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Click here to enlarge	THINGS TO KNOW IF YOUR BAGS GET LOST Anyone who has watched the airport carousel go round and round until the bitter, bagless end knows how frustrating it can be to get a straight answer on the whereabouts of lost luggage - especially at peak times like Christmas when airlines can be stretched to the limit or struggling to deal with bad weather, staff shortages or computer problems. While ever baggage claim system is slightly different, airlines can generally track a wayward bag pretty quickly, as long as the baggage tag attached at the check-in counter hasn't been accidentally ripped off in transit. Air Canada, for instance, says more than 95% of bags that go astray are reunited with their owners within 24 hours. Those that don't have the airline tag and can't be reunited with their owners are usually held in a room at the terminal for up to five days. Passengers can pick them up at the airport, or the airlines will have them couriered to your home. If the owners haven't been found within five days, the bags are sent off to a central baggage claims area where they are kept for three to six months. Any bags still unclaimed after that time may be sold off to private companies that operate stores or warehouses where they sell off the contents. Airlines provide a variety of compensation for bags that simply can't be found - anywhere from just $250 to $2500 based on weight. And that, says Ottawa's Air Travel Complaints Commissioner Liette Lacroix Kenniff, is the unfair part. Most travellers have no clue what their bags and contents weigh, and have no idea the real value of the items they've packed. A silk scarf, she notes, barely registers on the weight scale but can be worth $200. And any really valuable items - money, jewelry, silverware, negotiable papers, securities, business documents, prototypes, electronics and office equipment are usually specifically excluded by airlines as items eligible for compensation is lost, she says. "If you believe that a carrier's liability limit does not cover the value of your baggage, you should declare a higher value at check-in and purchase additional insurance from you carrier," the complaints commissioner notes on the Canadian Transportation Agency's web site (www.cta-otc.gc.ca). Click on the agency's Fly Smart icon on the bottom of the home page and you will find valuable travel advice that can be downloaded or is available in a brochure. The biggest risk of losing your bag is on connecting flights, says Lacroix Kenniff, especially if there are delays on takeoff that can make the window of time at the stopover - and the time for baggage handlers to transfer the bags - impossibly short.The agency's Fly Smart sections lists a number of ways to reduce the chances of your bags being damaged, delayed or disappearing altogether: If you have to force your bag closed, it's too full. Airlines won't pay for damage caused by over packing. Remove all old airline baggage tags. Label all baggage with your name and a contact person or hotel at your destination. Also put your name, address and phone number inside each bag in case the external tag is accidentally torn off. Make a list of the contents of your checked luggage and keep it in your wallet or ticket jacket. Carry essential overnight items in your carry-on luggage, just in case. Carry all essential medicines and medical devices, such as insulin, prosthetic wear, glasses, contact lens kits and prescription medication with you, but make sure that medicine is in its original container with the name of the doctor and other information clearly marked. Most airlines require that baggage claims be filed within a certain time limit. Report any missing or damaged baggage to the airline before leaving the airport. Many have handouts that explain their luggage claims process. When you check luggage, you are always given a baggage claim check. Hang on to it. It proves that you checked baggage and it is difficult to substantiate a claim without it. If your baggage doesn't turn up and you file a compensation claim, keep copies of the loss report and all correspondence with the airline, as well as your tickets and baggage claim checks. If you used more than one carrier on your trip, alert the final carrier of your loss, even if it happened on the first leg of your journey. Under international rules, if you have a through ticket for your trip, the final airline is responsible for tracing your bag and processing your claim. Keep in touch with the airline's claims department throughout the process and contact Air Travel Complaints Commissioner if unhappy with long delays or what you feel is adequate compensation. Keep in mind that some airlines will provide immediate cash relief - enough to buy a few toiletries and clothes - if your bag isn't found quickly. But those interim payments will likely be considered an advance against any subsequent claim for loss or delay. Source: Toronto Star, Saturday, November 22, 2003, column by Susan Pigg, staff writer.
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