Lost Your Luggage at the Airport Here is What You Should Do
Oct 17, 2022
To have your luggage go missing during travel has always been one of the most stressful, irritating things that can happen. According to Forbes magazine, out of every 1,000 passengers on an aeroplane, 5 of them are likely to experience baggage handling errors by either the airline or the airport. This shows the prominent risk of losing luggage while travelling abroad, so if this were to happen to you, here's what you should do.   1. Check the whereabouts of your lost luggage If your itinerary involves connecting flights, you need to check with the operating carrier of your last flight to check the whereabouts of your luggage. That last airline you fly on is ultimately responsible for delivering your luggage to you even if the bag never made it into their system. Another way is to go directly to the Lost & Found Section at the relevant terminal in the airport where you can also get information regarding searches for missing luggage. The airport will then coordinate with the airline to find your lost luggage.   2. File a missing luggage report The next, and most important, step you should do is file a missing luggage report. You need to make your way to the airport office which handles  claims of lost goods,  to make a missing luggage report. Note that the time limit to make the report is in 24 hours after the loss of your luggage. Write down in detail your luggage information including baggage tag number, departure time, ticket class, flight number, and other information such as identity cards or boarding passes as additional evidence in the report. Report will then be directly submitted to the airline for further follow-up.   3. List down your missing luggage Listing down specific details of your luggage would be very helpful with the search and identification process. When you do this, include every bit of information you can about your travel route and plans, and your bag - including the size, colour and material and any identifying tags. Since most bags look alike, attach pictures of your luggage in the report if you have any.   4. Track down your lost luggage After making a missing luggage report in detail, the only thing you can do is to monitor the search. If you have not received any updates within 3 days, immediately contact either the airline, airport authority or visit the airline's official office. Based on Indonesian law, luggage is declared lost if 14-days have passed after you make a report. If your luggage is  declared as lost, you are entitled to a compensation according to Permenhub #77 of 2011. File a claim for your loss to the airline immediately to ensure you are eligible for compensation. Nevertheless, each airline usually has its own terms and procedures - so make sure the compensation for your lost baggage is carried out according to the applicable law in accordance with the Permenhub.   5. Claim your travel insurance The high frequency of lost luggage cases when travelling reinforces how important it is to have travel insurance, especially for frequent flyers. Even if luggage is finally found after a few weeks, the overall process of getting back your lost baggage is frustrating and costly. Ensuring you have the right travel insurance from a trustable entity, with a simple and transparent submission procedure is crucial. If you do have travel insurance and this happens to you, prepare documents such as an insurance policy number, passport number, and other complementary documents needed to submit your claim from the occurrence.   Whilst these cases happen often, processing and finding your lost luggage arches into a long painful process, the above are some things you could follow to ensure you get your luggage back as soon as possible. Ensure that your travel insurance is trustworthy and reliable to handle claims quickly and transparently. With Amanyaman, you are covered with protection before, during and after your trip with a variety of travel products to match your needs. Amanyaman has created a simple and transparent claim procedure, where all your claim progress can be seen online through Amanyaman’s Tracking Claim History feature. If you are interested in Amanyaman travel insurance products and services, or need detailed information about the benefits of Amanyaman’s products, please reach our contact centre here.

To have your luggage go missing during travel has always been one of the most stressful, irritating things that can happen. According to Forbes magazine, out of every 1,000 passengers on an aeroplane, 5 of them are likely to experience baggage handling errors by either the airline or the airport. This shows the prominent risk of losing luggage while travelling abroad, so if this were to happen to you, here's what you should do.

 

1. Check the whereabouts of your lost luggage

If your itinerary involves connecting flights, you need to check with the operating carrier of your last flight to check the whereabouts of your luggage. That last airline you fly on is ultimately responsible for delivering your luggage to you even if the bag never made it into their system. Another way is to go directly to the Lost & Found Section at the relevant terminal in the airport where you can also get information regarding searches for missing luggage. The airport will then coordinate with the airline to find your lost luggage.

 

2. File a missing luggage report

The next, and most important, step you should do is file a missing luggage report. You need to make your way to the airport office which handles  claims of lost goods,  to make a missing luggage report. Note that the time limit to make the report is in 24 hours after the loss of your luggage. Write down in detail your luggage information including baggage tag number, departure time, ticket class, flight number, and other information such as identity cards or boarding passes as additional evidence in the report. Report will then be directly submitted to the airline for further follow-up.

 

3. List down your missing luggage

Listing down specific details of your luggage would be very helpful with the search and identification process. When you do this, include every bit of information you can about your travel route and plans, and your bag - including the size, colour and material and any identifying tags. Since most bags look alike, attach pictures of your luggage in the report if you have any.

 

4. Track down your lost luggage

After making a missing luggage report in detail, the only thing you can do is to monitor the search. If you have not received any updates within 3 days, immediately contact either the airline, airport authority or visit the airline's official office. Based on Indonesian law, luggage is declared lost if 14-days have passed after you make a report. If your luggage is  declared as lost, you are entitled to a compensation according to Permenhub #77 of 2011. File a claim for your loss to the airline immediately to ensure you are eligible for compensation. Nevertheless, each airline usually has its own terms and procedures - so make sure the compensation for your lost baggage is carried out according to the applicable law in accordance with the Permenhub.

 

5. Claim your travel insurance

The high frequency of lost luggage cases when travelling reinforces how important it is to have travel insurance, especially for frequent flyers. Even if luggage is finally found after a few weeks, the overall process of getting back your lost baggage is frustrating and costly. Ensuring you have the right travel insurance from a trustable entity, with a simple and transparent submission procedure is crucial. If you do have travel insurance and this happens to you, prepare documents such as an insurance policy number, passport number, and other complementary documents needed to submit your claim from the occurrence.

 

Whilst these cases happen often, processing and finding your lost luggage arches into a long painful process, the above are some things you could follow to ensure you get your luggage back as soon as possible. Ensure that your travel insurance is trustworthy and reliable to handle claims quickly and transparently. With Amanyaman, you are covered with protection before, during and after your trip with a variety of travel products to match your needs. Amanyaman has created a simple and transparent claim procedure, where all your claim progress can be seen online through Amanyaman’s Tracking Claim History feature. If you are interested in Amanyaman travel insurance products and services, or need detailed information about the benefits of Amanyaman’s products, please reach our contact centre here.