After his delayed British Airways flight from Boston to London finally touched down, Andrew Horn raced to the luggage carousel. He didn’t have time to spare. Horn needed to quickly collect his bag and make a connection on a separate ticket to Zurich, Switzerland, where he was attending a business meeting.
However, as the crowd around him at the carousel thinned, and his suitcase didn’t appear, Horn got a sinking feeling about the fate of his bag. An airline employee soon confirmed the worst: Horn’s luggage — with his business clothes inside — was still in Boston. The representative from British Airways apologized and promised Horn his delayed baggage would arrive in Switzerland the next day.
Despite British Airways’ assurance that his luggage was on the way, it didn’t show up in Zurich. Horn says another agent from British Airways told him he could buy new business attire and the airline would reimburse him later, up to $1,000, so Horn went out and purchased new clothing for his meetings.
Months later, the airline still had not reimbursed Horn, so he reached out to TPG for help. He hoped we could facilitate the $1,000 compensation from British Airways to cover the cost of the clothes he needed to purchase.
But what does an airline really owe a passenger after it misplaces the traveler’s luggage, and what other help can travelers call upon?
Flying British Airways to a business meeting
Last spring, Horn, who has Oneworld Emerald status, reserved a British Airways ticket from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) in business class. He then purchased a separate ticket, also on British Airways, from London to Zurich Airport (ZRH).
On the day of his scheduled trip, Horn arrived at the airport in Boston with plenty of time to check in before his flight. At the British Airways check-in counter, he checked a suitcase with all his clothes in it and watched as the agent placed a priority label on it. She handed him his baggage claim tag and his boarding pass.
Soon, Horn was on his way to the airline lounge and assumed his luggage was being loaded onto the plane. It wasn’t.
It’s still unclear where it went from there, but it would be nearly a week before Horn would see his bag again.
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A delayed flight and a missing bag
Back in the lounge, British Airways announced that Horn’s flight to London was delayed. First, the delay was limited to an hour, and then it progressed to two hours.
“I began to get worried that I would miss my connection in England,” Horn recalled.
That was a valid concern. Horn was traveling on two separate tickets, so he would have to get his suitcase and re-check it for his next flight.
When a traveler is flying on one airline with one record locator (and one ticket number), a missed connection is protected, meaning the airline must put the traveler on the next available flight on their own fleet at no additional charge, or will try to find alternative options for them.
However, when a traveler books themselves on two separate tickets, as Horn did, there is no protection for a missed connecting flight. The airline for the first flight is not obligated to rebook the missed flight or help make any additional arrangements since the reservations are entirely separate.
So, if you are booked on separate tickets and miss your second one because of a delay in the first leg, you’re considered a no-show and are not entitled to a refund or travel credit, let alone help to rebook your second segment.
Horn realized too late what the implications of this type of booking could be.
“We finally took off about two hours after we were scheduled,” Horn told me. “I was pretty sure I would miss my connection to Zurich.”
He was right. But that wasn’t the worst of it.
At Heathrow, when his bag did not appear, he went to the customer service desk and learned that British Airways hadn’t put his luggage on the aircraft in the first place. Now, Horn was without his clothing and without a continuing segment to Zurich. Things couldn’t have turned out worse.
A little good news: British Airways will rebook your flight
There was a bit of good news, though, British Airways agreed to rebook Horn on the next available flight to Zurich without charge. I say “a little” good news because that next flight wasn’t for 10 hours.
Exhausted and frustrated by the turn of events, Horn headed to the British Airways Galleries Club Lounge at Heathrow to wait for his connection.
“It was a mess, but I thought at least British Airways would send my luggage on the next flight from Boston.”
Ten hours later, Horn settled into his connecting flight to Switzerland and soon touched down in Zurich. He headed to his hotel to prepare for his meeting and hoped that his clothing would arrive in time just as British Airways said it would.
British Airways: The delayed luggage is still on its way
Late into the next day, it became clear to Horn that he needed a backup plan. He definitely couldn’t attend his business meetings in the casual (and now rumpled) clothing he wore on his flight to Europe. He began to call and send urgent messages to British Airways asking for the whereabouts of his luggage.
“Finally, one of the British Airways agents told me just to go and buy whatever business clothing I needed. He said the airline would reimburse me up to $1,000.”
