When you pick up your baggage from the airlines, you are usually tired and grateful to be at your destination. Most people don’t look over their bags to make sure they’re OK. Then, when they go to unpack they find something missing or torn. Unfortunately the airlines loathe taking responsibility for what they do to your bags, even though we have all watched the handlers toss our bags around and wonder why they don’t all spill open on the tarmac.
The most important thing about putting in a claim for a damaged bag is to know the game before you need to know it. The airlines will spout policy to you, if you accept that you will get nowhere. Remember, you do have the right to say, “No, that is not acceptable.”
Know what to expect:
- All airlines expect that you file a claim while you are still at the airport (no matter what time of day or night it is).
- There is not always someone available to take your claim at the airport.
- Most airlines allow up to 24 hours to file a claim, but you often are required to come into the airport.
- International travelers usually have 7 days to file a claim.
- Know your airline’s policy! US Airways, for example only allows 4 hours to file a claim.
The “customer service” agent is not always helpful in these matters. With the financial state of the airlines these days their policies have gotten stricter. Therefore it can be [Read more →]
by Lisa Redinger, Assistant Manager 
