Ten Tips for Dealing with Lost Luggage
Posted by Ellen · January 31st, 2008Last summer, my husband and I lost our luggage on the way to Venice, Italy. Then we figured out on day one that we had no luggage and probably would not have any luggage for the duration of our trip, due to a major conveyor belt snafu in London Gatwick. Upon further inspection of the situation, we found out that 30 million bags were temporary lost last year and 200,000 bags were never reunited with their owners.
At that moment, I remembered seeing a tv show about a very successful entrepreneur who founded a business in 1970 called Unclaimed Baggage. The very successful business purchases the unclaimed luggage from the airlines and resells over a million items each year. I could just see the entire contents of my baggage up for sale at one of the Unclaimed Baggage locations.
Our saving grace was that we had packed a carry-on bag with a few days clothes, our bathing suits, an extra pair of shoes, and my jewelry and makeup. This was the best thing that we could have done because it gave us a head start on trying to figure out how to we were going to outfit ourselves for the next 11 days.
Here are ten tips that will help you in the event that you lose your luggage on your next trip:
1. Always pack a few clothing items and essentials in your carrry-on bag.
2. If your luggage does not show up on the baggage carousel, report the lost luggage immediately to the lost bags desk in the airport. Even if the line is long, go ahead and report it anyway so that you can get a claim number.
3. Once you have a claim number, find a place with internet access and log on to the airline website and start the baggage retrieval process immediately. We found that the lost bags desk was an independent company, not associated with the airline or airport. It is better to have the relationship directly with the airline carrier and have them working to find it rather than a third party service.
4. Purchase just a few key pieces of clothing and have them dry cleaned, laundered or pressed at night. It is best to purchase a few items and have them laundered or dry cleaned at night by either the hotel or local service. Having fresh pressed clothing always looks great (even better than several wrinkled outfits).
5. Before you go on your trip, make a list of any valuable items such as handbags, shoes, or clothing that you pack in your suitcase in the event that you need to claim the luggage contents.
6. Before you purchase any items, check with your hotel. Often, they offer basic toiletries at no charge.
7. If you purchased your airline tickets or hotel on your credit card, call the credit card to inquire about any benefits that they offer for lost luggage. For example, we found out that if you opt for luggage protection with American Express at the time you purchase tickets, they offer a benefit that covers $300 per person if your luggage does not show up within the first two hours.
8. If you are in a foreign country and you ask the hotel concierge or front desk how to get to the nearest drug store or clothing store and they point you to the city center or tourism area, go out on foot and ask some locals or just walk a few blocks. You will probably find some better-priced options.
9. If your luggage is not at your home when you return, start the claim process immediately with the airline because it takes several weeks to process.
10. Last but not least, do not let your lost luggage ruin your trip or vacation. Consider it an adventure!
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Tags: lost luggage, Travel | Posted in Life and Learning |
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