Ten tips

Lost or delayed baggage? Don't panic

You've endured a long and crowded flight. You're tired. You make your way to the baggage claim area and wait for your luggage to arrive. It doesn't. Sound like a horror story? It happens to thousands of airline passengers each year. The following tips will help you know how to proceed if your baggage gets lost or delayed.

1. First things first. Most airlines require passengers to report delayed, damaged or lost baggage to an airline representative at the airport within four hours of arrival. If you can't find a representative who is able to help you, call the airline's "baggage hotline" for assistance.

2. Fill out the proper form. Once you're sure your baggage isn't going to arrive, fill out a form for delayed baggage at the airport, recognizing that it can take up to a week to track down the missing bags.

3. Know your rights. Your airline should give you a daily status report about your delayed baggage by phone for at least five days. Once your bags are found, the airline should deliver them to you free of charge - something to remember if you're asked to pick them up.

4. Get reimbursed. You also stand to be reimbursed for purchases of toiletries, small clothing and other items you may need to buy because your bags were delayed. Check with the individual airline for reimbursement details.

5. If your bags are not found within five days, file a lost-baggage claim that lists the lost items and their value. Include copies of your ticket and baggage claim check. The airlines must respond to your claim within 30 days.

6. Carry critical items with you. To avoid a potential travel disaster, always pack these items in your carry-on bag: medicines, keys, passport, tour vouchers, business papers, cash, jewelry, other valuables, fragile items, perishables, toiletries and a change of underwear.

7. Those claim checks are important. Be sure to get a claim check for every bag you check, and never throw them away until your bags are back in your possession. Avoid leaving them in the seat pocket on the airplane, a common mistake.

8. Minimize the risks. Your bags are much less likely to get lost or delayed if you're able to book a nonstop flight or a through flight with no change of aircraft. If you must change planes, try to stick with the same airline for the entire journey.

9. Extra baggage insurance may be right for you. You're probably already covered if you have homeowner's or renter's insurance, so check your policy. If you aren't, be aware that the insurance sold at the airport check-in counter is usually overpriced. Shop around through a travel agent before your trip.

10. The end of the road. After three months, airlines send unclaimed luggage to a warehouse in Scottsboro, Ala., where the items in the luggage are put up for sale. For details, visit www.unclaimedbaggage.com or call 256 259-1525.

- Sources: Frommer's (www.frommers.com) U.S. Department of Transportation Aviation Consumer Protection Division (airconsumer.ost.dot.gov); Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org)