Lost Bag Bailout: How Travel Insurance and Credit Cards Can Save You Thousands

Summary

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways Episode: Lost Bag Bailout: How Travel Insurance and Credit Cards Can Save You Thousands
Release Date: August 6, 2025
Hosts: Sally French & Meghan Coyle
Guest: N/A

---

Introduction

In this episode of Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways, hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle delve into the often overlooked but critical aspects of travel protection—specifically focusing on how travel insurance and credit cards can mitigate the financial and emotional turmoil of lost or delayed luggage. Drawing from Meghan's personal ordeal, the episode offers invaluable insights and actionable tips to ensure that travelers can safeguard their belongings and finances effectively.

---

Travel Demand and Market Trends [02:40 - 04:11]

Sally and Meghan begin by discussing recent shifts in travel demand. According to the U.S. Travel Association, June 2025 saw a slight decline in travel spending by 0.4% year-over-year, marking the slowest growth month for global air traffic per the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Despite this minor dip, other regions like Asia Pacific and Europe continue to experience growth, albeit at a slower pace.

Meghan emphasizes:
“Demand softening often leads to, you guessed it, deals.”
[03:56]

This trend indicates potential opportunities for travelers to snag attractive summer travel deals as airlines and hotels adjust to changing demand.

---

Current Travel Deals and Strategies [04:11 - 08:29]

Glamping with World of Hyatt:
From August 8th through December 1st, travelers can enjoy a 15% points rebate when booking stays at Hyatt’s glamping brands—Under Canvas or Illum locations. This offer requires registration on Hyatt’s website by November 28th.

Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary Offer:
Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary with special tickets available until August 14th. Guests can purchase four-day, one-park-per-day tickets for as low as $100 per day. Sally remarks on the value of this deal compared to other entertainment options, noting the added attractions like the new "Paint the Night" parade.
[05:47]

United Club at Denver Airport:
The hosts also highlight the opening of the new United Club at Denver Airport, praising its modern, two-story design similar to the Seattle Delta Club. This addition promises enhanced amenities for travelers seeking comfort and convenience at the airport.

Labor Day Travel Tips:
Sally advises against flying on peak days such as Friday, August 29th and Monday, September 1st to avoid crowds and higher prices. Instead, she recommends booking flights on Tuesdays, which are generally less busy and more affordable.
[07:09]

---

Meghan’s Lost Luggage Saga [08:29 - 29:57]

The Incident [08:29 - 14:28]

Meghan recounts her unfortunate experience of losing her luggage during a trip to Italy for two weddings. Despite taking precautionary measures—such as using an AirTag and packing essentials in her carry-on—the checked bag never arrived.
Meghan states:
“Your baggage getting delayed or lost is actually a bit rare. Do you want to guess how often it happens?”
[08:29]

She reveals that the mishandling rate is 6.3 bags per 1,000 passengers (over 0.6%), making it a relatively rare occurrence, yet representing millions of lost bags globally due to high travel volumes.

Immediate Actions Taken [14:28 - 16:02]

Upon realizing her bag was missing, Meghan promptly used the Find My app to locate the AirTag, which indicated the bag was still in Paris. She rushed to the Lost and Found office at the Florence airport to file a claim. Although optimistic, the airline initially failed to locate the bag, prompting her to make urgent purchases to meet her wedding commitments.

Meghan advises:
“Keep all receipts. You'll need them.”
[18:33]

Navigating Reimbursements [19:20 - 24:26]

Frustrated by the delays, Meghan explores reimbursement avenues. She discovers that her American Express Platinum card—which she used to book the flight—did not cover baggage loss because the flight was booked with Flying Blue points. In contrast, Chase Sapphire Reserve offers up to $100 per day for baggage delay, totaling up to $500.

Sally emphasizes the importance of understanding your credit card’s travel protections:
“Many of these credit cards offer travel protection for trips paid for on those cards. This includes delayed or lost baggage protection.”
[21:25]

Additionally, Meghan highlights Blue Ribbon Bags, a standalone baggage insurance company offering $1,000 coverage per bag for a flat fee of $5. This service handles all interactions with the airline, saving travelers time and stress.