Unfortunately, this quite generous offer was not in writing and wasn’t within any of British Airways’ written protocols. But Horn accepted the verbal promise of reimbursement of up to $1,000 and went shopping for appropriate attire.
He was soon decked out for the meeting and submitted all his receipts to British Airways via its missing or lost baggage portal. (There are step-by-step instructions as to how to submit receipts via that platform.)
The airline delivered his missing baggage to his Zurich hotel just in time for Horn to fly home. Now, with his old and new clothes in tow, he waited for word from the airline about his compensation.
As it turns out, he would be waiting a long time.
Will British Airways ever pay this delayed baggage claim?
When Horn arrived home, he assumed it wouldn’t be long before British Airways would pay his claim.
In fact, both of his claims — not only did he file a delayed luggage claim, but he also submitted an EU261 claim for the delayed flight.
The EU261 regulation, which the United Kingdom retains despite no longer being part of the European Union, allows travelers flying within the EU, or between it and other regions, to receive compensation for extended flight delays.
Horn believed that because he arrived at his final destination (Switzerland) 12 hours after the originally scheduled arrival time, he qualified for an EU261 payment of around $700.
However, he quickly received a denial of his EU261 claim, and the repercussions of how he booked his flight to Zurich came more clearly into focus.
As I explained to Horn, flights arriving in Europe or the U.K. are covered by the EU261 if:
- The airline is an EU member
- The passenger experiences at least a three-hour delay in arriving at their final destination
U.S. airlines are bound by the EU261 only on flights departing from Europe or the U.K.
However, because Horn had purchased two separate tickets, the final destination on his first itinerary was London, and that arrival was delayed by just two hours. Had he booked both parts of his journey with British Airways as a single ticket, he would have qualified for the EU261 payment since his arrival in Switzerland was significantly delayed.
That said, per the Montreal Convention, which covers airline liability for lost and delayed luggage on international flights, British Airways was required to compensate Horn for the clothes that he was forced to buy because the airline hadn’t loaded his bag on his flight.
Despite Horn’s multiple attempts to contact British Airways, though, the airline was only sending automated email responses to him. Unfortunately, this type of unfriendly customer relations isn’t uncommon in the age of artificial intelligence.
I gave Horn some guidance about how to make sure that he was actually reaching a human at British Airways and not an AI feedback loop, as other TPG readers have hit.
Horn once again contacted British Airways via an email address with the name and contact information of a real person. He adjusted his claim to remove the request for the EU261 compensation, too. Even then, it took nearly a month before the airline responded.
The good news: British Airways will pay (most of) your claim
After another delay of about a month, Horn received an email update from British Airways that explained the airline would partially pay his claim. He forwarded the message to me. British Airways was asking for Horn’s routing number to his bank account, and the payment was about 80% of what he was asking for.
Horn was alarmed that the airline was asking him for his banking information, but I assured him this was normal. Most European companies will refund travelers directly through a bank transfer. Airlines will almost never pay the full amount requested by the passenger in these cases, either.
That’s because neither the Montreal Convention nor the U.S. Department of Transportation requires an airline to pay the top request. Carriers typically reimburse customers between 60-80% of what they are asking for — factoring depreciation of items and the fact the traveler will be able to use any newly purchased items again.
After I explained this to Horn, he was satisfied with that outcome. Within days he received his compensation, and we can successfully close his case.
What to do before and after an airline loses your luggage
Travelers can take a number of preemptive actions that will lessen the chances of an airline losing their luggage in the first place — and, if the worst happens, reduce the financial impact and stress of a bad situation.
Book nonstop, connecting, or interline flights
The more complicated your itinerary, the higher the chances your luggage can be lost. Whenever possible, book nonstop flights to your destination. The next best thing is to book connecting flights on a single airline with a single record locator for your reservation.
Interline connections (flights on different carriers, but that are associated) are generally fine but can get tricky, especially if something goes wrong with neither airline willing to shoulder the blame for a lost bag.
Travelers should be cautious about booking multi-leg, multi-airline journeys through third-party sites like Expedia or Priceline. These companies sometimes get you the lowest rate by building flight itineraries with a series of one-way tickets, which are not connected to any single airline’s system. As a result, you may need to collect your bags and recheck them between each leg. If you aren’t aware of this and fail to pick up your luggage during your connection, you will end up at your final destination without your belongings, and the airlines will not be responsible.
