Lost luggage wreaked travel havoc over the holidays. Here’s what to do when your bags take a trip without you.

If you can count on anything when flying these days, it would seem, based on chaos unfolding in airports around the world, it’s that you can count on nothing.

After two years of quieter skies due to the pandemic, this year, air travel rebounded in a big way, and airports and airlines were far from ready to meet the surge in demand.

This past week, a winter storm posed a new challenge to the embattled aviation industry, forcing thousands of flight cancellations, wreaking havoc on holiday travel across Canada and the U.S.

Across the continent, some travellers found themselves stranded on vacation with no way of getting home, while others were forced to endure long nights on the tarmac following a heavy snow.

Photos of piles of unclaimed luggage and departure screens replete with cancellations and delays at Toronto’s Pearson airport this past week were reminiscent of summertime, when our hometown flight hub clinched the title for worst airport for delays in the world.

“We’re in a situation where we’re taxing the systems a lot more than they’ve been taxed in the last two years while we were in a pandemic,” says John Gradek, a former Air Canada executive who now lectures in aviation management at McGill University.

“So, there’s a lot more demand, there’s a lot more travel, there’s a lot more bags going through the system.”

YYZ passengers have reported spending days waiting for luggage — in some cases checked on a flight that never even took off — while the airport blamed delays on “equipment freezing” and lack of airline capacity due to flight schedule disruptions.

While being separated from your suitcase can be inconvenient and unnerving, luckily, there are laws in place to protect passengers whose luggage gets delayed or lost.

So, you’ve arrived at your destination, but your bags haven’t. What now?

File a missing baggage report

If you arrive at your destination and can’t find your checked suitcase on the baggage carousel, the first thing to do is to file a missing baggage report with the airline, says Gábor Lukács, founder of airline passenger advocacy group Air Passenger Rights.

If you’re unable to file a report at the airport, for example because you cannot find an airline agent or the lineup to do so is hours long, Lukács recommends recording a video, explaining the situation, and showing any relevant evidence, like an empty baggage counter. As a general rule, Lukács says, “document what you’ve seen, document what you experience.”

When you get home, send an email to the airline, explaining that your bag has been delayed but you were unable to file a report. Include information about your flight and luggage, plus any relevant documentation, and a photo of the luggage tag.

Buy what you need — within reason

Air travellers are protected by the Montreal Convention, an international treaty concerning air travel that’s ratified by more than 130 countries, including Canada, the U.S., and all members of the European Union.

Under the convention, an airline is required to cover reasonable interim expenses caused by delayed baggage, including basics you might need for your trip or items you require immediately upon coming home, up to a limit of roughly $2,330.

While you should feel comfortable buying what you need, like a razor or a swimsuit, it’s important to shop within reason, so as not to incur costs that the airline won’t cover later.

“You’re not going to go out and get fur coats and you’re not going to go out and get silk dresses and all kinds of stuff,” says Gradek. The airline will have the final say on what’s reasonable and what’s not.

Sit tight, and try not to stress

Being separated from your belongings can be nerve-wracking, but remember, the onus is on the airline to return your baggage to you.

While some passengers may wish to return to the airport to search for their bags, that’s not necessary, says Lukács. “You don’t have to jump up and down and say ‘hey, give me back by baggage.’”

In most cases, the airline will get your bag back to you within a couple of days, at which point you have three weeks to file a complaint with the airline to get your expenses reimbursed.

If it’s been 21 days and your bag is still missing, then the airline must declare it lost. You can then file a complaint with the airline requesting that they compensate you for your bag, up to a limit of roughly $2330. If the airline does not pay you back within 30 days, Lukács says, you have two years to sue in small claims court.

Ultimately, it’s the responsibility of the airline to keep track of checked luggage and return it to its rightful owner. But so long as air travel remains unpredictable, here are a couple of ways to avoid the panic at the baggage claim.

Tips for before you fly

Keep your receipts

Always hold on to the baggage tag that the airline provides you at check-in. This is how the airline will be able to track your luggage down if it gets delayed.

When in doubt, carry on

There’s something so reassuring about knowing your belongings are in the overhead bin right on top of you while you’re flying. While it’s not always possible, try to pack a carry-on suitcase for those shorter trips, or trips where you don’t need as much. Odds are, you don’t need as much clothing as you think you do.

Consider getting a luggage tracker

It’s quickly become the best travel hack of the year: an item tracker, like Apple’s AirTag. This is a handy device that allows you to see where your luggage is from your smart phone.

“The airline industry doesn’t really like AirTags very much, because it tells the passenger a lot more about the location of the bag than the airline knows,” Gradek says. Knowing exactly where your baggage is can help you get it returned to you more quickly.

But remember — it’s not you, it’s them

There is only so much an individual can do to retrieve a lost bag. Ultimately, it’s up to the airline to look after checked luggage and ensure it gets back in the right hands, Lukács says.

“The airline has an obligation to deliver your baggage, period.”

Lex Harvey is a Toronto-based transportation reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @lexharvs

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