Resolution and Reimbursement [25:10 - 29:57]

After persistently pursuing the matter, Meghan eventually reclaims her bag on the 12th day of her trip. Despite initial setbacks, including miscommunication from Air France and the need to purchase emergency items, she successfully files a claim and is reimbursed nearly $2,000 for her expenses.

Meghan shares:
“They gave us back almost $2,000. It was literally everything I submitted a receipt for.”
[29:44]

---

Essential Tips for Handling Lost Luggage [30:11 - 31:41]

In wrapping up the ordeal, Meghan and Sally provide a comprehensive list of tips for travelers to minimize the impact of lost or delayed luggage:

1. Rethink Checked Bags:

   • Assess whether you truly need to check a bag. Opting for carry-on only can eliminate the risk altogether.

2. Book Nonstop Flights:

   • Minimizes the chance of mishandling during layovers.

3. Document Your Luggage:

   • Use luggage tags, take photos of your bag inside and out, and utilize electronic trackers like AirTags.

4. Understand Your Insurance:

   • Familiarize yourself with the travel protections offered by your credit cards or travel insurance policies.

5. Restrict Special Items to Personal Items:

   • Keep valuables, essential items, and irreplaceable belongings in your carry-on or personal item.

6. Save Receipts:

   • Essential for reimbursement claims in case of lost luggage.

Sally emphasizes:
“Do not put anything special... Keep it with you.”
[31:24]

---

Conclusion and Hot Takes [31:48 - 34:18]

The episode concludes with a light-hearted "hot take" where Sally argues that it is impossible to underpack, sparking a playful debate with Meghan. They agree on the importance of packing essentials and avoiding excessive belongings to reduce travel stress.

Sally introduces an upcoming episode on the "Ten $10 Rule" for smarter packing, encouraging listeners to share their packing tips for future discussions.

---

Key Takeaways

• Understand Your Travel Protections:
  Always know what your credit cards and travel insurance policies cover regarding lost or delayed luggage.

• Minimize Checked Bags:
  Traveling light with carry-ons can significantly reduce the risk of luggage mishandling.

• Document and Track:
  Use tools like AirTags and keep thorough documentation to aid in recovery and reimbursement processes.

• Act Quickly:
  Promptly report lost luggage and keep meticulous records of all expenses incurred due to delays.

• Choose the Right Credit Card:
  Opt for credit cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve that offer robust travel protections.

---

Notable Quotes:

• “Demand softening often leads to, you guessed it, deals.” – Meghan Coyle
  [03:56]

• “Do not put anything special... Keep it with you.” – Sally French
  [31:24]

• “They gave us back almost $2,000. It was literally everything I submitted a receipt for.” – Meghan Coyle
  [29:44]

---

For more detailed insights and additional tips, listeners are encouraged to visit NerdWallet's Travel Section and follow the Smart Travel podcast for future episodes.

Transcript

[Meagan Coyle]

Today's episode is sponsored by Fiji Water.

[Sally French]

No way.

[Meagan Coyle]

I love hydration same and Fiji Hydration no less. It really is from the actual islands of Fiji, as in 1600 miles from the nearest continent. It's bottled at the source and untouched by man until you unscrew the cap and you don't have to go all the way to Fiji.

[Sally French]

Although you have been to Fiji, Megan.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes. And I was living off the Fiji water. I would get out of the ocean, take a little sip of Fiji Water. It tastes so good.

[Sally French]

And it's easy to get it here too. Fiji Water is the number one premium bottled water brand in the U.S. it's.

[Meagan Coyle]

My go to hydration for everything from beach days to jungle hikes or even just a little water on the hotel nightstand.

[Sally French]

Oh, you know, I love my gallon challenge. I gotta say, if you are not doing the gallon challenge every day, my hot take is you are not hydrated enough.

[Meagan Coyle]

Honestly, I agree. And did you know Fiji Water has more than double the electrolytes as the other two top premium bottled water brands? That's what gives it that extra smooth taste.

[Sally French]

Fiji Water is Earth's finest water, Megan. If I am doing an Orlando theme park in the summer, I'm like, sometimes two G challenge, baby.

[Meagan Coyle]

That's a lot of bottles of Fiji Water and I love that they're travel size so that they fit in my crossbody bag.

[Sally French]

I'm plowing through my Fiji Water bottles and luckily, Fiji Water is environmentally responsible.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes. Since 2022, the 330 and 500 milliliter bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic. Fiji Water continues to lead the top premium bottled water competition on launching 100% recycled plastic bottles.

