KLM lost baggage compensation.
How much can you claim? What are the rules?
Baggage gets lost at the airports due to a number of reasons. Whatever the reason your bag is lost, losing luggage is never fun. Standing by the baggage carousel at the airport, patiently waiting for your suitcase, and realising that most likely your bag hasn’t made it. This must be one of the most frustrating sides of air travel.
What to do if your luggage is lost?
What to Do If Your Luggage Is Lost?
First things first, report the loss of your bag.
Don’t leave the baggage reclaim area (baggage hall), and try to find Baggage Service Office. It’s often located in the baggage hall right next to baggage carousels. There you can report the loss of your baggage.
Prepare your passport, baggage tag and boarding pass. Baggage tag is that small sticker that they usually put on your boarding pass after you’ve checked in your baggage. If you have, you can provide also a photo of your bag — this will may make the process of finding your bag easier and faster. Don’t be put off if all you have is your passport and boarding pass, and register the loss anyway.
They will give you a written confirmation (Property Irregularity Report or PIR) with a personal reference number (don’t lose it) and will tell you what to do next. In some situations it takes around 24 hours to locate a lost baggage, in some — longer than that. Most likely it will take a minimum of 12 hours until you hear back from them.
After they contact you, you will still have to agree upon delivery.
In some cases you may be allowed to report missing baggage online.
Tracking Your Lost Baggage
You can track the progress online.
After reporting the loss of your baggage, now you have a personal reference number. You can see it on the Property Irregularity Report you were given at the airport. You can use the personal reference number to track the progress of your baggage online via the the World Tracer tool.
Once KLM personnel has found your baggage, they will contact you.
KLM Lost Baggage Compensation
What are your rights if your baggage is lost?
Could you be entitled to KLM baggage compensation of some sort? Is KLM going to cover any of your expenses, if you now replace some of your belongings?
Is your baggage really lost, or is it simply delayed?
Baggage Delayed For 3+ Days
If your baggage is not found within 3 days, use the World Tracer tool to fill out a Baggage Inventory and Claim Form. It will be shown to you automatically after 3 days. Just log in the World Tracer tool with your last name and the personal reference number. Then fill in the needed information once you’ve logged in your file.
Reimbursement of Expenses
If your baggage is lost, and you have to replace any of necessary items, you are entitled to reimbursement for your expenses (sometimes referred to as delayed baggage compensation). You aren’t getting the money right away, though, and you also shouldn’t be trying to replace everything. Because with necessary items here it’s meant essential things only. These are things that were in your bag that you can’t manage without, such as toiletries, underwear and essential clothes.
The most important thing — keep all the receipts!
When you file the claim for additional expenses, you’ll need to provide these receipts. Don’t forget that you have 21 days from the day you receive your lost baggage to file a claim for reimbursement. Don’t miss this deadline either!
Lost Baggage Compensation
KLM has 21 days to locate and return your baggage.
If your baggage is lost for more than 21 days (3 weeks), you’re entitled to KLM lost baggage compensation of up to €1300. In order to receive this compensation KLM owes you, you’ll have to provide a list of things you had in your baggage. To make sure you don’t forget what you had in your bag, you may want to prepare this list already earlier.
Please note that it’s not advised to carry electronics, art, jewelry, etc., in checked baggage, because KLM isn’t liable to compensate for the full value of such items, only to the extent defined by the Montreal Convention and its Conditions of Carriage.
In addition to this, you can file a claim for additional expenses.
If your luggage is not found within 21 days, Baggage Inventory and Claim Form is sent to KLM Customer Contact Centre, and they contact you. In case you don’t hear from them, contact KLM yourself to register your KLM compensation claim.
KLM has to pay this compensation to your bank account.
You don’t have to accept KLM compensation voucher.
You can’t buy a new suitcase with it, can you?
Is Travel Insurance Necessary?
It isn’t necessary, but it may come in handy at some point.
While you don’t have to provide any insurance documentation when claiming compensation, it’s highly recommended to buy insurance before your trip.
Having a good travel insurance you’ll be able to enjoy a much more peaceful trip, especially if something does go wrong. Because they — your travel insurance company — will be the ones dealing with most of the consequences. Plus, mostly travel insurance costs very little or you may already have it included with your debit or credit card.
Generally speaking, if it’s airline’s not your fault that the luggage got lost or delayed, mostly you will be able to get money back for purchases that could be described as necessities in your particular situation — either directly from KLM or from your insurer. Don’t forget, though, always to keep all the receipts, if you are buying anything that you plan to claim for reimbursement later.
Please note, that not all insurance policies cover baggage delays.
Find out what your travel insurance covers.
Travel Prepared
It’s always a good idea to have a plan B.
Baggage doesn’t get lost too often. But it happens.
Hence it’s a great idea to pack a change of clothes and some underwear in your carry on. Just in case your suitcase gets lost or is delayed for a day or two. Also, carry your medications and valuables in your carry on bag. So you can have access to them even if your checked baggage doesn’t arrive to your destination.
Always be prepared that your bag may get lost somewhere.
Note that in this case, with KLM compensation for delayed baggage / lost baggage, just like in many other situations we are talking about on this website, it isn’t only about KLM. Rules are the same for other airlines as well. In this case that’s because of the Montreal Convention, a treaty that applies to the carriage of baggage. It applies to most international flights of KLM and other airlines around the world.
Featured photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels