Many of us travel by air. Some more than a couple of times a month. I am one of those travellers. Fortunately, lost luggage scenario has only happened once to me. What I did and what else I could have done, you will find out in this article.

Having arrived safely in Florida, I spend what felt like hours, staring at the conveyor belt in vain. My suitcase was nowhere to be seen. What did I do? I went to the information point prior to leaving the inner airport zone and asked for a slip to register my luggage as lost or stolen. A very helpful lady assisted me with filling in the form. Gave me a phone number which I should call once at the hotel in case my luggage ended up on the following flight.

I have been left with no toiletries and bare minimum of summer clothes which I packed into my hand luggage. So as soon as I settled in to my hotel, I went to check what the shops had to offer. I did not buy expensive things as I was not sure if I would be able to reclaim the money from the airline. Instead I went for a middle range items. To my surprise, I have received a full refund from the airline and the luggage was brought by a courier to my hotel room two days later. I was interested to see what else the airline could have done for me and found the following information.

In situation of a lost or damaged checked-in luggage passengers have the right to claim compensation under the Montreal Convention. The airline’s liability is limited to about £1,113 per passenger.

You’re more likely to get compensation if you act quickly.

You should:

• report the problem to the airline while at the airport;

• fill out a form and ask for a copy of the Property Irregularity Report (PIR);

• check deadlines.

Most arlines respect generally accepted deadlines for submitting luggage-related complaints. However, it is important to have access to the general terms and conditions of carriage of the air carrier in case you need them.

What you’re claiming for	Deadline for claiming
Damaged luggage	7 days after getting your luggage
Missing or damaged contents	7 days after getting your luggage
Delayed or missing luggage	21 days after the flight
Lost luggage – it’s officially lost after 21 days	As soon as possible after it’s officially lost

We recommend that you monitor your lost or delayed baggage through the tracing procedure, either by contacting baggage services at the airport, the airline’s central department or by logging into an online baggage-tracing page with a reference number provided at the airport.

By making a claim you can apply for:

• refund of the expenses spent on essentials you needed if your luggage was delayed (toiletries, underwear, necessary clothes and shoes);

• part of the cost of replacing or repairing lost luggage and contents;

• transport costs (if you have to collect delayed luggage yourself).

What documents would be helpful when making the claim for compensation?

• boarding card;

• luggage labels;

• PIR form or other proof that you reported your problem;

• receipts for things you had to buy or proof of purchase for lost or damaged things;

• photos confirming damage of your luggage or its content.

Wishing you all safe and happy travels!