[Sally French]

I love water and you know, if I see a Fiji Water bottle available, that's definitely the one I'm going for.

[Meagan Coyle]

Fiji Water, Earth's finest water.

[Sally French]

Stay hydrated. Like us travelers, we've talked a lot about airline complaints. But, Megan, you actually got an airline to pay you for something going wrong.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, yes. Sally, I have a story for you.

[Sally French]

A story you say?

[Meagan Coyle]

And it's juicy. Let me tell you about a recent flight I took where the airline lost my luggage and how I got it back and how I got paid for it. Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools and tactics to maximize your travel dollars. I'm Meagan Coyle.

[Sally French]

And I'm Sally French.

[Meagan Coyle]

And we're the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip.

[Sally French]

Megan, I'm assuming you will tell listeners who might also have lost luggage how they can get money back too.

[Meagan Coyle]

I can tell you what I did that worked and I hope it works for listeners too. Although I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

[Sally French]

No way. But first, our disclaimer, and that's that we will talk about a few credit card companies that are nerd wallet partners in this show, but that does not influence how we discuss them. Benefits terms and fees mentioned were accurate at the time of post. Things can change, though some offers may have expired by the time you're listening, so for the latest details, follow the link in the show description.

[Meagan Coyle]

Let's start with a polls check on travel demand and there's a shift happening.

[Sally French]

Yes, for the first time in over four years, the U.S. travel association says travel spending actually declined year over year. That's for the month of June. Now it was just a small dip, just 0.4%. But it's interesting because it breaks a long running streak of growth which started back in early 2021.

[Meagan Coyle]

And we're seeing those slight drop across the board. Domestic and international air travel, hotel demand, even national park visits.

[Sally French]

Yeah, let's talk about airlines where we have some really interesting numbers. The International Air Transport association just put out a fresh report on passenger numbers. Again, this is based on the most recent data, which is from the month of June. But IATA is reporting that June marked the slowest growth month for global air traffic so far.

[Meagan Coyle]

In 2025, North America saw a flat lining in the volume of air passengers. So In June, the US domestic market peaked, barely eked out a 0.1% year over year increase.

[Sally French]

Yeah, not a big increase, if not one at all. I will say other regions are still growing, but again at a slower pace. So Asia Pacific grew 5%. Europe was up 2.2%.

[Meagan Coyle]

All this matters because demand softening often leads to, you guessed it, deals.

[Sally French]

Yay.

[Meagan Coyle]

And we're starting to see exactly what those are as we move into the second half of the summer.

[Sally French]

Okay, not the worst news then for people looking for a cheap vacation, right?

[Meagan Coyle]

So if you've been putting off that summer getaway, you still have time. This might be your moment to grab some summer travel deals.

[Sally French]

Let's start by talking about a deal that's tailor made for travelers who want some nature without sacrificing the comfort and style. And I'm talking about glamping with World of Hyatt. So from August 8th through December 1st, if you use Hyatt points to book a stay at under canvas or illum locations, these are Hyatt's glamping brands, you get 15% of your points back. You do have to register for this on Hyatt's website by November 28th.

[Meagan Coyle]

We just sent two of our reporters to check out Under Canvas properties.

[Sally French]

Ah, that's right. We sent Craig and Caitlin there. And then you know what? I actually went to an Under Canvas myself with my family in Yellowstone a few years ago.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, it's so cool. It's like these little safari tents, and they're often in these really nice outdoor destinations. What was your experience like, Sally?

[Sally French]

Oh, gosh. Okay. I have to say I loved it because they give you little s' mores and all the nice amenities that you could want when you're camping, but they do it for you. Fresh coffee in the morning and then you actually get a real fold full bed. And in our tent, they even had a full wood burning stove.

[Meagan Coyle]

Whoa. Okay, I like that. That seems like glamping and especially great for families when you don't want to have to take all that stuff. Just multiplies when you're camping with a lot of people.

[Sally French]

Right. And then you don't need to actually set it up because I'm like, I. I'm even. I'm too short to set up the camping tent. I'm like, I cannot stick these poles in there. So you arrive and the tent is all set up for you. Perfect. Okay. And then let's talk about Disney.

