Who exactly is responsible for luggage being “lost”?

Going on holiday is supposed to be an exciting and fun thing to do, but if it isn’t long queues, delayed flights and uncomfortable aeroplane seats which ruins it for you – then it is the lost luggage when you finally arrive at your destination and you’re stood with a hundred other people in some cheap version of russian roulette at the carousel. The problem of lost luggage has been steadily increasing and according to one report it is set to increase further.

Insure and Go, travel insurance specialists, have released figures which show that they expect lost luggage claims to increase from 396,000 in 2008 to 657,000 in 2019. This is the equivalent of 53,000 per month.

In 2008 alone, insurers received more than £38 million in claims and Insure and Go point out that lost luggage claims are the second most likely after medical claims. Insurers currently receive 45 claims per hour or 1000 per day.

A further study conducted by the Air Transport Users Council (AUC), has shown that 42 million bags were lost in 2007 and of these, 1.2 million disappeared completely.

The AUC feel that no-frills airlines are the slowest to pay compensation to those who lose their luggage and many airlines will refuse to pay unless victims have receipts to prove the value of their stolen items. In these cases they are saying that travel insurance is vital as they are usually a little more flexible.

Problems with airline compensation is highlighted by the story of Alison Clark whose luggage was sent to her destination airport ahead of her when her flight was diverted. When she finally caught up with her bags, one was missing. The lost bag contained her Christmas presents. After some confusion over which airline was responsible, she finally received just £80 from KLM. Luckily she had insurance which later paid out for almost the total value.

While the airlines hold much of the responsibility for the lost luggage, sometimes contractors brought in from outside are to blame. Two cases of theft rings operating within airports show the need for stricter rules on who can work in an airport environment.

In the US this year 6 baggage handlers were caught stealing from passengers bags at Lambert Airport in St Louis. They were stealing items from bags prior to loading and were hiding them within their clothing. They were not being checked when leaving work. These workers were employed by a Delta Airlines contractor.

A further case, closer to home is that of the largest luggage theft ring uncovered so far. Operating from Charles de Gaulle airport in France, 12 baggage handlers were found to have stolen millions of pounds worth of laptops, cameras, perfume and clothing. They either used the items themselves or sold them on Ebay or at markets. The police conducted an 18 month investigation after reports of theft increased by 24% in 2007.

It is clear that insurance companies are bearing the brunt of this problem. With people travelling all over the world and through all sorts of airports – some with very lax security – insurers are having to carry the cost. The airports are taking very little responsibility when it comes to checking their handling staff and in offering realistic compensation to those who end up with missing bags. Perhaps the best thing is to travel light and to take your valuable items onto the plane with you where possible.