Where has all the luggage gone? - Flying With Kaleel Sakakeeny

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With all the technologies making travel more secure, ever wonder why airline luggage woes seem to get worse and worse?

The Department of Transportation reports that more than 2.7 million pieces of luggage went missing - or was damaged, delayed or stolen - last year. That’s about one bag for every flight coming and going, and it’s a 37 per cent increase from 2004. What to do?

Travel experts say complain. Put it in writing, send a copy to the Department of Transportation, and tell the airline that’s what you’re doing.

Your homeowners’ insurance policy may well cover lost luggage and some credit cards have lost luggage insurance.

Even though the airlines have raised their liability limits for wayward baggage to $2,500, you have to provide a list of lost articles and the price paid for each item. Of course the airlines will then depreciate everything according to insurance tables.

Any horror stories to share about your lost luggage or perhaps even some successes?

Kaleel Sakakeeny is a national print and broadcast travel journalist. Read more of his work at www.gotravelupdates.com.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Cheap Flight News

Comments

[randy jacobs]

I am a seasoned traveler and over the years I've lost four sets of luggage. That's about 20 pairs of jockey shorts, five business suits, one tux and more shirts than I care to remember. I was compensated for some of it, but not as much as I would have liked. Any move to mitigate passengers' losses is a welcome one as far as I'm concerned. A $2,500 liability limit is a pretty good start, but I'll be darned if I'm going to write out an itemised, fully costed list of everything I pack whenever I fly. Life is too short! If an airline screws up, I expect them to apologize and cough up the money.

[Lance Staron]

I travel all the time for business. In April 2006, I was flying from Atlanta to Salt Lake and my bag was mislabeled and went to the wrong airport. The next day I received my bag but my laptop and camera were missing. I immediately filed a claim with Delta and it was immediately denied because TSA had opened my luggage to inspect. I filed a claim with TSA which was denied about a month later. I filed another claim with Delta which was denied about a month later. I never thought that I would not be reimbursed for my stolen laptop and camera. I am looking for some advice. After speaking to several people at airport lost and founds and TSA, I am realizing that airlines have always had a theft problem but now the blame is pushed on TSA. I need help on what to do next!