[Meagan Coyle]

All right, so there's still time for a Disney trip before the end of the summer. You can still snag Disneyland's 70th anniversary ticket offer through August 14th. So that's the offer that you can buy park tickets for as low as $100 per day with a four day, one park per day ticket.

[Sally French]

I really enjoy their 70th celebration. They've got a new nighttime parade, which I love. It's called Paint the Night. And it's kind of like if Burning man met Disney, which is kind of awesome. And, you know, I actually really feel like under a hundred dollars is really impressive when I think about what the cost of movie tickets are, what the of show tickets are. $100 for a full day at Disney is not a bad deal.

[Meagan Coyle]

Right. And you wrote all about the Disneyland 70th celebration, so we can link to that in the show notes so people can learn more about it.

[Sally French]

Yes.

[Meagan Coyle]

Speaking of things we wrote about, I also wanted to highlight our colleague Ben covered the opening of the new United Club at the Denver Airport last week.

[Sally French]

Shout out Ben. He loves the clubs.

[Meagan Coyle]

We basically shouted out our entire team in this News segment.

[Sally French]

We're a small team. We've named them all.

[Meagan Coyle]

Let's just add Claire in. She holds down the fort.

[Sally French]

Claire is our Ed.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay, so the Denver United Club looks super modern. And it's another one that's two stories. Very similar to the Seattle Delta Club that I wrote about a few weeks ago.

[Sally French]

Oh, yes, the Seattle Club that we actually both went to within, like, two weeks of each other.

[Meagan Coyle]

Wait, didn't you end up in the wrong Seattle Delta Club?

[Sally French]

But both Seattle Delta clubs are two stories. I'm in.

[Meagan Coyle]

Travel nerds make mistakes too. Everyone okay on air travel, if you haven't booked flights yet for Labor Day weekend, now this is the time we analyze TSA data and airfare trends to find the best and worst days to fly.

[Sally French]

Let's talk about the worst days to fly for Labor Day. And the worst day is Friday, August 29th. Everyone jetting out for that long weekend and then the worst day to fly back. As I said, everyone jetting out for the long weekend is Monday, September 1st, which is Labor Day itself. If you want to avoid the crowds and save money, do not fly out on any of those days.

[Meagan Coyle]

Right. So Tuesdays are generally a less busy and less pricey day to fly. So you could save some money by flying out early for the weekend. Maybe Tuesday, August 26th.

[Sally French]

Just make it a whole week.

[Meagan Coyle]

I'm also a fan of flying during a long weekend like that. Like if you fly on the Saturday or Sunday of Labor Day weekend, it doesn't maximize your time at the destination, but I find it to be way.

[Sally French]

Less stressful and it maximizes your time. Friday night, you get a nice calm night to pack before you leave on Saturday.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, you need time to do chores before you go.

[Sally French]

We'll link to those dates in the episode description so you can find more on the best and worst days to fly for Labor Day.

[Meagan Coyle]

Sally, we travel so much. I'm honestly surprised that more stuff doesn't go wrong.

[Sally French]

I mean, TBT to my two back to back flight cancellations.

[Meagan Coyle]

That was super unlucky. But like, it's been a while, right?

[Sally French]

It's been a while. But you also had some bad luck recently. Your lost luggage on your Italy trip.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, yeah. It's a huge saga.

[Sally French]

And that's what we're gonna hear about today. So, listeners, buckle up. The seat belt sign is on.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay, let me start this off by saying that your baggage getting delayed or lost is actually a bit rare. Do you want to guess how often it happens? Sally?

[Sally French]

I actually think the number is it's like, really low. Like, it's definitely below 10. I'm, like, willing to put money on that.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay.

[Sally French]

Oh, my gosh. Your eyes just got so big. I'm nervous. I'm willing to say it's. It's below five. I'm gonna say that.

[Meagan Coyle]

Pretty good guess. According to the airline, IT and communications company called Sita S I T A, the baggage mishandling rate is just 6.3 bags per 1,000 passengers. So I'll do the math for you guys. That's a bit more than half of 1%. Okay.

[Sally French]

Under 10%. I knew I was right.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. Not just under 10%. Under 1%. Under 10.

[Sally French]

Under 5, under 1. Amazing.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. I do want to note, though, that a lot of people are flying now, so 33.4 million bags were mishandled in 2024. That's millions of bags.

