Lost Luggage During Holiday Travel

Hi, I’m Danny Karon, your Lovable Lawyer here with your quick shot of legal wellness. It’s the holidays and a lot of us are traveling again. One thing we didn’t miss when we were home was missing luggage.

Did you know that the Department of Transportation has a bunch of regulations that the airlines have to follow when your luggage has problems? For instance, if your luggage is damaged, they have to repair it, including the contents. So, save your receipts. Or, if your luggage is delayed, if it just doesn’t show up, they can’t set an arbitrary minimum for how much they’re going to pay you. Keep your receipts. They’ve got to pay you back for the things you buy, such as toiletries. And third, if it’s all together lost and you never get it back, they’ve got to pay you back for the luggage and the belongings. Again, keep your receipts.

Now, here’s a little tip. One thing that I do when I have a problem with the airlines is that I don’t just take what they give me because that just kind of puts you even. Rather, I send a letter (not an email but an old school letter, certified mail, return receipt requested) so that I know they got it and they know I know they got it. I send it not just to customer service, but to their Chief Legal Counsel and their CEO. I ask for specific things, such as miles or credit. Why do I do that? Because I always get something for it. I’ve never once had them say no.

So, if you play your cards right and the airlines don’t do their part, maybe you’ll find a little something in your stocking this Christmas from the airlines. If you want to learn more about legal wellness, please join me at yourlovablelawyer.com. Until next time, I’m Danny Karon, your Lovable Lawyer.