Delayed baggage: Your guide to compensation for damaged, delayed or lost baggage is written by Anna Christensen.
Fortunately, when the accident is over, there is help to be found
You have just landed after a long flight. You are tired and already miss the palm trees, and most of all you just want to go home as soon as possible. You're standing at the slowest baggage conveyor belt in the world with other people looking just as impatiently from the rolling conveyor belt down at their watch and back at the conveyor belt again.
Finally, the suitcases begin to roll onto the belt, but your suitcase is not there. You wait and wait a little longer until you get so tired of seeing the same bright yellow suitcase pass you for the hundred and twentieth time that you want to scream. And still no trace of your own suitcase.
Finally the screen announces that it was all the suitcases. That can't be right, you think. Yours isn't here.
Perhaps you have experienced the above scenario, or perhaps you fear experiencing it when you stand at the baggage belt at the airport. Fortunately, there is help available right here for what to do if your suitcase is delayed, lost or damaged on your flight.
There is nothing that can spoil the holiday mood more than lost luggage or delayed flight. That is why we have put together a complete guide on what to do if your luggage is delayed, damaged or lost.
You must do this if your luggage is delayed or lost
If something happens to your luggage while it has been in the care of the airline, it is the airline that is responsible for it and therefore they are also obliged to compensate you.
If you are standing at the airport and your luggage does not turn up or has been damaged, you must immediately contact the airline or those responsible for luggage at the airport. Often there is a counter at the baggage carousels with people you can approach.
It is important that you do this when you are at the airport, as you will need a PIR report – PIR stands for Property Irregularity Report – to get compensation. The report serves as documentation that your luggage is delayed.
The airline or those responsible for the baggage at the airport can make a PIR report which you will need to get compensation from the airline.
It is definitely easiest to get the PIR report done as soon as you land at the airport and discover that the luggage is delayed. Otherwise, you must return to the airport within seven days and have it made. Remember to save a copy of the report.
You can track your luggage on the website WorldTracer.aero, where you can use the case number from your PIR report to track your luggage.
You can also use an Airtag, or other cheap GPS tracker, which you can permanently store in your favorite suitcase, and in this way you can easily follow your suitcase's path via an app - also at the airport.
Compensation for damaged luggage – you have to do that
Has your luggage been damaged while in the custody of the airline? Then you should again contact the airline or the company that handles baggage as soon as you discover it.
Here you will be asked to complete a notification in the form of a PIR report. It is important that you save your copy, as it is your documentation that you have informed the airline of the problem within the deadline. You must claim compensation for your damaged luggage within seven days, so it is best to fill out the report at the airport.
You must complain in writing to the airline by writing to them no later than seven days after you have received your damaged luggage. Your written complaint must include the PIR report you had made at the airport and documentation of the things that have been destroyed and for which you claim compensation.
It is also a good idea to tell the airline when you would like to receive your compensation, otherwise the payment may end up dragging on. There are no rules for when the airline must send you your compensation.
You must do so in order to receive compensation
You should always start by having a PIR report made at the airport as soon as you discover that your luggage is delayed or damaged. You do this by contacting the airline directly or those responsible for baggage at the airport. They will help you complete the notification.
Remember to save a copy of your review; you will need it later when you apply for compensation for your luggage. The deadline for seeking compensation is different depending on whether the luggage is damaged, delayed or lost.
In order to receive compensation for delayed or lost luggage, you must send a written complaint to the airline within 21 days of receiving your luggage, in which you claim compensation for the expenses you incurred in connection with the delay or for your lost luggage.
You must attach your documentation of a reasonable compensation amount and the PIR report you get made at the airport as documentation that your luggage is delayed or lost.
This is how you increase the chance of getting your luggage back
Losing your luggage while traveling is never fun, but luckily there are things you can do to increase your chances of getting your luggage back should the accident happen.
In many cases, the luggage does not return to its owner because the 'tag' – the strip applied at the airport – has been accidentally ripped off while the luggage is in the care of the airline. If there is no additional mark that tells who the owner is the suitcase is, then it will be very difficult for the airline to find the right owner.
It is therefore a very good idea to put an extra sticker or name tag on your suitcase, where you write your name and contact information. This makes it much easier for the airline to find your suitcase and get it home to its rightful owner. However, it is not a good idea to write your address on the outside of the suitcase, for security reasons, but you can easily do that inside the suitcase, where a sign with your name, address and contact information can be the last resort for you and your suitcase.