[Sally French]

Yeah. And I also think you hear about checked bags so often, because when it does happen to you, it's so traumatizing.

[Meagan Coyle]

It absolutely is. I really hate also just like, checking bags in general just because I don't like waiting for my luggage at the carousel. I just want to get to my vacation, you know what I mean?

[Sally French]

Okay, well, then, Megan, why did you check a bag when you were going to Italy?

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay, so as our regular smart travel listeners know, I had two weddings to go to in Italy this year, and I was a bridesmaid in one. So I brought four different semiformal or formal dresses for the welcome parties and the ceremonies for all these weddings. My boyfriend also had a suit and dress shoes and a couple other nice button up type of outfits. So that was all on top of our normal travel gear, like hiking shoes, casual clothes for the city, beach clothes. It was really tight, to say the least. And we were like, okay, let's just share a checked bag and just give ourselves some more room, because I know I want to buy some souvenirs and clothes in Italy anyways.

[Sally French]

Yes, too late for my hot take, but that's way too many bridesmaid dresses.

[Meagan Coyle]

I mean, I didn't get to choose, right. I was embarrassed. I had to.

[Sally French]

This is rough. This is rough. All right.

[Meagan Coyle]

But I do want to point out that even before I left, I did do a couple of things. So first, even though I've never lost a piece of luggage before, I told my boyfriend, we should pack the carry ons. As if the checked bag will get lost and put the essentials in your carry on.

[Sally French]

Oh, my gosh. Don't tell me you manifested this happening.

[Meagan Coyle]

I really did because the one thing I would take away from this episode is you have to remember that you're taking a risk every time you check a bag. The only way to make sure that you have something during your travels is to keep it with you. And not just in your carry on luggage, because that could get gate checked as well, but, like, in your literal personal item, like your backpack or your purse or something like that. It's actually a lot of stuff when you think about it. So if someone's going to gate check your bag, you have to make sure you have everything you absolutely need with you.

[Sally French]

Yes. I mean, even they could move your bag to the front of the plane if you're in the back of the plane. If you have, like your EpiPen, something that you absolutely cannot afford to be separated from, you need to have that in your personal item. That means, like, under the seat, wearing as a fanny pack, so that way it does not get taken from you.

[Meagan Coyle]

Also, your passports, like, there are all sorts of valuable things. I grew up figure skating, and I have a friend who flew to an international competition and the airline lost the bag with her skate. It was a total waste. Like, you go all the way there. She couldn't compete.

[Sally French]

Well, you know, I compete in weightlifting. If they need to check it, that's fine. But, like, I am carrying my shoes in my personal item because I cannot lose my shoes.

[Meagan Coyle]

Absolutely. I always carry on my skates even though I don't compete anymore. But just for me, those are worth so much. They're worth More than $1,500. Like, if I were to buy them new. But honestly, like, getting them replaced is so difficult. It's really time consuming. I'm gonna fly with them.

[Sally French]

Okay, Tangent. You can bring skates through tsa?

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes, it's actually specifically allowed, but sometimes I have to educate the TSA agents and pull it up on my phone because sometimes they ask questions.

[Sally French]

I like what you said about why you fly with your skates.

[Meagan Coyle]

Good advice for travelers.

[Sally French]

If it's expensive, if it would be difficult to replace, if it's so sentimental that you would be heartbroken if it got lost, those are all things you need to pack in your personal item.

[Meagan Coyle]

So that was the mindset I was using when I packed my carry on. And for me, I was like, okay, I'm a bridesmaid. I cannot lose my bridesmaid dress. So I put that in the carry on. And then I actually just put all my wedding stuff together because I was like, I will need this. So I put in all of My wedding clothes, my heels, my makeup, because all of those things felt like they would be hard to replace on short notice. And then I also had some toiletries in there, like underwear, socks. And I put just, like, an extra set of casual clothes in my carry on just in case it gets lost.

[Sally French]

So it seems like you at least did the right thing of, like, the true essentials you had with you.

[Meagan Coyle]

I did, but my boyfriend kind of took the pack your checked bag, as if you'll lose it a little bit differently. So he actually put his suit in the checked bag because that would make it less squished.

[Sally French]

Oh, Eddie.

