Be sure to check in for your flight on time to minimize the risk of your bag being mishandled. Check in times vary according to your destination, the airline you are traveling on and even the airport you are flying out of. Always check with your airline or travel agent for the current guidelines. If you check in late for your flight, your luggage and you may undergo what the airlines call “voluntary separation” i.e., you agree to have your luggage go on a separate flight from yourself. Try to make sure your bag is actually checked through to the correct destination – that often mysterious three letter airport code that appears on the luggage tag attached to your bag is all important. For example, if you are flying to Salt Lake City (SLC) and the agent tags your bag to SCL – it will end up in Santiago, Chile!
If your luggage does not appear on the carousel at your destination, immediately report the loss in person to your airline, either at the main desk or preferably at their baggage service office, usually located somewhere near baggage reclaim. Some smaller airlines will have their baggage services at the airport handled by larger airlines or by an independent baggage company. Try to report the loss of your bag as soon as possible; the sooner the airline begins “tracing’ for your missing bags, the sooner you may be reunited with them.
You always report the loss of your bag to the last airline you flew on, so if you have a series of connecting flights on different airlines, speak to the airline you just arrived on – even if you feel the loss occurred elsewhere on your journey.
Be prepared to answer detailed questions when you call your airline or report the loss in person. It will help the process if you know the color, material, style and manufacturer of your luggage, and have some idea as to the contents. Not many people know the manufacturer’s name – you may want to make some notes before you travel. Your airline will also ask you for the bag-tag number – that’s the 6 digit number attached to a barcode that they stapled to your ticket or boarding pass when you checked in. Answer the questions as accurately as you can to increase your chances of being reunited with your luggage.
It may comfort you a little bit to learn that most luggage is not actually lost – just delayed. If you are flying somewhere where there are flights every hour or so, chances are your bags will be on the next flight. If so, you generally have the option of having it delivered to you – although this can take several hours as the delivery company employed by the airline is responsible for delivering delayed bags for several different airlines. You can also go in to the airport in person to pick up your bag. If you do go to the airport in person, make sure you have a photo ID.