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Interesting statistics about
luggage problems with he airlines, last year air
travel increased about 5% amongst air travelers
but complaints about baggage doubled. Roughly
the airline industry mishandled about 6 out of
every 1000 bags. That's not too bad,
unless the bag that is lost belongs to
you. the airlines have a higher stake now
more than ever to insure your luggage gets to
you. The amount the airlines has to pay
you for your lost luggage has doubled from
$1,250 to $2,500. With those fees,
airlines are struggling to find a better way to
move and track luggage, but they still have to
deal the majority of the time with an outdated
system.
The manner in which airlines
move and track luggage has stayed the same for
the last ten or so years. Except for a few
airports that have placed electronic scanners
throughout the baggage process, most airlines
have not way to tell where your luggage
is. Maybe someday the airlines will be
able to track luggage like the way FedEx and UPS
track packages. Call them up and they can
tell you exactly where you package is.
What is on the horizon for the tracking of
luggage is a new sophisticated system that would
tag bags with a radio transmitter that would
allow the tracing of bags just like FedEx.
United Airlines has taken the first step in
deploying more than 600 hand held scanners to
track luggage. But until this technology is made
available or other improvements are made in the
luggage system, travelers must understand the
process in which a bag is handled so they can
take the necessary precautions to insure their
bags safe arrival.
Damage
If your suitcase arrives smashed or torn, the
airline will usually pay for repairs. If it
can't be fixed, they will negotiate a settlement
to pay you its depreciated value. The same holds
true for belongings packed inside. Airlines may
decline to pay for damage caused by the fragile
nature of the broken item or inadequate packing,
rather than the airline's rough handling.
Carriers may also refuse to give you money for
your damaged items inside the bag when there's
no evidence of external damage to the suitcase.
But airlines generally don't disclaim liability
for fragile merchandise packed in its original
factory sealed carton, a cardboard mailing tube,
or other container designed for shipping and
packed with protective padding material. When
you check in, airline personnel should let you
know if they think your suitcase or package may
not survive the trip intact. Before accepting a
questionable item, they will ask you to sign a
statement in which you agree to check it at your
own risk. But even if you do sign this form, the
airline might be liable for damage if it is
caused by its own negligence shown by external
injury to the suitcase or package.
Delayed bags
If you and your suitcase don't connect at your
destination, don't panic. The airlines have very
sophisticated systems that track down about 98%
of the bags they misplace and return them to
their owners within hours. In many cases they
will absorb reasonable expenses you incur while
they look for your missing belongings. You and
the airline may have different ideas of what's
reasonable, however, and the amount they will
pay is subject to negotiation.
If your bags don't come off the conveyor belt,
report this to the airline before you leave the
airport. Insist that they fill out a form and
give you a copy, even if they say the bag will
be in on the next flight. If the form doesn't
contain the name of the person who filled it
out, ask for it. Get an appropriate phone number
for following up (not the Reservations number).
Don't assume that the airline will deliver the
bag without charge when it is found; ask them
about this. Most carriers set guidelines for
their airport employees that allow them to
disburse some money at the airport for emergency
purchases. The amount depends on whether or not
you're away from home and how long it takes to
track down your bags and return them to you. If
the airline does not provide you a cash advance,
it may still reimburse you later for the
purchase of necessities.
Discuss with the carrier the
types of articles that would be reimbursable,
and keep all receipts. If the airline misplaces
sporting equipment, it will sometimes pay for
the rental of replacements. For replacement
clothing or other articles, the carrier might
offer to absorb only a portion of the purchase
cost, on the basis that you will be able to use
the new items in the future. (The airline may
agree to a higher reimbursement if you turn the
articles over to them.) When you've checked in
fresh foods or any other perishable goods and
they are ruined because their delivery is
delayed, the airline won't reimburse you.
Carriers may be liable if they lose or damage
perishable items, but they won't accept
responsibility for spoilage caused by a delay in
delivery. Airlines are liable for provable
consequential damages up to the amount of their
liability limit (see below) in connection with
the delay.
If you can't resolve the
claim with the airline's airport staff, keep a
record of the names of the employees with whom
you dealt, and hold on to all travel documents
and receipts for any money you spent in
connection with the mishandling. (It's okay to
surrender your baggage claim tags to the airline
when you fill out a form at the airport, as long
as you get a copy of the form and it notes that
you gave up the tags.) Call or write the
airline's consumer office when you get home.
Lost luggage
Once your bag is declared officially lost, you
will have to submit a claim. This usually means
you have to fill out a second, more detailed
form. Check on this; failure to complete the
second form when required could delay your
claim. Missing the deadline for filing it could
invalidate your claim altogether. The airline
will usually refer your claim form to a central
office, and the negotiations between you and the
airline will begin. If your flight was a
connection involving two carriers, the final
carrier is normally the one responsible for
processing your claim even if it appears that
the first airline lost the bag. Airlines don't
automatically pay the full amount of every claim
they receive. First, they will use the
information on your form to estimate the value
of your lost belongings. Like insurance
companies, airlines consider the depreciated
value of your possessions, not their original
price or the replacement costs. If you're
tempted to exaggerate your claim, don't.
Airlines may completely deny
claims they feel are inflated or fraudulent.
They often ask for sales receipts and other
documentation to back up claims, especially if a
large amount of money is involved. If you don't
keep extensive records, you can expect to dicker
with the airline over the value of your goods.
Generally, it takes an airline anywhere from six
weeks to three months to pay you for your lost
luggage. When they tender a settlement, they may
offer you the option of free tickets on future
flights in a higher amount than the cash
payment. Ask about all restrictions on these
tickets, such as "blackout" periods
and how far before departure you are permitted
to make a reservation.
Limits on liability
If your bags are delayed, lost or damaged on a
domestic trip, the airline can invoke a ceiling
of $1250 per passenger on the amount of money
they'll pay you. When your luggage and its
contents are worth more than that, you may want
to purchase "excess valuation," if
available, from the airline as you check in.
This is not insurance, but it will increase the
carrier's potential liability. The airline may
refuse to sell excess valuation on some items
that are especially valuable or breakable, such
as antiques, musical instruments, jewelry,
manuscripts, negotiable securities and cash. On
international trips, the liability limit is set
by a treaty called the Warsaw Convention. Unless
you buy excess valuation, the liability limit is
$9.07 per pound ($20 per kilo). In order to
limit its liability to this amount, the airline
must use one of the following procedures:
- The carrier weighs your bags at check-in
and records this weight on your ticket. The
airline's maximum liability to you is that
weight multiplied by $9.07 (per lb.) (or by
$20, if the weight was recorded in kilos).
- Instead of weighing your luggage, the
carrier assumes that each of your bags
weighs the maximum that it agrees to accept
as checked baggage, usually 70 pounds (32
kilos). This yields a liability limit of
about $640 per bag.
This international limit
also applies to domestic segments of an
international journey. This is the case even if
the domestic and international flights are on
separate tickets and you claim and re-check your
bag between the two flights. Keep in mind that
the liability limits are maximums. If the
depreciated value of your property is worth less
than the liability limit, this lower amount is
what you will be offered. If the airline's
settlement doesn't fully reimburse your loss,
check your homeowner's or renter's insurance; it
sometimes covers losses away from the residence.
Some credit card companies and travel agencies
offer optional or even automatic supplemental
baggage coverage.
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