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While not rare, stolen luggage cases do crop up time to time and make us wonder how safe are our check-in baggages that we completely entrust with the airlines? Even with the airlines acting as custodians of the luggage there are multiple cases when such things happen. Thus, it is important to know what to do if something gets stolen from your luggage at the airport. Despite everything, one thing you should consider while making your flight bookings is the luggage stolen policy for the airline. Nevertheless, upon awareness of a stolen luggage, you should do as below:

• Foremost, check the airport’s lost and found department
• If the stolen item is still not found, file a police complaint within 24 hours of the incident
• File a claim with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) including description of the items lost, flight taken, and your contact information. In case the security screening is done by a private company, contact the airport directly.
• Report the loss of luggage to the airline and understand their process of handling stolen luggage issues in detail. Get your queries answered, know the timelines, and set expectations.
• In case of theft of an expensive item from the luggage, you should immediately call the law enforcement office and inform them about the scenario
• Worst case situation, where you do not find the stolen item, check with your insurance company regarding the coverage and assess the requirements to file a claim.

Apart from this, one thing as an attentive passenger you must take care of is to avoid the theft in the first place by taking necessary precautions and following the tips below:

• Take only carry-on luggage wherever possible, saves time and money both
• Do not keep valuable items in your check-in luggage. Carry all expensive items such as jewelry, watch, cash, etc. with you in your pockets or handbag.
• Use flashy luggage that makes it difficult for the thief to rob and easier for you to spot and file a claim for. An ordinary bag like the many others is an easy target.
• Lock your check-in luggage, make note of the items packed, and take pictures in case you have to prove the existence of the item in the luggage later
• Watch out for your luggage at all times; check if all carry-on baggage items are present post security check.
• Keep all receipts handy – extra baggage fee, bills of expensive items carried in the check-in bag, etc.

Even if you have not personally encountered an experience of stolen luggage in all this time you’ve been flying, we cannot deny that such experiences are on the rise nowadays. Hence, it is always better to be safe than sorry. LatinOFare would suggest you to please book flight tickets with trustworthy airlines, check their stolen baggage policies, apply for travel insurance, and be vigilant at all times. Safe Journey!