It’s been more than two days since Southwest Airlines passenger Todd Krumholz parted with his family’s checked bags, containing Christmas gifts, winter clothes and essentials for his two young children, at Dallas Love Field.
After their Southwest Airlines flight to Minneapolis was canceled about noon Monday, he rebooked a flight on American Airlines and rushed over to the baggage claim to get their belongings. But the four suitcases were nowhere to be found in a scene he described as “chaotic” — airline agents said they were en route to Minneapolis.
“It was wall-to-wall rows of bags, and every single carousel was full of bags,” he said. “Just sitting on the ground, it was all bags too.”
Krumholz is one of many travelers affected by Southwest’s recent slew of scrapped flights — which has also led to thousands of people being separated from their luggage.
His bags were supposed to arrive at the Minnesota-Saint Paul airport a few days ago. But according to Apple AirTags placed in them, Krumholz said Wednesday morning, they were in Austin, where the family initially had a scheduled layover.
Krumholz said his family is hopeful the luggage will arrive by the end of the week, but that they were going to need to buy some essential items until then.
In response to reports of misplaced bags, Southwest said in a statement that its team is “working diligently” to reunite passengers with their baggage.
Here’s what you can do if your bag is missing and how to avoid lost luggage in the future:
What do you do if your bag is missing?
Each airline’s website has instructions on what to do if your bag is missing or damaged. In a statement, Southwest directed customers to its lost and damaged baggage page.
The airline’s guidelines stipulate that passengers should report their missing or damaged bag within four hours of arriving at their destination. If you’re at the airport, find someone at the Baggage Service Office, which is usually near the baggage claim area or ticket counter. If you’ve left the airport, call the airline.
It’s important for travelers to file the report immediately, said Scott Keyes, founder of travel advice site Scott’s Cheap Flights.
“File that as soon as possible because when you make a case, then at least it’s in the system, so that when they come across the bag, they’ll be able to start the process of getting it back to you,” Keyes said.
In addition, agents should provide you with a receipt with updates on your lost bag, as well as a phone number to call for more information. Lost bags can be sent to any location of your choice free of charge.
Southwest said it would be contacting passengers in the coming days to make arrangements for their luggage to be delivered.
When will your bag show up?
It’s likely you will get your bag back, but it might take longer than usual, Keyes said.
During off-peak travel periods, he said, it typically takes 24 to 48 hours for people to reunite with their missing bags.
But in the wake of Southwest’s operational meltdown, the baggage recovery process could take longer — ranging from a couple days to potentially weeks.
“It’s such a debacle that it’s going to be — unfortunately in many cases — weeks before people get reunited with their bags,” Keyes said.
Tips to avoid lost luggage
If you plan on traveling next week, try to avoid checking a bag, Keyes said. With many airlines backlogged on flights and bags right now, it’s best to not take your chances.
However, there are steps you can take to help prevent your bags from going missing and ways to deal with the aftermath of lost luggage.
—Arrive at the airport early to ensure your bags make it on the plane. Most airlines have a baggage cutoff of about 45 minutes to an hour before takeoff, so it’s important to allow ample time for check-in.
—Make sure you have tags on your bags with your name, email address and phone number. In recent days, some travelers have taken it upon themselves to help one another reunite with their lost bags using such tags, as one popular Reddit post encourages. “What might feel a little strange or creepy to a lot of folks in normal times would be completely understandable and, actually, downright thoughtful during these extraordinary times,” Keyes said.
—Buy a small GPS tracker, such as an Apple AirTag, which allows you to see exactly where your bag is. That “not only saves you that sort of uncertainty, but it also helps reunite yourself with the bag quicker,” Keyes said.
—Right before you hand your bag to an agent, unzip it and take a picture of what’s inside. Under federal law, airlines must reimburse you for the contents of missing luggage, and visual evidence can make proving your case much easier.
—Check the credit card you used for your flight to see whether it has a travel protection plan. Many offer reimbursement for out-of-pocket travel expenses, including clothing and toiletries.
