Experts say unless you have to check a bag for your flight, don’t

Ashli Lincoln
·2 min read
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Experts are warning airline passengers against checking a bag unless you don’t have a choice.

Channel 2 Consumer Advisor Clark Howard says travelers should never consider checking a bag when traveling.

“If I can’t take it in my carry-on bag, it does not go on the trip,” Howard said.

A metro Atlanta woman, who wants to be identified by her last name, Terei, told Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln that Frontier Airlines lost her luggage back in October on a trip to Las Vegas.

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“You go to Vegas, and you have all your nice stuff, and you just want to have fun and you need all your clothes,” she said.

Terei says after months of back and forth, Frontier eventually sent Terei a check for $540, an amount she says was worth a fraction of what was in her luggage. She estimates she had more than $6,000 worth of clothing, jewelry and accessories in her luggage.

“I had a purse to exchange, it was a YSL purse,” Terei said.

Terei says once in Las Vegas she had to spend an additional $600 to replace the clothing and toiletries that were packed in her bag.

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Clark Howard says travelers should pack at least three days’ worth of clothes in their carry-on.

He says customers should be familiar with the air carrier’s lost bag policy.

Channel 2 Action News looked at Frontier’s lost bag policy and it says customers have to report lost or damaged bags within 30 days. Frontier’s policy also includes a list of items including jewelry, medication, money and some electronics that the company says it’s not liable for.

“Airlines in their terms of service, specifically will not cover anything of value because they know they could end up with a contractor or employee who would have sticky fingers, so they won’t cover it,” Howard says.

Frontier told Channel 2 Action News they agree with the assessment amount they provided to Terei. She disagrees and has filed a complaint with the Department of Transportation.

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