Losing your bags can suck. What you can do to prevent this.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. I promise to write things that will help. Thanks for visiting!

There was a very good article that was published on smartmoney.com on october 3, 2007 by Kelli Grant entitled A guide to recouping costs for lost baggage. I have to say that I did not think of this when I was checking my laptop. My laptop was stolen en route by either security or baggage claim with no one taking responsibility. In another incident, my check in bag was lost and my interview suit was in there. Luckily, the bag was driven to my interview site 3 hours before my interview by the airline.

These events happen to people everyday far more frequently that the airline industry would like to admit. Supposedly 8 bags are lost for every 1000 bags that are checked in. Here are some general tips that Ms Grant explains and some lessons that I learned on my lengthy interview trail during medical school and residency application periods.

1. Never check in your bags - this saves time and headache because you have everything you need with you at all times. Try to limit the amount of things that you are taking with you. Here is an article on how to effectively pack your suitcase to maximize your carry on space. Don’t try to be the people who try to carry-on a hug peice of luggage that obviously needs to be checked in. Settle for the small bags and use the rolling technique. Need need to set your suit out the night before the interview to let out the wrinkles. Most hotels has irons in the rooms just in case.
2. Choose the most conspicuous bags you can buy - if you can help it, buy a brightly colored bag. Don’t be the 95% of people who check in a black bag that looks like everyone else’s. At the very least, find a way to easily identify your bag with bright colored ribbons or ties. Ebags.com has a large selection of conspicuous bags for sale.
3. If you need to check in your bags- come to the airport early. It is much easier for you bag to be on another flight if you come to the airport the last minute.
4. Fly non-stop if you can. - if you arrive early and you fly nonstop, the only way they can lose your bag is when you bag leaves your hands to get to the airplane and from the airplane to the luggage carousel upon arrival.
5. Be careful what you pack in your bag - The airport/ airline can cover some cost of whats in your bag if it does get lost. However there is a very extensive list of things that they do not cover and it was amazing to find out how extensive this list was when my laptop got stolen. Ms. Grant states that airport policy entitles you to up to 3K in compensation for domestic flights or up to 9 dollars a pound of baggage on international flights. You will be paid fair market value instead of replacement value and you have to provide receipts for expensive items >100 dollars. There are exclusions that include electronics, jewelry, fragile items, perishables, business related materials, books, documents, video equiptment, musical instruments. Pretty much anything with value they do not cover. This goes to show you that you should never check in anything that you think you wouldn’t want stolen. Funny way of seeing things but its true. You can’t lock your bags due to security reasons, yet you aren’t guaranteed that your bags will be secure. There are horror stories of this happening all the time.
6. There are other ways of making sure your stuff is covered
   1. renters insurance can cover your stuff - check out my article about renter’s insurance. I can’t stress how great rentals insurance is. For most, they probably will never make a claim but it was funny how 2 months into my renters insurance policy, I was able to make a claim for >5K.
   2. Your signature visa card covers your stuff in your bags - this includes stuff like electronics. What I like to do before I plan on traveling is to call the card that I used to buy my ticket and ask them what is specifically covered under their insurance policy. Supposedly Chase Freedom card covers 300 dollars in immediate needs if your bag gets delayed. A nice way to buy an emergency suit for your interview. Citi Premier and Chase freedom cover up to 3000 dollars for checked in bags and 1,250 dollars for carry on bags including things that gets stolen.
   3. extra coverage - Grant in smart money mentions that there are other ways to get extra coverage with credit cards, American express offers “baggage delay and loss protection” that kicks in when your bags are delayed for > 6 hours. 200 dollars for immediate expenses and additional 500 for checked and carry on bags above and beyond the card’s usual coverage. AIG Travel Guard is an additional policy that covers you 300 dollars for bags delayed more than 24 hours and 500 dollars for lost bags. This plan costs 30 dollars.

Bottom Line: losing your bags can suck. Just be smart about it when traveling unlike myself. I had to learn from my mistakes the hard way. Be a little more cynical about the transportation industry because in the end, they won’t really care about your lost bag as you are but one in many thousands of passengers who in today’s economic times do not have much brand loyalty.

Popularity: 20% [?]