What Happens If Delta Loses Your Luggage?

Delta is a major North American airline both by flight destination and fleet size. It has flights to over 300 destinations in 60 countries.

If you travel via Delta and your luggage is misplaced it could be either delayed, missing or lost in transition. Good news is that your luggage does not need to stay lost. Delta Airlines has policies in place for you to recover your luggage or at least be refunded for your loss.

Let us take a look at the baggage claim policies separately.

Delayed and missing luggage

If you are at the baggage carousel for more than an hour, then your luggage has been delayed and you should immediately notify one of the Delta Airline representatives. The representative will provide you with a reference number through which you can make a baggage claim with the airline.

If your luggage has been missing for more than 12 hours after you initiate your baggage claim, then your luggage is considered missing and you are eligible for a baggage rebate fee. However, the rebate is only for first or second paid checked bags.

Lost in transition

If you cannot find your baggage, you should get a reference number from a Delta representative at the baggage service center. You can then use your reference number to track your luggage.

If you cannot track your luggage on the Delta Airline tracking system, then consider your luggage lost in transition. You should begin filing a baggage claim with the airline.

Filing a baggage claim

After you obtain a file reference number from a Delta representative, you should begin filing a claim with the Airline. Filing a baggage claim with Delta Airlines consists of filling the delayed bag fee rebate form.

You can access the form through the following steps:

1. Open the Delta website or mobile app
2. Scroll to the bottom of the homepage and click 'Contact Us'
3. You will be directed to a page with several options including Sky Miles Account, baggage claim, ticket changes and refunds. Click on 'baggage claim'
4. You will be directed to the delayed bag fee rebate form. Fill in your contact information then fill in the delayed baggage's information and finally fill the flight information. Provide any additional details about your missing luggage
5. Evaluate the information you have filled in the form and when satisfied click 'Submit.'

To be reimbursed for any incidental expenses incurred while you were awaiting your luggage, select the 'Out of Pocket Expense' option while filling the baggage claim form. Ensure you provide evidence in the form of receipts when submitting the form to support your claim.

The bag fee rebate will be sent to you via email and you will only be eligible for the rebate if you file your baggage claim online. The rebate will be in the form of an electronic travel voucher which you can use for future ticketing on Delta Airlines.

If you are unable to file a claim through the process described above, you should contact Delta customer support and ask them to file the claim for you. You can contact Delta customer support though the following ways:

Phone

The Delta phone number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you can report your lost baggage at any time. You may have to wait a while on the line to speak to a customer support representative but the wait will be worth it.

You can find the phone number on GetHuman.

Email

An email is another method through which you can file a baggage claim with United Airlines. Feel free to send an email at any time and you will receive a reply after about 3 hours.

The Delta customer support email address can be obtained from GetHuman.