We know your checked bags have important things in them—your stuff! And we all have a story about how a delayed checked bag quickly put a damper on a business trip or vacation. And while the vast majority of checked bags we travel with arrive as they should, a delayed bag is still a big deal if it happens to you.

So, in a continual effort to improve this system and make traveling better for you, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes on five new projects that will improve your experience, should you find yourself with a delayed bag. Here are the new changes you can expect to see:

1. Proactive notifications if your bag doesn’t travel with you. All you have to do is sign up for Last Minute Updates on delta.com or subscribe to have your contact info included in your reservation. We will call or email you if your bags don’t travel with you.
2. Checked baggage tracking on delta.com. Now every checked bag has visibility if you wish to track its journey. For example, you’ll be able to see that your bags have been loaded on an aircraft.
3. Self-service baggage kiosks in 18 of our busiest airports by year’s end. These look just like our check-in kiosks but they are near our airport baggage service offices and bag carrousels. You can use the kiosk to view a bag’s status, check which carousel bags will arrive on and file a delayed bag claim if necessary.
4. All-online delayed bag claim process. Goodbye paper-based manual process. Hello easier, faster online process directly at delta.com!
5. Rebates for bags lost beyond 12 hours. For the rare occurrence when a bag is delayed more than 12 hours, you can apply on delta.com for a transportation credit voucher rebate for $25 for one bag or $50 for two bags.

All of these improvements are up and running today, and we hope that should you have a delayed bag, we can make the experience smoother and easier for you.

Stephanie L.

Program Manager – Baggage Service Recovery