When Lesle Collins flew from Dallas to Denver last summer, her baggage did not. She tried to file a luggage claim — but she could not.
Why? Frontier says she waited too long. Collins says Frontier Airlines never gave her a chance to file a claim.
Who’s right?
Collins’ luggage problem is an important reminder that airlines are super strict about their deadlines for lost or misplaced luggage claims. But there are ways to beat the system.
Let’s break this problem down:
- How long do I have to file a lost luggage claim with my airline?
- How can I ensure my lost luggage claim gets processed on time?
- Do airlines ever grant an exception for delayed luggage claims?
Before we answer those questions, let’s take a closer look at Collins’ lost luggage problem.
“This was an egregiously mishandled matter”
Collins and her husband flew to Denver for a somber occasion: her brother’s funeral. They made it, but their luggage didn’t.
“I followed all the proper steps to submit a claim for lost baggage,” she says.
Collins verbally reported the bag missing, and a Frontier representative assured her that it would follow up with a luggage claim. But that didn’t happen.
Undeterred, Collins sent Frontier documentation of her lost baggage. (Related: Luggage etiquette: Do’s and don’ts for claiming your bags.)
“I contacted Frontier six times within a month,” she says.
Still nothing.
You can probably imagine how Collins felt at this point. She had lost her brother, and now Frontier had lost her luggage. And, to add insult to injury, it was stalling on her claim.
“This was an egregiously mishandled claim,” she says.
But that wasn’t the worst of it.
“Your baggage claim was denied”
Finally, after asking repeatedly, Collins received the following email from a Frontier representative named “Ernest.”
Seriously, mind the grammar:
We have received your correspondence as submitted to the Department of Transportation and appreciate the opportunity to respond.
We regret to hear that you are having multiple issues to receive a solution with your baggage, since you have contacted us several times and we were unable to provide a resolution even with customer relation department. Please accept our sincere apologize for all the inconvenience this has caused.
After checking to our records, we can see that your baggage claim was denied. There are regulations that we have to abide by when processing claims. The Contract of Carriage outlines these rules, saying that “Frontier will not be liable if the completed claims are not submitted, with documentation, within that time period.” “Any documentation required to support the claim must be submitted within 30 days from the date the requesting passenger receives the claim form packet from Frontier.”
Regretfully, according to our data, your claim was not fulfilled 30 days after we made our information request on July 31, 2023. Your claim has been rejected because it is no longer within the allotted time.
A few things about this email.
The person who wrote this was obviously using a pre-written response, and then personalizing it. A spell checker might have helped.
Apart from the grammatical errors, there’s one thing that jumps out: Frontier suggests the U.S. government won’t allow them to process alost luggage claim after 30 days.
That’s nonsense. An airline can process a claim whenever it wants. (Related: My American Tourister luggage is defective. How do I get it fixed?)
Leaving a customer with the impression that the government disallows them from processing a claim is blatantly dishonest. (Related: Do you have luggage rage? Here’s how to know — and what to do about it.)
Collins filed a claim with the Department of Transportation (it didn’t work) and started looking for consumer advocates to help her. My colleague Dave Liever at the Dallas Morning News recommended she ask my advocacy team for help.
And that’s how she ended up on our doorstep.
How long do I have to file a lost luggage claim with my airline?
There’s no uniform airline policy, when it comes to lost luggage, but generally speaking, the sooner you report your luggage missing, the better. (I have details in my guide to lost luggage.)
Frontier’s policy is outlined in its customer service plan.
If your bag does not arrive, we require that you report this to us within 4 hours of your arrival. The customer service agent will create a tracing file and will provide an update regarding the status of your baggage.
Again, this four-hour deadline is not set by federal regulation. It is simply an airline policy, and if Frontier wants to give more time, it can.
If you lose your bag, I strongly recommend that you report it to your airline immediately. Most airlines will ask you to fill out a form in which you describe the luggage you lost and its contents. This will help them track and find your belongings. (Related: Swiss lost luggage problem: Can the airline only refund me for half my expenses?)
In reviewing the paper trail between Collins and Frontier, it seems she did all that, but for some reason did not receive the the claim form that Frontier says it sent her.
That’s on Frontier. It must ensure that when someone reports a bag missing, also sends them the necessary forms — and that they are received. It can’t just wash its hands of the incident.
How can I ensure my lost luggage claim gets processed on time?
You can take a few steps to make sure your claim doesn’t get lost.
File your claim in person
Many airlines allow you to fill out a lost luggage claim at the airport and in person. It’s better to do that than to wait for forms to be emailed to you — forms that may never arrive. Pro tip: Once you fill in a form, take a picture of it so you have a record of the claim. If for any reason you can’t file your claim in person, reference the carrier’s website as soon as possible to see if there’s an electronic claim form you can submit. (Frontier has one.)
Take pictures of your luggage
Every time you check in your bag, make sure you have a picture of the luggage along with the bar-coded luggage tag. Pro tip: Make sure the tag has the right airport code on it. Ticket agents usually get it right, but not always. (Related: If Air Canada destroys my suitcase what does it owe me?)
Answer all the questions promptly
Your airline may follow up by asking for receipts and other documentation. Send these promptly to avoid any unnecessary delay.
But what if you miss the deadline for filing a claim?
Do airlines ever grant an exception for lost luggage claims?
Airlines can process a lost luggage claim whenever they want to. So if you can show that a carrier failed to follow up with the right forms, the company can indeed extend its deadline.
I asked Frontier if it could take another look at Collins’ case.
A Frontier representative responded to me,
Hello Chris,
Customer Care advises that a claim form was provided to the customer to complete on July 31. The form was not returned to us and therefore the claim was automatically closed at the 30 day mark – Aug. 31.
As a customer service gesture, the claim has been reopened and an agent is being assigned to handle. The customer will again be provided a claim form and must complete it within 30 days.
I am advised that one of our Customer Care representatives is reaching out to the customer to explain the above.
Well, that’s good news.
Collins is now filing her luggage claim — one year later.
It’s good to know that airlines like Frontier consider the ball to be in your court when they email you a form. But, based on what I see on her side, it looks as if she repeatedly tried to contact Frontier to let it know that she hadn’t received the necessary forms.
The takeaway seems clear: If your bags go lost, never leave the airport without first filing a lost luggage claim. Because once you’re gone, it’s out of sight, out of mind.
What happened to this claim?
Sadly, after Frontier agreed to reopen this case, it turned Collins down again. She is currently appealing this to one of the Frontier executives. I’ll publish an update when I have one.
