Add a touch of flair to avoid lost luggage

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/08/2011 (5191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While the incidence of lost luggage has been dramatically decreased over the past few years, it is still a major source of frustration for travellers who are left standing at arrival carousels around the world hoping their luggage is the last one coming, just around the corner.

When a bag doesn’t show up they can only hope and wonder what they can do or could have done.

QUESTION: On a trip to the United States this spring one of our bags was lost and has so far not been found. After much fighting with the airline we did receive compensation, but there were items in our luggage that really can’t be replaced.

When luggage is lost like this, has the bag been stolen or is it still wandering around the world somehow? And is there anything I could have done to ensure I got my bag back when it went astray?

ANSWER: Fortunately, most bags do end up being returned, contents intact, to their rightful owners. Most people are thankful to get their belongings back, and the airlines really do try to deliver it to your destination as quickly as possible.

This, of course, is no consolation to a bride who has planned the perfect destination and packed her wedding gown carefully in her new lightweight luggage. Being forced to wear a cheap alternative she found in-destination will bring tears of a different kind at the ceremony.

This has actually happened more than once. And there are things that can be done to help prevent things like this from occurring to some extent.

Firstly, if you are travelling on connecting flights, as competent as the people who check you in are, they can mistakenly put the wrong tag on your bag when the line ups are long and people are irritated because of the wait.

Know the connecting city codes of your travel, or simply inquire in curious manner what the airport codes are for the airports you will be travelling to and through.

Put extra identification as well as complete travel itineraries inside your luggage so airport staff can easily track you down even if an erroneous tag was placed on the bag.

To prevent thieves from knowing where you live when you are away, I recommend you never put your home address on tags that can be seen on the exterior of your luggage. However, it is helpful if you carry a mobile phone with you when you travel and have that number displayed with other identification in the bags and on the hidden tags on the outside as well.

Not everyone wants to carry a cellphone but this could be the easiest contact point for you if they discover the error before you arrive at the carousel expecting to welcome your luggage.

In the United States, as well as in many other countries, curbside check-in has become very popular.

The more people who handle your bag, the greater the chance for error. Taking your bags, however heavy, to the check-in counter eliminates one step in the process.

When your bag is lost your hope is that it can be recovered quickly and returned to you with the least amount of delay.

In the U.S. lost bags are not stored by travel date or destination, they are put in storage areas arranged by look, size, and style of the bags.

Choosing black when you purchase luggage is not likely your best bet for easy retrieval should it go missing in transit.

Adding bright or unique handle wraps can help identify your bag more effectively when airport personnel are searching for it.

And finally, while not preventative, take a picture of your bags and contents in the event you later need to prove quality for replacement as well as compensation for lost items.

If lost luggage is eventually found and not identified and returned to its owners, each airline has different policies for disposal.

While charities can be the recipients at times, there is a huge auction mart in Alabama used by a number of American carriers where items are regularly sold for the best possible price.

QUESTION: I have read about this man from Winnipeg who apparently has won some sort of battle with Air Canada relating to lost luggage. Can you tell me what that is all about?

ANSWER: The story became big news to the national travelling public when the Canadian Transportation Agency sided with Gabor Lukacs who asked for a review of a policy held by Air Canada that stated it would not be liable for a variety of expensive items in checked baggage if those bags were lost.

The transportation agency concluded that Air Canada must adhere to the international treaty they are a part of, called the Montreal Convention, which sets very specific guidelines for all carriers who transport passengers, baggage and cargo.

Lukacs should be hailed as a Canadian travel hero. In real life he is an assistant mathematics professor at the University of Manitoba.

At just 29 years of age he has already won a previous battle with Westjet relating to lost luggage compensation. Earlier this year the Federal Court of Appeal said no to a hearing from Westjet on the matter which the Canadian Transportation Agency had also already found in favour of Lucac’s argument.

This is a great David slays Goliath story, and I think we should all salute his efforts.

Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is president of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre and can be heard Sundays at noon on CJOB. Previous columns and tips can be found on www.journeystravelgear.com or read Ron’s travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca