We’ve all been there: anxiously waiting for our bags to arrive at the conveyor belt, peering over shoulders with that looming feeling of dread that you’re going to be stuck without your luggage for the duration of your holiday. If your baggage does not, in fact, arrive at the airport, here’s what you should do.
Step 0 is to gather your calm and look around to confirm if the luggage is actually lost. Look around at the other conveyor belts and try tracking down your luggage using the airline’s apps. Airlines will tag your luggage with a scanner code as part of the check-in procedure. It’s helpful to have a picture of the scanner code with you. It is also easier to identify the luggage if it has name tags or markers. Here’s what you can do if your luggage does not arrive on the conveyor belt:
Step 1: Report your lost luggage
Approach the desk at the baggage claim area or the lost and found to let them know that your luggage has not arrived. Give them as much information as you can: the appearance, identification tags, the weight of the baggage, the cost of its contents, etc. Usually, airlines help you trace your bags online using a reference number on your luggage receipt.
Step 2: File a PIR (Property Irregularity Report)
It is essential to file a PIR or equivalent form before leaving the airport, as per DGCA guidelines. Airlines will collect your contact information and current address while filing the PIR to give you updates about your baggage. Once the report is filed, collect a copy and an acknowledgement that contains the PIR number. This helps you track your baggage on the airline website.
Step 3: Keep track of updates
Keep track of your baggage using the PIR number via the airline’s website or by calling the help desk. The airline will contact you using the contact details provided during the PIR filing with updates regarding your luggage. Most airlines will declare a bag lost between five and 21 days after the flight. As per the Carriage by Air Act 1972, if an airline admits to the loss of checked baggage or if the baggage has not been located within 21 of arrival, the passenger is entitled to compensation as per the airline’s policy. If the luggage has been tracked down they recognize it as delayed baggage, which means baggage that has been found but will reach you late.
Step 4: Collect your bags or file a claim
Usually, when airlines approach you with updates on your baggage, they request your location and other details to help return your lost baggage. Delayed luggage (or luggage that has been located) will be handed back to the owner at their current location. As per Air India, if a customer has flown from A to B and then moved on to their next destination, C, their baggage will be delivered to their address at location C.
Once luggage is declared lost, you will have to file a complaint and compensation claim through the airline helpline or website mentioning all the lost items and their prices along with their purchase dates.
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