US Airlines Forced to Pay Passengers Compensation for Delayed Baggage
Monday, 1 Aug 2016
Checked baggage is a significant revenue stream for airlines, with customers often being charged to check in bags in the first place, being stung for excess and oversized baggage and frequently forced to check in overweight hand luggage at the gate. Despite the high price of checking baggage for the customer, there is no guarantee that their baggage will arrive at their destination at the same time as they do.
According to SITA, last year 23.1 million bags were mishandled by the aviation industry. While airlines are generally required to compensate passengers for lost or damaged bags, compensation for delayed baggage can be much less of a certainty.
But things are changing in the USA, with a new law being passed this summer that will require airlines to refund customers their baggage fees if their luggage is delayed. Luggage will be considered delayed if it arrives after 12 hours of the anticipated arrival time, or 15 hours for international flights. The new guidelines suggest that passengers should receive ‘an automated refund for any ancillary fees paid […] for checked baggage’.
In order to receive such compensation, passengers simply need to inform the airline of the delay, which will be much easier than the current requirement of filling out compensation forms.
This will be welcome news for passengers fed up with ever-increasing airline baggage fees. But why not send your baggage to your destination with Send My Bag, instead? This way, you will avoid entirely the hassle, stress and unexpected costs of bringing luggage on your flight.
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