Travel Tip #1 - Travel Tragedies

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Travel Tragedies

Has your bag ever come off the luggage carousel looking like this?

It's a scene from every seasoned traveler's nightmare.  The baggage claim belt begins to move.  The luggage from the flight slowly starts appearing.  You finally see your bag... or, well parts of it.  And then another part.  And then another.  It's only day one of your trip, but the bag that contains all of your essentials is damaged.

Although holding a funeral for your damaged luggage may seem like the appropriate response at that moment, there are other more important steps that you should take to get your trip back on track.  Here's some tips on how to react if your baggage gets damaged on vacation.  Trust us, this happened to us on a trip to Amsterdam.

1.  Don't panic.  This is the most important step!  Just remember this is not the end of the world.

2.  Take plenty of pictures of the damage and the surrounding area such as the carousel number and the airline luggage tag.  this is imperative for later on to show proof of the damage to the airline.

3.  Look around, most major airlines have a luggage counter located in the baggage area.  If you see your airline proceed to that counter.  Remember to stay calm.  No employee will want to help if you are yelling at them.  They did not ruin your luggage.

4.  Our bag in the picture, happened in Amsterdam.  When we first saw our luggage, it was a sight for sore eyes.  there was absolutely no counter for any airlines and we were heading on a cruise, so all we could do at the time is take pictures and hope that our underwear and other personal items weren't strewn all over the tarmac (we lucked out and nothing was missing).

5.  If no counter is available, try your best to repair your luggage so you may continue your trip.  Try not to let this one obstacle ruin the rest of your trip.  We bought duct tape in Germany and it worked wonders.  This held up for the duration of our trip.

6.  We had to wait until we got to our home airport to report the damage.  We proceeded to the United baggage counter and showed them our pictures along with our heavily duct taped bag.  The pictures were for proof that the damage was caused by the airlines and not us.

7.  Did you know that the airlines carry brand new luggage that you can exchange your damaged bag for?  Well surprise!  They do.  We had the option of a new bag or we could file a claim and wait for a check to be mailed to our home.  We wanted to try our luck and see what luggage options there were.  The luggage attendant brought out several very nice bags (Samsonite) for us to choose from and provided a table for us to unpack the damaged bag.  We ended up with a bag that was much nicer and more expensive than our own.

8.  If you are in an airport that does not have luggage services (such as in Amsterdam) then proceed to the nearest ticket counter.  You may have to plastic bag it, purchase a new bag from the nearest store and send the receipt in to the airlines when you return home.  Make sure the ticket counter documents your damage and hold on to your photos until you receive your refund.

If there is anything you take away from this regale of an unfortunate situation, it is this:  Be kind, but adamant that the airline takes care of you.  We did have an incredible experience on this trip.  Truly, it's because we didn't allow something like that deter our hope to have a nice vacation together.  If you find yourself in a sticky situation like this, please remember the advice we have provided for you and, to keep a positive mindset about the rest of your travel plans!