I landed in Chicago on my way back from a Mediterranean cruise and breezed through customs only to wait at the luggage carousel for my checked bag.
The longer I surveyed the conveyer belt of unfamiliar suitcases, the more nervous I felt. After 20 minutes, I checked with an attendant who confirmed that my luggage had been left behind during a stop in Germany, and wouldn’t accompany me on the final leg of my trip to Nashville.
I received my bag at home a few days later, but the 2024 incident was enough to put me off checking bags on most connecting flights. Luggage gets lost and delayed “at random,” according to Scott Keyes, founder of Going – but there are some steps travelers can take to minimize the chance that they’ll get stuck waiting longingly at baggage claim.
Here’s what to do if your bag goes missing.
What Should I Do If My Luggage Is Lost or Delayed?
If a passenger’s bag doesn’t show up in the baggage claim area, they should visit the airline’s lost luggage desk to file a claim. “Not only will you give the airline your local address so they can deliver it to your door, but many airlines also will give you compensation, either in flight credit or frequent flyer miles,” Keyes said in an email.
Travelers who bought their flights with credit cards may also have luggage protection built in, but the “procedures and coverage varies widely,” so it’s worth checking the terms.
What Am I Owed If My Bag Is Delayed or Lost?
Airlines are required to compensate guests for incidental expenses incurred while their bags are delayed, and Keyes urged passengers to keep receipts for any “replacement essentials” they buy. Airlines must also provide compensation for the bag’s contents if it is declared lost, according to the Department of Transportation, though the latter is subject to depreciation.
Carriers can limit their liability to $4,700 per flyer for domestic flights and around $2,175 for most international trips. “Airlines are free to pay more than the limit, but are not required to do so,” the DOT said on its website.
Passengers are also entitled to refunds of baggage fees if their luggage is lost or “significantly delayed,” the agency said. The DOT defines significant delays as more than 12 hours after a domestic flight arrives. On international flights, that window widens to more than 15 hours after arrival for flights 12 hours or shorter, or 30 hours for flights over 12 hours long.
“When you arrive at your destination, but your bag doesn’t, it’s not always immediately clear if your luggage is delayed or lost,” Keyes added. “So even if you opened a case at the airport, once the bag is confirmed lost (typically 7-14 days later) you may need to file a separate claim with the airline online to get reimbursed for the lost items.”
How Passengers Can Prepare
Travelers can’t eliminate the risk of losing their bags, but they can prepare for that possibility.
For starters, Keyes recommended booking nonstop flights. “The most common moment bags are lost is during a connection,” he said. “This is why, despite their shortcomings, budget airlines – which specialize in nonstop flights – often have the lowest rate of lost bags.”
Packing an Apple AirTag or other tracking device can help flyers find their bags more easily, as well. Travelers should also hang on to the bag identification tag provided by the airline until they retrieve their luggage at their destination, the DOT’s website said.
Keyes also encouraged passengers to open their bags and take a photo before checking them – particularly if they contain valuables. “It’ll be easier to file a claim and get reimbursed if you can show what was inside,” he said.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville.
