It’s been the prefect trip. On the return flight, you had been reliving all the wonderful memories, joyously going through each piece of beautiful souvenir you had bought for all your beloved family members and friends. After clearing security protocol and customs, you waited at the baggage claim area to retrieve your luggage and you found yourself still waiting while everybody had gone. Checking with the airline, you were told that your luggage was lost! What could you do?
If you have travel insurance, lost luggage is covered but there’s no doubt that you would be feeling quite upset because you had spent a lot of time and energy, carefully selecting those gifts and are now at a loss for your personal belongings. During a flight, luggage can get lost and many people encounter serious problems because there may be some very important items in the luggage. Sometimes, the baggage is recovered but just as often, it can be lost, for good.
Any traveler would be preoccupied with the lost luggage issue all through the night. In the morning, you receive a call from the airline informing you that the luggage has been recovered and it’s being sent to you promptly. The next thing you know, somebody rings your doorbell and you find this smiling delivery man holding your precious luggage. Do you tip?
This is a tough question. It’s certainly not your fault that the luggage was lost. Why should you tip? If the baggage was not lost by their airline, you would have it already; travelers who have been inconvenienced by negligent airline service may not feel inclined to tip the person who delivers their luggage after a hectic and stressful ordeal, especially around the holidays. In a sense, you have every right and reason to be angry with the airline for losing your luggage. Yet, you should also understand that bags gets lost every day and this is one of the main reasons why people buy a travel insurance policy when they travel. If you are not satisfied that your luggage had been found and returned to you in the fastest time possible, you should pursue the matter through the proper channels. Taking out your frustrations on the delivery man whose job is just to send the luggage to you isn’t fair to the person who most likely had no hand in the unfortunate event. As a courteous gesture, you should offer a tip top the delivery person, especially if you are satisfied that everything is present, and intact. On the other hand, it’s perfectly understandable if you choose not to tip, because the airline would have already paid for the delivery man’s services.
