To continue my last post, here are additional tips on taking care of your baggage, as well as some tips to help you claim the full value of your baggage in case it does get lost.
5. When checking in your bags, make sure that each bag is properly tagged, showing your destination and flight. Don’t forget to get your bag tag stubs with the UPC bar code. If you have electronic tickets, these tags may just be stapled to a copy of your itinerary; treat these as important travel documents, since these act as your receipts as well.
6. When booking a connecting flight, double-check if the airlines will be the ones to transfer your baggage if you’re changing planes on your journey. Some airlines don’t have baggage transfer agreements, and you might end up having to check-out and recheck your baggage with the next flight. If that’s the case, choose flights that will give you more than enough time for connections.
7. Most valuable tip: try not to check-in late for your flight.
In the unfortunate event that your baggage does get lost, here are some tips to help facilitate your claim, and to increase the chances of getting the value of what you lost back.
• Make a list of the items packed in each bag, along with the estimated value. To reinforce your claims, take a snapshot of what is included in your bags, especially the more valuable items.
• Keep receipts of items purchased on the trip.
• If you need to bring expensive items like jewelry or equipment, you’ll need to cover their replacement value under an additional policy separate from the automatic coverage provided by the airline. Check you’re your own insurance company for added protection, or consider buying excess valuation insurance from the airline at the ticket counter.