NORFOLK, Va. - December proved to be a travel nightmare for thousands of passengers.
Airlines canceled a record number of flights due to severe weather and staffing challenges. Southwest customers were impacted the most. At one point the airline canceled nearly 75% of its flights, including flights in and out of Norfolk International Airport.
In addition to delayed and canceled flights, thousands of bags piled up in airports’ baggage claims. People were without their belongings for days, and at times, received no explanation from the airlines.
So, if you find yourself in this position, do you have a game plan?
Herb Weisbaum, Contributing Editor at ConsumersCheckbook.org, has been reporting on consumer issues for years.
“By regulation, the airlines will pay a maximum of $3,800. If there's a problem with your bag, if it's lost if it's delayed, or it's damaged, in some cases, you may have to prove what happened to the bag if there's damage or if there's a delay,” said Weisbaum.
The Department of Transportation reports that each airline has its own policy for when a bag is considered lost, but in most cases, it’s between five and 14 days.
If your bag is lost, damaged, or delayed, you will need to file a report. You can do this at the Baggage Service Office or online with the respective airline.
Most airlines say you need to file within 24 hours, but others, like Southwest, say you need to do it within four hours.
Keep in mind, deadlines differ for domestic and international flights.
While it’s good to be prepared for the worst, there are some things you can do before heading to the airport.
"I used to travel a lot and I had a picture of my luggage, so it was easy to show to someone, ‘Here's the luggage I lost.’ It also documented the condition the luggage is in, if it was in good condition when I put it on the plane and it came back all torn up,” said Weisbaum.
When a checked bag does not arrive at its destination, airlines are responsible for locating the bag. Airlines have tracking systems in place to try to locate the bag.
However, some travelers don’t want to leave their luggage without a sense of security, so they are buying AirTags to track their belongings.
“A number of people have reported that it’s a great way to find your bags, a pack of four is about $100,” said Weisbaum. “This is not the end of the road. We're going to see this coming up again, probably as we get to summer travel, if the airlines don't get more capacity.”
Here are some other key takeaways to keep in mind when traveling:
- Keep your receipts so you can prove that you need to be reimbursed for incidentals.
- According to the DOT, airlines are not allowed to set an arbitrary daily amount for interim expenses. For example, an airline cannot have a policy that they will reimburse a passenger up to only $50 for each day that a passenger’s bag is delayed.
- Keep valuables and a spare set of clothes, toothbrush, etc. in your carry-on. That way if something does happen with your luggage, you will still have a few items to help you get by.
- If you experience cancellations, you are under no obligation to accept credits, vouchers, or miles. You can ask for your money back.
