7 things you need to know in case the airline loses your luggage

There’s a unique kind of relief that floods your body when you see your suitcase slowly rotating toward you on the baggage carousel, coming back like a loyal pet (or a cold sore).  Here are the best ways to handle it:

Pull Out that Baggage Claim Tag: The sticker or piece of perforated cardboard you got when you checked your bag is the most important part of this process (if, like me, you lose everything that isn’t stapled to your body, take a picture of it when you check in at your departure airport).

Don’t Leave the Airport: The carrier responsible for your missing bag is the one that flew you to your final destination. Chances are, their baggage-claims office is somewhere near the luggage carousel that just betrayed you.

Be Detailed: Know the exact description of your bag (a picture helps), and double check the report to make sure all of the information about your departure, arrival and connecting flights is correct.

Ask About Compensation: If your bag won’t arrive within a reasonable amount of time (and the definition of “reasonable” can vary from carrier to carrier; Delta, for example, defines it as twelve hours) then you might be entitled to reimbursements. The U.S. Department of Transportation writes in its Fly Rights Guide:

Turn to Social Media: Send a tweet to the airline’s customer service department while you’re waiting in line and you might get a response before it’s your turn in the baggage-claim office, and there’s a very good chance that someone will respond before you get an operator on a 1-800-number.

Check Your Apps: You can track checked luggage from your phone with some carriers’ apps. One show-dog owner used FlyDelta to discover that his well-groomed travel companion hadn’t been loaded onto a flight out of JFK airport.

Try to Stay Calm:  even if you’re standing in baggage claim freaking out — there’s a very, very good chance that you and your suitcase are going to be reunited. But go ahead and shake your fist anyway.