• Travel insurance
• Policy info
• Travel Checklist
• How can I get in touch?

What to do when you lose your luggage

Losing your luggage is at best inconvenient and at worst costly, but it is not the end of the world, especially if you have the right travel insurance

How not to lose your luggage

Prevention is better than cure, and here are some tips in how to do your part to avoid losing any luggage to begin with:

• Take as much on board with you. Most UK airports will allow one piece of carry-on luggage, as well as a shoulder bag. See if you can fit all your clothing into these two pieces (remember that there are restrictions on gels, liquids and aerosols).
• Label all luggage clearly inside and out - using the airline's tags wherever possible. Be sure to remove old airline routing tags and labels. Write your destination phone number and address - as well as a phone number of someone in the UK.
• Mark your luggage as "fragile". Airlines will give you special "fragile" stickers. Airlines usually take better care of fragile items.
• Lock your luggage securely. Take any valuables, including cameras and jewellery, on board with you.
• Make a detailed list of the contents of your bags.
• Put the luggage receipt tags in a safe place. These are the only proof you have that the carrier received your bags.

If you do loose your bags

• Search the other carousels for your bag - sometimes bags are placed on the wrong carousel by mistake.
• Look for bags that resemble yours in shape and colour and are left on their own; another traveller could have mistaken your luggage and gone off with yours.
• Immediately inform the lost baggage counter of your carrier. These are usually located right next to the luggage carousels. Produce your luggage tags and your itinerary for the attendant to copy. Keep the originals.
• Request that the carrier provides funding for daily purchases of necessities while your luggage is being located. This is usually US$100 per day. Keep receipts of everything you purchase, as you will need to supply them to the airline to be refunded.
• Inform your hotel and ask them to contact the airline directly. Ask at the hotel where you can buy clothes at local prices - not at tourist boutique stores. The hotel can supply you with all needed toiletries for free.
• Inform your travel insurance company of the loss and attach the list of lost items. Ask them what compensation you are entitled to should the luggage not be found.
• If you don't get your luggage back within a couple of days keep in contact with the lost luggage team.