Making sure your luggage arrives when you do – and how to cope when
it doesn’t
Travelscene American Express’ Top Tips
1.
Make the most of your carry-on luggage
2.
Make sure you have travel insurance which covers missing and lost
baggage
3.
Fly Direct and Check-in Early
4.
Tag your bags with Name and Phone Numbers inside and out
5.
Know Your Bags – make sure they stand out and that you have a digital
picture of them on your camera or phone, particularly if you don’t
speak the local language
6.
Check the baggage allowances of each airline your travelling on
7.
If you arrive but your luggage doesn’t, don’t leave until you’ve filed a
missing luggage report
Monday December 14 2009: As the Christmas travel rush kicks in, one of Australia’s
most respected travel network, Travelscene American Express, has some tips to
make sure your luggage isn’t one of the 42 million pieces of luggage which are
mishandled or delayed each year.
An average of over 115, 000 bags were mishandled on any given day last year
according to SITA, the IT provider which tracks baggage information for airlines and
passengers across 220 countries and territories, costing the global aviation industry
upwards of AUD5.8 billion annually.
And then there’s the added pressure of tighter security and stricter enforcement of
carry-on baggage size and differing weight across airlines.
Yet, there are some simple steps you should take to make sure your luggage arrives
when you do, according to Travelscene American Express General Manager, Jacqui
Timmins
“The obvious first step is to make sure you have travel insurance which covers you
for missing and lost luggage,” Ms Timmins said.
“Make the most of your carry on luggage. Never ever pack valuables in bags which
are to be checked on to the plane and make sure you pack a change of clothes and
any necessary medication in your carry-on luggage so that your checked bags do go
astray, at least you will have a fresh set of clothes to wear.”
“Try to fly direct and arrive early to check in. Tight connections and extra flights
increase the risk of lost luggage as does checking in late.”
“Make a note of the brand, size, colour and style of your checked luggage and, if
you’re travelling to a country where you don’t speak the language, take photos of
your bags and carry them with you, ideally on your phone or your digital camera,” Ms
Timmins said.
“Take the time to remove any old destination or arrival stickers or tags to reduce the
possibility of misdirection and, once you land, head straight for the carousel and
make sure the suitcase you collect is actually yours – and that someone else doesn’t
accidentally collect your bag.”
The differing luggage restrictions can also create confusion and present a trap for the
unwary.
“If you’re travelling overseas, and especially if you’re connecting to a low-fare airline
in Europe or Asia, make sure you check each airline’s limits. Some airlines such as
Ryanair, for example, now charge for each piece of checked luggage. It’s also worth
remembering that the QANTAS’ allowance is amongst the most generous in the
world. I’m aware of many an Aussie traveller who have found themselves in the US
only to learn that their suitcases were too large for internal flights.”
So what do you do if your luggage does disappear? Ms Timmins says a little bit of
preparation, a couple of deep breaths and a lot of persistence is what’s required.
“If the worst happens, and you arrive but your luggage doesn’t, then don’t leave the
airport until you’ve filed a missing luggage report with as much detail as possible.
Make sure you provide contact information for the next 48 hours and that you have
the proper forms to lodge a lost-baggage claim.”
“If the worse happens, and your bags really have been lost, the right travel insurance
police really comes into its own. In short, plan ahead, be prepared, and stay calm
and happy travelling.”
MEDIA CONTACT: LJ LOCH 0439 633 439
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