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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON DELAYED BAGGAGE
What's going on?
It's the busiest time of the year as thousands more passengers fly away on holiday. In addition there is more baggage being checked in as a result of the limited amount of hand baggage allowed through security. This extra volume has put the airport baggage systems and baggage handlers under pressure and recently we have seen a rise in the numbers of bags not loaded into our planes in time for take off. In addition to this predictable seasonal peak in baggage volumes, we are also encountering an unusual situation that has worsened the problem. A small number of major airlines are experiencing resource shortages and are failing to deliver bags to Virgin Atlantic when they are being transferred to us at Heathrow. In normal circumstances we receive transfer bags within an hour of the arrival of the inbound aircraft. However over the last couple of months, in some cases we have had to wait several days for bags to be delivered to us by those airlines. Obviously when a bag is in the hands of another airline, we are not in a position to deliver it in a timely way to the passenger at their final destination. We understand how annoying it is when baggage is delayed but want to reassure you that the huge majority of our passengers' baggage arrives at the same time as they do. How can you help? NEVER pack any essential or valuable items in your checked in luggage. Make sure medication, vital documents, credit cards, money, jewellery, keys, cameras, phones and other electronic devices (to mention just a few!) are kept in your hand baggage.Make sure your checked-in baggage is clearly labelled inside and outside. Full name, flight number and telephone contact details, at least.If at all possible, avoid through checking your baggage if you have connecting flights. What to do if your bag does not arrive? If your bags do not arrive on the baggage belt, you must speak to the baggage hall staff before you leave the airport. They may be our own staff or a ground handler working on our behalf. They will make a missing baggage report called a 'Property Irregularity Report', in an automated global baggage tracing system called 'World Tracer'. This system links us to the baggage offices of more than 2,200 airport locations. You should be given the number of the Property Irregularity Report and/or a printed copy that will also contain the tag number of your delayed baggage and your flight details. You will be asked for the address where you want the bag delivered, along with a description of your baggage and some of the items contained within it. It’s important that you give our people a good description as World Tracer matches your description (as well as the tag number) against bags with no identification that are being held at airports. How do we find your baggage? The Property Irregularity Report is picked up automatically by our team of dedicated baggage tracers in our delayed baggage department. This team operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year and will search for 'matches' in the World Tracer system. The majority of delayed bags are reunited with their owners 24-48 hours after the Property Irregularity Report has been made. Telephone our Baggage Tracing team. This baggage tracing team will see if any 'matches' have been found, for example if you are in Miami and your green 26 cm wheelie bag containing your black shoes, Hawaiian shirt and Harry Potter novel has been found, or left behind, at Heathrow, the Heathrow airport team will have input a description of the bag and its tag number into the system where it will be flagged as a possible match. Our baggage tracing team will see the 'match' and send a message to Heathrow requesting the bag to be security screened and sent to Miami on the next flight with space. Once it arrives in Miami, the airport baggage staff will hand it over to a local company who will deliver it to the address you gave on your Property Irregularity Report. (Due to local customs regulations, we regret we are unable to deliver baggage to passengers who have reported the delay of their baggage at Lagos & Delhi. Passengers are required to collect their luggage at the airport). At each point in the delivery chain the airport baggage handling staff update the World Tracer system. If the bag has not yet been found, or its details not yet put into the system, the baggage tracing team will not be able to give any new information. (The same applies to the baggage tracking website www.virginatlantic.com/baggagetracing which takes its feed directly from the World Tracer system). We do understand how frustrating it is when we can't give you new information. We want to assure you however this does not mean we are not looking for your baggage. What if you need to buy essential items? We also know how inconvenient it is when you are away from home and your bag has been delayed. To help out, our airport staff will advise passengers to purchase the essential items they need such as toiletries, cosmetics, basic clothing etc until their bag is returned to them. Passengers can spend $50 in the US or the equivalent of £50 in all other destinations. It’s important you keep all the receipts and send them to us for re-imbursement when you return home This emergency payment will be deducted from any final settlement costs in the unlikely event that your bag is irretrievably lost. These emergency payments are not compensation for inconvenience. They are for the purchase of essential items to help passengers whose bags have been delayed while they are away from home. The purchase of non-essential items such as Ipods, jewellery etc will not be covered under the emergency payment scheme. If your baggage has not been delivered to you 48 hours after you made the Property Irregularity Report, a further $50 in the US or the equivalent of £50 in all other destinations, can be reclaimed from us when you return home, providing you make a claim and send us your purchase receipts. How do you claim your Emergency Payment? By sending the following information
How long will it take for an emergency payment claim to be processed? Due to the extra volume and general increase in baggage enquiries and claims it may take between 21- 28 days from the date we receive your claim before we can reimburse your bank account. What if we don't find your bag? If your bag hasn't been found 21 days after your flight landed, we consider the bag to be irretrievably lost and whilst we will continue to look for your bag, our Central Baggage Claims Department will process a lost bag claim if you instigate it. Baggage claims are only accepted in writing by completing our baggage claim form and when supported by proof of purchase or repair bills. A printable version of our baggage claim form is available by clicking on the link below. This form must be printed out, completed in full and returned to our Central Baggage Claims Department. View and print the mishandled baggage claim form To view your claim form online, you'll need 'Adobe Acrobat Reader'. If you don't have this simply to download a free copy here. If you are having difficulty accessing the claim form PDF, please e-mail your full name and address to baggage.services@fly.virgin.com who will send a form to you. US residents are asked to return claim forms to our US address from where it will be forwarded to the Central Baggage Claims Department. All other passengers are required to send them to the UK with all supporting paperwork e.g. receipts, proof of purchase, repair estimates. Central Baggage Claims PO Box 188 DUNSTABLE LU6 9BL Fax: 0870 190 4467 US Residents can send completed claims forms to: Virgin Atlantic Airways Baggage Claims 501 Westport Avenue P.M.Box 25 Norwalk, CT 06851 Fax: 866 343 1912 E mail baggage.services@fly.virgin.com All international airlines have a limited liability when it comes to lost and/or damaged baggage which is detailed in our Conditions of Carriage. This means we may not be able to cover the full worth of your property. In addition we will not cover any loss or damage to valuable and/or fragile items. Therefore, if you have your own travel or personal insurance it may offer more cover and you should make your claim directly to themFor further information about what can and cannot be claimed for, or if your baggage is damaged please go to our baggage claims section. 
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