions lost up to something like $1,500. Anything valuable should fly with you, without exception If you luggage is lost and then found, then the airline will usually compensate you for incidentals used during the period that the luggage was lost. Save your receipts. HOWEVER, if the airlines loses your luggage, you get nothing for the incidentals. You should also tell the airline baggage supervisor that you want compensation for incidentals when you find out that the luggage has been lost/delayed. They will authorize compensation then. Some airlines are nice enough to give this in cash as a per diem, but others requires you to submit your receipts. I know that sounds backward, but it is the case. While the EU has strong rules for delays, luggage is not covered under them. Read here: http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/contact_us/faq/air_travel/index_en.htm#9 and be sure to check with the airline you are flying with for details about compensation and rules. You MUST comply with their rules to receive compensation.
There's a neat trick in the US regarding packing a starting pistol to ensure that your luggage is not lost. You CAN check a gun in your luggage, so long as it is unloaded, and doing so triggers extra security and tracking (I think you need to have a lockable, approved bag for it that is more than a cheapo bag).

Why can't I post regular carriage returns? Why?

Airlines are required to refund and compensate passengers for reasonable expenses for loss, damage or delay in the carriage of passenger baggage. The amount paid is subject to negotiation, and you may have to fight for a decent payment.

Most airlines have a line in the teeny tiny fine print( that most of us do not read!) that limits pay out, often just to a few hundred dollars.. when you accept and use the ticket you are accepting their terms. It just seems the best solution is to never pack anything very expensive, if you have a 1000 dollar suit, carry it on in a garment bag if your airline allows it. I also try to book only direct flights , bags seem more likely to go missing when transferred from flight to flight.