According to a survey conducted by AirHelp, one of the world’s largest passenger rights organizations, only 27% of European travelers have applied for compensation for damaged or delayed baggage issues at the airport.
As stated in the investigation, in accordance with the Montreal Convention and the national laws of the countries, passengers have the right to claim from the airline carrier compensation in the amount of $ 1,525 – $ 3,500.
In one of the most comprehensive surveys of air passenger rights, AirHelp has asked more than 2,000 people to understand how travelers exercise their rights when their travel plans go wrong.
The results of the AirHelp survey show that the top three reasons why passengers do not ask for baggage compensation are:
– they did not think they were entitled to compensation (31%);
– they did not know their rights (26%);
– they did not know how to claim (24%).
These results show that the implementation of the Montreal Convention and national legislation is not widespread and that travelers “give” money to airlines.
Passenger rights in case of baggage problem
If a traveler travels to Greece or to one of the other 120 countries that have ratified the Montreal Convention and has baggage problems during their trip, they may be entitled to damages. Under the Passenger Rights Acts, including the national law of the country and the Montreal Convention, the maximum compensation paid by a carrier for baggage delivered for carriage and lost or damaged is 1,525 to 3 500 dollars.
To obtain the compensation to which he is entitled, the passenger must make a claim before leaving the airport. Travelers will need to complete a petition request (PIR) for lost or damaged baggage, including the number of their baggage. The request must be as detailed as possible, ie the passenger must include a detailed list of the contents of his baggage, indicating the value of each item.
If you have valuable baggage worth more than 1,131 SDRs (equivalent to $ 1,580), you must inform the airline prior to checking your baggage. In these cases, you may receive higher compensation if you lose your luggage, but these conditions vary depending on the airline you serve.
Passengers carrying valuable luggage should check each airline’s policies and travel insurance policies of European insurance companies to make sure they are ready.
