| Limits on liability |
If your bags are delayed, lost or damaged on a domestic trip, the airline can invoke a ceiling per passenger on the amount of money they'll pay you (check with the airline for details). When your luggage and its contents are worth more than that, you may want to purchase "excess valuation," if available, from the airline as you check in. This is not insurance, but it will increase the carrier's potential liability. The airline may refuse to sell excess valuation on some items that are especially valuable or breakable, such as antiques, musical instruments, jewelry, manuscripts, negotiable securities and cash.
On international trips, the liability limit is set by a treaty called the Warsaw Convention. Unless you buy excess valuation, the liability limit is about $20 per kilo. In order to limit its liability to this amount, the airline must use one of the following procedures:
- The carrier weighs your bags at check-in and records this weight on your ticket. The airline's maximum liability to you is that weight multiplied by $20, assuming the weight was recorded in kilos.
- Instead of weighing your luggage, the carrier assumes that each of your bags weighs the maximum that it agrees to accept as checked baggage, usually 70 pounds (32 kilos). This yields a liability limit of about $640 per bag.
This international limit also applies to domestic segments of an international journey. This is the case even if the domestic and international flights are on separate tickets and you claim and re-check your bag between the two flights. Keep in mind that the liability limits are maximums. If the depreciated value of your property is worth less than the liability limit, this lower amount is what you will be offered. If the airline's settlement doesn't fully reimburse your loss, check your homeowner's or renter's insurance; it sometimes covers losses away from the residence.
Some credit card companies and travel agencies offer optional or even automatic supplemental baggage coverage.
And, don’t forget, you can always purchase a travel insurance.
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