More compensation for lost bags suggested

Airline passengers are to be entitled to more compensation for lost luggage under new plans being drawn up by the United Nations.

At present, airlines are only required to compensate their passengers according to the weight of the luggage lost.

This means that passengers who lose smaller, but more expensive, items such as cameras and laptop computers are often left substantially out of pocket.

However, under the proposed amendments to the 2004 Montreal Convention, passengers will be able to claim up to £1060 in compensation.

This is a 13.1 per cent increase on current levels, with the development applauded by the consumer watchdog the Air Transport Users Council.

A spokesman for the body said: "It is something we welcome, although in our experience few people do actually get the full amount of compensation.

"While a lot of people do have insurance, we still get hundreds of complaints a year."

According to the latest figures compiled by the UN's International Civil Aviation Organsiation, the global airline industry misplaced 32 million bags in 2008 alone, though recently many European airlines, including British Airways, have reported notable improvements in this area of their operations.

Posted by Andrew, 17 August 2009 14:43

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• British Airways