Aditi Rao Hydari loves to travel and her Instagram serves as proof. But on her latest visit to the UK, the Heeramandi actress had to put up with a little chaos at London's Heathrow Airport that put her vacation at a standstill before it even began. Her luggage went missing forcing her to stay back at the terminal for long hours. Aditi shared the distressing experience in a series of posts on her Instagram Stories in hopes of a solution and gathering relatable support from her fans. “Heathrow chaos 10000. 2 hours at an empty luggage belt. Worst,” she wrote. Adding a screenshot of her conversation with the airport's staff, Aditi explained how the authorities “washed their hands off any answers”. The luggage row continued for more than six hours as seen in a video featuring the actress waiting with a smile.
Even though Aditi Rao Hydari is a celebrity, this was a reality check that such incidents can happen to anyone. So, here are some tips on how to avoid similar cases and what to do if your luggage gets lost.
Steps To Take In Case You Lose Your Luggage
The first thing you need to do if your luggage goes missing at the airport is to submit a passenger irregularity report (PIR) at the airline desk. Besides providing a comprehensive overview of the luggage, you must add the local address and contact details. Remember to obtain a copy of the missing baggage report and your claim number. By using the claim number, a passenger can check the status of their missing luggage on the airline's website.
The airline will track your luggage and send it to the address you have provided once the report has been filed. Your luggage is considered lost by the airline if it is not found within 21 days. In these situations, the traveller must file a fresh claim with the airline, listing all of the misplaced goods, the prices, and the dates of purchase.
If you receive your luggage in a damaged condition then you need to submit another form for repair. Mind it, this has to be done within 24 hours after the luggage is received.
Depending on the airline, you can receive anywhere close to Rs 10,000 to Rs 70,000 as a compensatory fee from the airline responsible. Hence it is advisable to always apply for travel insurance for domestic and international travel.
Of course, social media is one of the greatest boons of society and like Aditi Rao Hydari, you can turn to the accounts of the airline to get a prompt response and a direction forward.
How To Prevent Loss Of Luggage
1. Even if you are a frequent flyer always paste a luggage tag with your contact details, name, and address in it. Secure it tightly so that the tag does not fall off.
2. Make sure to remove old barcode stickers from your luggage as it will help the airline staff to understand which sticker is from the latest trip.
3. Invest in a Bluetooth luggage tag that allows you to track the location of your luggage even when it is missing through a simple app installed on your smart device.
4. When there are fewer connections and layovers, there are fewer chances for errors and improper luggage handling between flights. So it is advised to book non-stop flights whenever possible.
5. Arriving early for your travel can reduce the risk of lost luggage since the airline employees get enough time to correctly tag and load your bag onto the correct flight
7. Differentiate your luggage from the others by adding any items of your choice to it like a ribbon, a sticker, a quirky tag or any personalised patterns or designs.
Travel anywhere with ease with these simple tips to keep your luggage handy.
