ATLANTA — Experts are warning airline passengers against checking a bag unless you don’t have a choice.
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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.
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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.
“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.
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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.
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“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.
CLICK HERE for the original article by WSB-TV.
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