A MIXED BAG OF LUGGAGE LORE

Experienced travelers take cold comfort in claims the airlines make about delivering 99 percent of checked bags they carry.
It is true that virtually all checked luggage does fly on the same plane as its owner and arrives when and where it should, give or take a few minutes. And most missing bags turn up within a few days, though all too often after a vacation or business trip has been seriously compromised for lack of proper attire.
But with some 700 million suitcases checked on domestic airlines each year, even one percent means 7 million travelers get to where they're going but never get the things they brought. That simple reality shows why it is always risky to pack the family jewels, or anything of significant value, in luggage that is to be checked into the hold of an airplane. Stricter limits on the number and size of bags passengers can carry on to planes have added pressure to check irreplaceable items, from wedding gowns to holiday presents and bulky sou venirs.
Also know that if the airlines do lose your checked bags, you probably won't get paid a lot.
To curb fraud, airlines are always sticklers about the procedure for reporting lost or damaged luggage. This always involves filing the claim before you leave the airport and providing a complete inventory of the items in the missing bag. By law, $1,250 is the maximum airline liability for loss or damage to checked baggage, and that limit is per incident, not per bag. That won't even pay for some suitcases, let alone what's in them. To add insult to injury, the pay-out is based on depreciated rather than replacement value. Some carriers even try to pay for the damages in flight vouchers rather than cash. Furthermore, none accept any liability for cameras, electronic equipment, jewelry or for anything carried onto the plane as hand luggage. The checked luggage liability limits are even lower on international flights, only $9.07 per pound or $634 total per piece.
If you have to check expensive items or items not covered, buying the airline's excess valuation insurance offers simple and relatively cheap protection. Passengers can simply pay for the extra coverage at check-in, and rates average about $2 for every $1,000 of coverage. Knowing that the bags are insured also provides extra incentive for the airlines to make sure they're not lost or damaged.
If you have luggage to check, the safest course of action is to carry it directly to the boarding gate, and check it in there. It's extra hassle, but you'll be much surer that your bags will get on the plane, not to mention that they're also likely to be first off.
It's also worth mentioning that some savvy travelers avoid luggage hassles by express-mailing their suitcases to themselves at their destination a day or two be fore they leave home. That way, they can go to the airport empty-handed and confident their bags will be waiting for them when they arrive.
Though "pack light" has been a cardinal rule of experienced travelers since Moses, the recent development of luggage on wheels has greatly reduced, though not eliminated, its underlying assumptions. While there's no need to schlep around items you'll never use, being able to easily roll a suitcase around makes its weight somewhat immaterial. It also allows you to bring along items and road comforts you might otherwise leave at home.
Luggage manufacturers have demonstrated wonderful ingenuity in fitting wheels into almost any kind of luggage, from high-tech backpacks to huge, up-right Pullman cases that can accommodate everything including the kitchen sink. The maneuverability of rolling luggage has also come a long way. Some luggage lines even offer aerodynamic design and 4-wheel drive!
When buying luggage, be sure its size and style suit your needs and purpose. Also remember the three Ds: design, dimension and durability.
Although not obvious to most passen gers, the airlines do enforce limits on the weight and number of bags a passenger can bring. On both domestic and most international flights, the standard free baggage allowance for each ticket-carrying passenger is a total of three bags weighing up to 70 pounds each. As many as two of those bags can be checked.
In addition to weight, there are dimension limits. No bag can be larger than a total of 62 inches in height, width and length (with the exception of certain sporting equipment, such as skis and golf clubs). Carry-ons must not exceed total dimensions of 9-by-13-by-23 inches and must fit into the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you, the same place you'd otherwise stow your feet. Travelers with more than three pieces or pieces that are heavier or larger than the free allowances (a total of 162 inches) should be prepared to pay extra at check in, with $35 for each extra domestic piece as a minimum.


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