Suitcases gone after a trip, damaged or destroyed - holidaymakers have these options

Created: 07/18/2022Updated: 07/18/2022 12:17 p.m

By: Stella Henrich

If the luggage is missing at the destination, travelers must report this immediately at the airport.

This also applies if the suitcase is damaged.

Consumers also have the option of being reimbursed for losses on trains, buses and ships.

Munich ‒ Everyone wants to travel after the corona pandemic, pack their bags, get on the plane and arrive relaxed at their holiday destination.

If everything goes well, this shouldn't be a problem at all.

But what if the traveler arrives at the resort's airport but not his luggage?

The excitement is great, the frustration even greater and the language skills are too poor to explain to a local airport employee the problem of your own suitcase not rolling over the luggage belt with the suitcases piling up at the holiday destination.

There is also talk of suitcase chaos during check-in at Munich Airport.

Left luggage is now sent after the passengers.

Hoping it arrives in time.

quotes the aviation and IT company Sita

as saying that the number of missing or damaged pieces of luggage has increased by almost 50 percent - from 6.3 to 9.9 million - in 2021 compared to the previous year .

This upward trend could also be observed before the pandemic.

Globally, a quarter more baggage was mishandled in 2021 than in 2020. Sita attributes the increase to the recovery in air travel and rising passenger numbers.

Transfer luggage is mostly affected.

In addition, on international flights, the probability that your suitcase will not arrive on the same plane is about 4.7 times higher than on domestic flights.

Baggage handling staff on the tarmac.

(Iconic image) © Pius Koller/imago

Luggage lost or damaged: two steps have to be taken

What travelers can do immediately if a suitcase does not arrive at their holiday destination or is damaged: they report the loss or damage to the airline at the airport.

Because the airline is responsible from the moment the passenger checks in his or her luggage, i.e. also from the moment the luggage is checked in at the check-in counter.

In the case of package tours, it is best for holidaymakers to contact the tour operator as well.

• First step:

  Report lost or damaged luggage directly to the responsible airline at the airport.

  Important: keep all receipts.

• Second step:

  Report the lost or damaged piece of luggage to the airline online within seven days.

There is a liability limit for the damage.

According to information from consumer advice centers, travelers can demand compensation and, in the case of package tours, also reclaim part of the travel price.

According to the consumer advice centers, the compensation for delay, damage or loss of a suitcase is just under 1400 euros per person - not per piece of luggage.

Travelers must explain the damage caused and, if it is disputed, prove it, for example by describing the damage in detail and taking photos and submitting receipts for costs incurred as a result of the delayed delivery of the luggage.

If the luggage is missing during the entire vacation, the tour operator must reimburse up to 50 percent of the travel price according to the consumer advice centers.

If an important piece of luggage is missing, a 100 percent refund of the day trip price is possible in exceptional cases - if, for example, a tuxedo for a visit to the opera is missing and cannot be borrowed.

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The claims for a travel price reduction become statute-barred within two years after the contractual end of the trip.

Consumer Center North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse

However, if the airline or the tour operator can prove that the passenger was partly to blame for the loss of or damage to the luggage, the liability is reduced, the consumer advice centers warn.

A possible contributory negligence of the traveler for the damage could be improper packaging, for example.  

Baggage: What applies on the train, bus and ship

If you travel by train or ship, you need to know that the company in question is only liable for the luggage that you handed over to their care.

In concrete terms, this means for Deutsche Bahn that in the event of complete or partial loss of luggage, compensation of up to around 1,350 euros per piece of luggage will be paid, according to the Bahn on its website.

Without proof of the amount of damage, travelers receive flat-rate compensation of around 338 euros per piece of luggage.

According to Welt.de, the maximum limit for checked-in cabin baggage on the ship is around 2,950 euros per traveler.

In the bus, on the other hand, the company is also liable for luggage that the passenger has with them during the journey.

Luggage: what travelers can do before departure

To avoid the hassle of missing luggage, travelers should consider a few things before they leave.

So it is advisable to always attach a luggage tag with the destination address on the outward flight and the home address on the return flight.

To be on the safe side, also put a piece of paper with the address in the suitcase in case the tag is torn off.

Source: ndr.de

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