Sitting at San Francisco International Airport as I write this, having just paid $20 to put my luggage on my flight (thanks Delta), I hate to even think, what would happen if my luggage is lost?

According to an article in the San Francisco Examiner, “under existing rules, if luggage is never found or is damaged, passengers can ask for a fee refund as part of their lost-property claim. But if a bag is simply delayed, a passenger is out of luck.”

But Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the Department of Transportation are looking to implement a rule, expected later this month, “which would require airlines to refund the fee if a bag is lost or not delivered in a ‘timely’ manner.”  Officials are still trying to determine exactly what “timely” would constitute.

Alaska and Delta already provide credit, although not a cash refund, if luggage is delayed.

Overall last year, more than 2 million bags were either lost or delayed on U.S. airlines.

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Photo Credit: Jarcje, via Wikimedia Commons

• Tag: airlines, Airports, Department Of Transportation, fees, Luggage