CrimeaPRESS reports:
Lack of barcodes, short transfers, delays in transportation — there are various reasons why luggage can get lost. Tutu Travel Experts share how to minimize the chances of losing or damaging luggage.
1. Remove old stickers
After check-in, baggage first gets on the tape, then — for automatic screening. Suspicious bags are manually inspected by airport staff. After that, the luggage is sent to the aircraft. “The barcodes that an employee at the check-in desk glues onto the suitcase help prevent luggage from getting lost. But if there are old barcode stickers on the luggage, the scanners read them by mistake. Therefore, it is better to get rid of all stickers immediately after the trip.— advises the head of the aviation marketing department of the aviation commerce directorate of Vladivostok International Airport Dmitry Khazin.
Also, with self-check-in, which some airlines have, check that the new barcodes are glued on carefully. A self-adhesive paper tag can be printed with your boarding pass at the airport. The tag must be glued to a bag or suitcase — preferably to a handle.
2. Fold handles and straps, check locks
Carefully fold the handles and straps on your bags so they don’t snag on anything when transporting.
If you want to pack your luggage, it is better to entrust it to the workers at the airport. The usual cling film, which inexperienced travelers often pack their luggage with, sticks to the luggage belt, because of this, the bag may tear or get stuck somewhere.
If the suitcase does not have a combination lock, buy a special padlock. The zipper is easy to unfasten without a lock.
3. Take out luggage loss insurance
Insurance provides an opportunity to receive additional compensation for the loss or delay of luggage. It can be issued on the website of the air carrier or insurance company.
On Tutu you can take out insurance for the duration of the trip, which includes luggage insurance. If the luggage is damaged, they will pay 1,500 rubles for each kilogram of damaged cargo. If luggage is lost or stolen, 1,500 rubles are paid for each kilogram, or the cost of buying a new suitcase is up to 25,000 rubles.
There is also compensation in case of delayed baggage claim. If it is more than 12 hours, insurance will pay compensation up to 10,000 rubles — within 500 rubles for each kilogram.
4. Arrive early at the airport
Usually, even if the passenger checks in the luggage in the last minutes before the check-in closes, they will have time to deliver it to the plane. “Problems can arise if, for some reason, the suitcase is taken away for manual inspection in the presence of a passenger, and at that time he has already left for boarding and cannot be found. Then the suitcase may not be delivered on time.— says Dmitry Khazin.
The specialist also warns that such a situation may arise if the passenger arrived with a margin.
There are situations when passengers are called on the speakerphone to conduct a manual search in their presence, but the passengers are sitting in headphones and do not hear the announcement. Without waiting for the passenger, the airport staff will inspect the suitcase on their own, but it can fly on the next flight— Dmitry Khazin warns.
In some cases, if a passenger is late, they may let them through even after the check-in desk closes and offer to check in their luggage at the entrance to the plane — as they do with prams. But it’s better to arrive at the airport in advance, a couple of hours in advance, and drink coffee at the same time.
5. Choose a bright suitcase and check the tags
The situation when a passenger takes someone else’s luggage seems to be a comedy plot, and not a real case. But it happens. To prevent this from happening, always check the tags upon receipt and take a bright suitcase on your trip. Choosing a good suitcase for flights will help Tutu’s instructions. If you have a black suitcase, decorate it with stickers or patches to easily identify your luggage on the tape.
You can also buy an unusual cover: it will not only distinguish the suitcase from others, but also protect it from scratches and chips. However, the tags do not hold well on the fabric case. It is important that there are slots in the cover for the handle of the suitcase — the employees at the check-in desk glue the main luggage tag on it.
6. Make a tag with your contact details
Write your first and last name, phone number and flight number. So airport staff will be able to quickly identify and find luggage. You can make such a tag yourself, or you can buy it.
7. Don’t take expensive things
You should not check in an expensive branded bag. If it is lost, it is unlikely that compensation will cover the entire cost. Also, do not put valuables in your luggage. And if necessary, use the combination lock and insure your luggage.
8. Find out where to pick up your luggage if you are flying with a transfer
If you are flying with a transfer on one airline, then, as a rule, your luggage will immediately go to the final destination (but not always). If the airlines are different, the suitcase will have to be picked up on the transfer belt. Keep this in mind and, even if there is only one air carrier, check the information at the counter.
9. Choose long transfers
If the transfer is too short, less than an hour, then the luggage may simply not have time to transfer from one flight to another. It is better to choose a transplant for at least one and a half to two hours. In addition, there is less chance of being late for the next flight.
You missed your connecting flight — check with the airline representative what will happen to your luggage. If you are transferred to the next flight of the same airline, you usually do not need to pick up your luggage at the transfer. But it happens that the passenger checked in to the final destination, received two baggage tags, missed the connecting flight, and the baggage flew away without an owner. Then the suitcase will have to be searched through the Lost & Found counter at the final airport. In some cases, a fee may be required for the return of baggage — as for unaccompanied cargo.
10. Take a photo of your baggage before checking it in
If the suitcase or bag is still lost, the passenger fills out an application with a description of what was in the luggage. In this case, a photo of the suitcase open and closed can help.
If you received damaged luggage, you are entitled to compensation. Noticed damage — contact the employee in the issuance area or the representative of the airline and write a claim.
If you noticed damage already at home or in a hotel, you can still try to get compensation. Call the airline and find out how to make a claim. It’s great if you kept the receipt when buying a suitcase. It will serve as a good argument in court for compensation. Be prepared for the fact that it is not easy to get compensation, so it is better to buy damage insurance in advance.
Tutu travel service is the No. 1 Russian travel service (data from the GfK cross-media panel, March 2018), where you can buy tickets for trains, planes and buses, see suburban train schedules, find travel packages, book hotels, select thematic tours , expeditions or excursions. The Tutu travel service has been operating since mid-2003 and has a monthly audience of 20 million unique users. According to SimilarWeb data for May 2023, the Tutu service website (tutu.ru) is in the top 20 most popular in the world in the Travel category.
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