Another important thing to remember is to save the little flip with a barcode that you get when you check in your luggage. It is your proof that you have checked in your luggage and that the airline is responsible for it. The barcode on the small flip can also be used to track your suitcase. It is usually on your physical plane ticket.
When is baggage considered lost?
If your luggage has not turned up within 21 days, it is considered by the airline to have disappeared. This is also the number of days you have to complain to the airline that operated the flight if you want to seek compensation for lost luggage.
Sometimes luggage can appear after more than 21 days. If this happens, the airline is responsible for delivering it to your home free of charge. Also if you are not at home, but still traveling.
Did you know: Here is an expert from USA Rejser Nicolai Bach Hjorth's top 7 overlooked destinations in the USA!
7: Apostle Island, unique islands off Wisconsin
6: Finger Lakes, scenic lakes of New York
Get numbers 1-5 immediately by signing up for the newsletter, and look in the welcome email:
Compensation for delayed luggage – that's how much you can buy for
If your luggage is delayed or lost during the journey, the general rule is that you are entitled to purchase the reasonable necessities. This could be, for example, a toothbrush, charger, medicine, underwear or t-shirts.
What "reasonable needs" covers is of course up to interpretation, and here you have to take circumstances and the destination into account. If you are going to a wedding, for example, you are allowed to rent a suit or a dress.
It is important that you do not make unreasonably large purchases, as it is not certain that you can cover these kinds of costs. You only get coverage for purchases for basic and necessary needs, so don't buy too expensively. What you are entitled to buy for also depends on how long your suitcase is delayed.
Remember to save all receipts for your purchases. You must use them as documentation when you apply for compensation for delayed baggage.
If your suitcase is lost, some other compensation rights come into effect.
You can get such a large amount of compensation for damaged or lost luggage
If the airline has lost your luggage, you are entitled to compensation. According to international regulations, the airline that was responsible for your luggage must cover up to just under DKK 10.000 per person as compensation if your luggage is lost or damaged.
If you are two people who have packed in the same suitcase, and this suitcase is either lost or destroyed, both parties can seek compensation of up to almost DKK 10.000. The rules for compensation apply in most of the world, and the rules come under the so-called Montreal Convention.
If you believe you have lost more than DKK 10.000, you must get hold of your contents insurance or your travel insurance.
The insurance company often covers more than DKK 10.000 if your luggage is damaged or if you have lost your luggage. Here you must contact your insurance to find out whether you are covered and have a claim to compensation for delayed, lost or damaged luggage.
Do you want to complain about the airline?
If you haven't heard from the airline after submitting your complaint, send them a reminder. This applies especially if your luggage has not turned up after 21 days, because then it is considered lost.
If you have sent a reminder and you still do not receive a reply, you can choose to complain about the airline. If the airline is based in Denmark, you can complain to The Mediation Team for Consumer Complaints. If it is not possible for them to help, you can complain to the Consumer Complaints Board.
If the airline is based in another EU country or in Norway, Iceland or Great Britain, you can get help with a complaint from Forbruger Europa.
If the lost or delayed luggage was connected to the flight being delayed in Denmark, you can get compensation for the delay by complaining to The Swedish Transport Agency, and it's free.
This is what you need to know about compensation if your luggage is lost, damaged or delayed
- Always have a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) done at the airport, as you will need it to get compensation
- You can get up to DKK 10.000 in compensation if the airline has lost your luggage. Your own insurance company often pays more if you have travel or contents insurance
- You have the right to purchase reasonable necessities if your baggage is delayed. This could be, for example, a toothbrush, charger, medicine, underwear and a t-shirt
- Keep all receipts from purchases and all copies of documents you have completed. You must use them when you apply for compensation
- Remember to save the small note with the barcode when you check in your luggage. This is your receipt that you have handed in your luggage
- If your luggage has not turned up within 21 days, it is considered lost
- You must apply for compensation within 7 days if your luggage is damaged
- You must apply for compensation within 21 days if your luggage is delayed or lost
Did you know: Here are the 7 best food cities in the world according to Tripadvisor's millions of users
7: Barcelona in Spain
6: New Delhi in India
Get numbers 1-5 immediately by signing up for the newsletter, and look in the welcome email:
Add comment