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<\/p>\nIt’s enough to give even the most seasoned traveller chills down their spine \u2013 the dreaded missing luggage.<\/p>\n
That sinking feeling when the last, lone bag trundles around the carousel for the 14th time and you resign yourself to the fact that yours isn\u2019t going to suddenly appear behind it.<\/p>\n
The good news is this scenario is becoming less common every year. In fact, airline information technology company SITA has found that baggage mishandling incidents have dropped 70% since 2007. These days, fewer than seven in 1000 bags go AWOL. That means there\u2019s only a 0.07% chance of your bag going missing \u2013 and even then, by the time you realise, it\u2019s often already on its way to you.<\/p>\n
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But what if you\u2019re unlucky? What do you do if your bag goes missing? Relax, take a deep breath and…<\/p>\n
In most instances, you and your bag will be reunited \u2013 and often pretty quickly.<\/p>\n
If it turns out your luggage is in the same airport terminal, it could be with you in a matter of hours. If it simply missed a connection, it could be with you the next day (or whenever the next flight is).<\/p>\n
However, if your bag has gone on another flight, you might have to wait anywhere from 48 hours to five days for it to be found and sent to the correct destination. Which is why it\u2019s always a good idea to pack your most important or valuable items (like prescription medication or jewellery) in your carry-on bag.<\/p>\n
Your airline is your first port of call as soon as you\u2019ve realised your bag is missing. Go straight to their info desk and ask for help.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll need to lodge a Property Irregularity Report, or PIR. It\u2019s best to do this straight away, before you\u2019ve left the airport, as trying to claim a missing bag later, without a PIR, can be a major battle (which could mean saying goodbye to your bag for real). If you\u2019ve been on multiple flights with multiple airlines, you\u2019ll need to lodge the PIR with the airline from the final leg of your journey.<\/p>\n
Legally, you have up to 21 days to lodge your PIR. But it\u2019s best to get the wheels moving ASAP \u2013 the sooner you claim, the sooner you\u2019ll get your bag!<\/p>\n
If your bag definitely isn\u2019t at the airport and you have to leave without it, you may need to buy some essentials. Many airlines offer care packs and vouchers to help cover the cost \u2013 ask yours if they can help.<\/p>\n
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As mentioned above, most missing bags are quickly located and returned. But in the rare instance that your luggage is truly lost, you\u2019ll need to wait three weeks (21 days) for the status of your baggage to change from ‘delayed’ to ‘lost’.<\/p>\n
In this unlucky (and, as we’ve already said, increasingly rare!) situation, you can then claim for compensation. There are a couple of ways you can do this, starting with…<\/p>\n
Yep, your airline will compensate you if your bag is well and truly lost \u2013 although perhaps not as much as you\u2019d hope (which is why you should always get travel insurance). For Australian domestic flights, compensation payouts are capped at $160 AUD for cabin baggage and $1600 AUD for checked luggage.<\/p>\n
For international flights (both into and out of Australia), the cap is $1735 AUD, which covers both checked and carry-on bags. Airlines have two years to pay these claims, although they usually pay them much sooner.<\/p>\n
If you lose your bags overseas on a flight that didn\u2019t leave from or arrive in Australia, you have 21 days to write to your airline to lodge a claim. Compensation payments for these claims are capped to bit over $2000 AUD.<\/p>\n
$1600 AUD might sound like a lot, but the cost of a new suitcase, a few good outfits and an electronic device or two all adds up. Luckily your travel insurance should cover the gap between your airline\u2019s compensation and the actual value of your luggage. But a heads-up for future trips: Different insurers and policies have different limits. Shop around to make sure you pick the best one for your needs.<\/p>\n
Another big plus of travel insurance is that it\u2019ll usually cover you for any urgent essentials you need to buy while your bag is missing (whether it\u2019s returned to you later or not). Keep a record of and receipts for anything you need to buy. One easy way to do it is to take photos on your phone.<\/p>\n