Lost or damaged bags while flying? Here are your rights, including monetary compensation

The holiday season has come and gone, but for many Americans, the headaches accompanying traveling are far from over.

Nearly 2 million bags were mishandled — bags determined as lost, damaged, delayed or stolen — in 2021, according to Bureau of Transportation statistics, and 2022’s numbers will likely be similar.

The Transportation Security Administration predicted a busier-than-usual holiday period in 2022, which simultaneously was impounded by a bomb cyclone in the midwest, causing blizzard conditions from the Rocky Mountains to the northeast United States.

No airline — or its customers — felt the impact of heavy travel and bad weather like Southwest Airlines. The Texas-based airline suffered thousands of cancellations and delays, resulting in just as many customers losing track of their luggage.

Southwest operates gates throughout the Pacific Northwest, including through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Boise Airport. Customers affected by Southwest’s cancellations are eligible to rebook or refund their tickets.

If you’re in the camp still trying to track down your lost or damaged luggage, here’s what you need to know regarding the protections and rights afforded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Your rights as a customer

Under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, airlines must compensate passengers if their baggage is lost, delayed or damaged.

Airlines are responsible for negotiating a compensation fee for damaged baggage. Lost or delayed baggage also falls under the airlines’ responsibility to find. Any missing or delayed baggage should be filed under a baggage claim with the airline.

Lost baggage

Customers are entitled to full refunds for baggage fees if the airline declares the luggage lost, according to DOT regulations.

If a bag is deemed lost — typically between five and fourteen days after the flight — the airline is responsible for compensating you up to the maximum liability limit of $3,800. The airline may require proof of your lost valuables, such as a receipt.

Damaged baggage

Under certain circumstances, airlines are responsible for replacing or reimbursing passengers for damaged luggage.

For instance, the airline must reimburse or repair a damaged bag if it was damaged while on the flight. An airline is responsible for damage to a bag’s wheels, handles and straps. The airline must negotiate compensation with the customer if it cannot repair a bag.

However, airlines are not responsible for a bag’s pre-existing damage or if items break inside the bag due to a passenger’s poor packing.

Most airlines aren’t liable for damage to fragile items, electronics and perishable items. This rule changes between domestic and international flights. Airlines aren’t required to compensate domestic passengers for damage to items in their contracts of carriage. However, airlines are responsible for items belonging to international passengers.

Delayed baggage

If your luggage is delayed, the airline is responsible for locating and tracking your baggage. Some companies offer phone applications or online resources geared toward assisting customers with finding delayed baggage.

Like lost baggage, customers are entitled to up to $3,800 in reimbursement for expenses incurred due to a baggage delay. In addition, airlines cannot set an arbitrary daily amount for however long your baggage is lost, such as $50 a day, according to the Department.