Bags and other luggage (pushchairs, wheelchairs, special luggage, etc.) travel on ramps and go through controls inside the airports, and sometimes they might not reach their destination on time. What should we do if our bag doesn’t come out on the belt after we land?
Sometimes luggage can get lost on the way. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it has gone missing altogether: it might be on another plane, not left the airport or been placed on another belt. Whatever the reason, the best thing is to start by filing a claim so you make sure you get it back when they find out what’s happened. For your peace of mind, you should know that thanks to improvements implemented by airlines and airports all over the world, most lost luggage is located within the first 72 hours.
1. Complete a report (PIR)
If in the end your bag doesn't come out on the belt, the first thing you should do is head towards the airline's Lost and Found office inside baggage claim. There you can fill in a Property Irregularity Report, also called PIR, which helps to track lost luggage.
Once all your details have been filled in, the search for your bag can begin by means of a computer system that encompasses all airports. The more details you give, the easier it will be to track your bag. With this code you also can check the status of the search for your bag in real time. Once your bag is located, it will be sent to the address you stated in the PIR.
2. Contact your insurance company
If you took out luggage insurance, it might cover searching and tracking the bag. In this case you only need to fill in the PIR and your insurance company will take care of the rest.
3. Follow the status of your claim
You can follow your claim with the PIR code on the World Tracer portal. Vueling has also set up a chat to manage luggage incidents. You can use it to follow the status of your claim and, if you need to purchase basic hygiene products or clothes until your luggage is located, you can also use the chat to claim the amount back by presenting the receipts together with the bag tag. This can be done once you’ve recovered your luggage.
If your bag isn’t located after 21 days, you can request compensation. To do this, you’ll need to show the PIR and the bag tag (the sticker you get when you check in your luggage).
