Europe is currently struggling with mass staff shortages across the air travel sector due to the pandemic which caused so many to lose their jobs. This includes cabin crew, pilots and handling staff. The lack of pilots and cabin crews are causing an upheaval in flight cancellations and changes. Along with flight changes, as well as the lack of handling staff, sadly lost luggage has increased significantly.

If you find yourself in the situation where you the airline has lost your luggage, try not to panic. We completely understand how worrying it might be but we have outlined the general process as to what you should do in the event that your luggage is lost when flying.

Deadlines for Claiming

Most airlines follow these below deadlines, but it’s a good idea to check with your airline.

If your luggage is delayed or missing, the airline has 21 days to find it and get it to you. If you get your luggage back within 21 days, you can claim compensation for delayed luggage. You also have the right to claim compensation for reasonable, verifiable and actual incidental expenses whilst your luggage is delayed.

Documents that you’ll need when making a claim

Ask the airline what documents you’ll need - they’d usually expect you to have:

• Your boarding pass / flight ticket
• Your luggage labels (these have a bar-code and number to identify your luggage)
• Proof you reported the problem, eg email to the airline
• Receipts for things you had to buy because of a delay
• Proof of purchase for lost or damaged things, eg receipts or credit card statements
• Photos of any damage to your luggage or contents
• Cost estimates for any repairs you’re claiming for, eg from a luggage repair business

How to Make a Claim

Ask the airline how they want you to send your claim. If they don’t have a claim form, you’ll probably have to write a letter to the airline’s customer service department.

Make sure your letter includes:

• Details of your flight - dates, flight number, departure and destination
• What happened to your luggage
• How much money you’re asking for
• A detailed description of everything that’s damaged or lost
• A list or everything you had to buy because of a delay
• Copies of all the documents you need

If you are making a claim for damaged luggage, we can provide a copy of your invoice as proof of purchase and price paid. We made a blog on this a few months ago due to the increases in  Damaged Luggage. We can also contact the manufacturer and request a repair quote if needed. 

At Luggage Superstore, we are 100% committed to ensuring our customers are satisfied with their purchases but this extends beyond the 'norm' that you'd expect from an online retailer. Customer After Care Service for our customers includes helping with claims for lost or damaged luggage. We can provide copies of receipts for items and proof of purchase from up to several years after the purchase has been made.

Should you need any assistance with this, please contact our customer service department on customerservice@luggagesuperstore.co.uk or call 01732753300 between 9am-5pm Monday-Thursday and 9am-4pm Fridays.