It’s every traveler’s worst nightmare – you touch down in your dream destination, ready to get out and explore but your luggage hasn’t made the same journey.

After all the other bags have been collected from the carousel and you know for a fact yours isn’t there, the experts at Bounce say there is one thing you need to do immediately to minimise the damage.

Cody Candee, CEO and Founder at Bounce, has revealed his top tips for dealing with lost luggage this Christmas and New Year.

He said: ” As soon as you realise your luggage is missing, find your airline’s representative and file a claim with them before you leave the airport. If you can’t find a representative, source their contact information and give them a call. You will be asked to file a lost baggage report and provide a description of the colour, make and model of your luggage. “

Make sure you know these details before you leave.

It’s a good idea to have a photo of your luggage as well as a note of what its identifiable features are to make this task easier. 

If your luggage is found after you’ve reported it, most airlines will deliver it for free. However, make sure you ask about this from the outset and exchange contact details to ensure you can stay in communication with them. 

Candee said: “This isn’t always the case, so make sure to clarify this from the outset. Ask a representative to have your luggage delivered to your accommodation or your home address if this isn’t possible. Exchange contact details with the airline and ask for a tracking number to check up on the delivery of your bags.”  

If it has truly been lost, then you may be able to refund your checked baggage fees and get reimbursement for the lost items.

Airlines have 21 days within which to return your bags although you can still claim for delays within this time frame.

If you need to buy things to continue your trip, make sure you keep receipts so you are eligible for reimbursement.

Candee said: ” If you’re going to be without your luggage for a while, you’ll need to replace items like clothing, toiletries and other essentials to keep you going until you get it back. If this is the case, keep hold of your receipts so you can be fully reimbursed. To make your claim for lost luggage more likely to be approved, make sure you check what the airline considers reasonable or necessary expenses and only replace what has been lost.”