Check in well in advance of the cut-off time
You want to give the airline plenty of time to get your bags on your plane. If you arrive at the check-in counter at the last minute, your luggage might not make it.
Double-check that your claim tags have the correct destination
After the airline’s agent has printed your routing tag for your suitcase, take a close look at it. Make sure the final destination matches where you’re going. Similarly, check your baggage claim tag and confirm that it has the correct information with your name attached. Put that tag somewhere for safekeeping (and take a photo of it with your phone) since you’ll need it later should your luggage not show up on the carousel when you land.
Photograph your luggage (both outside and the contents inside)
Taking photos of your luggage and its contents before heading to the airport will assist in searching for it if it goes missing and with the claims process if it never reappears. If you’ve purchased specific new items for the trip, keep the receipts because the airlines often consider depreciation when they decide what to pay you if your items are lost under their watch.
Keep in mind airline liability limits
Airlines have strict liability limits. So, while you may not be packing any one thing of high value, remember the overall liability of the airlines may be far less than the value of everything you’re stuffing into your suitcase. That’s especially true if you’re taking a type of trip that requires specific gear or attire (like a business meeting, a hiking expedition or a safari).
The Montreal Convention limits what airlines are required to reimburse you should they lose your belongings during an international flight to around $1,700. The U.S. Department of Transportation places a more passenger-friendly liability limit for the airlines at $3,800.
Those figures are per passenger, not per bag. So travelers should be aware that if they check one bag or multiple pieces of luggage, the airline’s lost, delayed or damaged luggage liability remains the same.
Be aware that these are the liability limits only, not a set payout if the airline loses or damages your luggage. Passengers will be required to provide evidence of their loss and be prepared for the carrier to counter the claim’s dollar amount based on the diminished value of items. If you bought new items to replace the missing ones during your trip, the airlines will also typically reduce your claim, taking the position that you will keep the items and use them again.
Never check items of necessary or expensive items
Any time you check a bag, there is a possibility that your belongings will be delayed or even lost. Never pack anything of high monetary or sentimental value in your luggage, as there are firm airline liability limits.
For example, if you pack $157,000 in jewelry in your checked bag, as one consumer once told me she did, and it goes missing, the airlines will not reimburse you for your loss. Keep anything of high value on your person at all times — or leave it at home.
Also, never pack anything in your checked luggage you will need as soon as you land. That means medications, baby food, transfer information, and any other critical items should always remain with you at all times.
Put air tags in your bags
Apple AirTags are a great way to track your luggage’s location and quickly determine if your wait at baggage claim is in vain. Just toss one in your bag, and you’ll be able to see where it is at all times. That doesn’t mean you will get it back right away, but at least it can help you pinpoint your belongings for the airline and hopefully expedite your reunion with your things.
Travel insurance for lost or delayed luggage
One of the lesser-known benefits of a good comprehensive travel insurance policy is coverage for lost or delayed luggage. This protection is above the airlines’ liability limitations set by the DOT and the Montreal Convention.
Review the details of your policy before purchase and look for “lost and delayed luggage benefit.” That clause will detail when your protection kicks in and whether it is primary or secondary to the airline’s liability. It will also typically exclude certain items like jewelry and electronics and have set payout limits.
Use a credit card with baggage protection
Many travel credit cards offer outstanding lost and delayed baggage coverage when you use them to purchase your ticket, so be sure to use one of the best cards with travel insurance for your next trip. In Horn’s case, he used his company’s Mastercard, which, unfortunately, didn’t provide delayed luggage compensation.
Bottom line
It’s never pleasant when your luggage goes missing after a flight. To make matters worse, airlines often make it confusing and difficult not only to file a lost or delayed luggage claim but also to follow through to the end. The process should be straightforward and transparent and not need the assistance of a consumer advocate to complete it.
Unfortunately, as we’ve seen in many of our cases here at TPG, sometimes travelers hit an insurmountable roadblock in their path to fix their own problems.
If you find yourself in a similar situation with an airline, cruise line, car rental agency or vacation rental company, send your request for help to [email protected], and I’ll be happy to help you too.