[Meagan Coyle]

And then he had all of his casual clothes because he was like, if I have to be in Italy for two weeks, I need my casual clothes. If Eddie had no wedding to go to, he totally would have been fine with that Europe trip. But unfortunately, you know, we had a wedding, and very soon after we landed.

[Sally French]

And then also, the thing to note is I'm assuming that you had a layover, which is probably where these bags got lost.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. So Eddie and I were flying from LA to Florence, and I found a great deal on points. It was 11,000 flying blue points per person. So we flew Air France, and there was a layover in Charles de Gaulle in Paris.

[Sally French]

New hot takeoff. Charles de Gaulle is the worst airport.

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, I 100% agree. I'm avoiding that airport like the plague now.

[Sally French]

I mean, avoid Charles de Gaulle. Hot take. But really avoid any airport. In fact, more than 40% of bags are delayed because of a transfer mishandling. That's according to SITA data. And so basically, if you have that layover, you increase your risk of luggage.

[Meagan Coyle]

Delays, and you can also increase the risk if you have a really short layover. So that I did avoid. My layover was six hours, so it felt like there was plenty of time for the bag to make it.

[Sally French]

Ugh. In six hours in Charles de Gaulle. That's terrible.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. Anyways, we do this layover. We get on the plane to Florence, and then we go to the baggage carousel, and the bags are starting to come out. And we actually had another friend with us who was going to the same wedding, and her checked bag came out, and mine was nowhere to be seen.

[Sally French]

Uh oh. The universe knew that you needed a podcast episode, so they gave their friend the bag and made you lose yours.

[Meagan Coyle]

I know. It was so sad.

[Sally French]

Okay, so what'd you do?

[Meagan Coyle]

Well, the first thing I did was check my Find my app on my iPhone because I put an airtag inside of my checked bag, and Lo and behold, the tag said it was still in Paris. So I didn't even wait for all the bags to come out. I just, like, beelined straight over to the luggage lost and found office. So I was like, the first person at the desk, and I didn't have to wait at all to file a claim. And airtags are great because Apple has a partnership with many airlines where you can actually share the location of the airtag with the airline, which is exactly what I did with Air France.

[Sally French]

Oh, you just share it with. How does that work?

[Meagan Coyle]

They tell you this email that you can share it to, and you put it in lost mode and it will beep it, like, pings every 20 minutes.

[Sally French]

When you book the flight, you can register for this.

[Meagan Coyle]

No, no, no. It's like, once you already are missing your bag, it'll give you the email to share it with.

[Sally French]

Wow, I've never heard of that. Smart travel here with the tips.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yep. So some other tips about losing your bag. Make sure you keep that little slip from the bag tag that the airline prints out when you check your bag. You know what I'm talking about?

[Sally French]

Yes. Yes.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. Some people, like, put it on the back of your ticket or whatever. But I needed that to be able to file the claim. And basically what they told me was that the airline could deliver it, but I was just not confident that the airline could get it back to me. No way. Because Eddie and I had to leave for this wedding, the first one, at 2pm the day after this flight, and it was already 7pm by the time we landed. So we didn't even have, like, 24 hours to get this bag back.

[Sally French]

No way. Yeah. Because you were moving to different cities throughout this trip.

[Meagan Coyle]

Totally. Yeah. But I wasn't freaking out because I was pretty optimistic that, like, oh, they have the airtag location. Like, they'll find it right away and put it on the next flight to Florence.

[Sally French]

Okay. But it seems like it wasn't that simple.

[Meagan Coyle]

No. So the next morning, I call Air France, and they're like, we have the airtag, but we haven't, quote, unquote, found it. Like, we haven't matched you to your bag yet.

[Sally French]

Yeah.

[Meagan Coyle]

And we were going to the wedding that day, so we decided, all right, Eddie needs a suit. So we literally went all over the city of Florence looking for an emergency suit. A suit in Florence?

[Sally French]

That's kind of bougie. And Eddie's a bougie guy. I think he probably enjoyed that.

[Meagan Coyle]

There are worse ways to get an Italian suit, but honestly, it Was such a rush. Like, we're just going all over, and we had to get, like, more than just a suit. It's like the shirt, the shoes, the.

[Sally French]

Tie, and, like, a suit has to be fitted. That is kind of savage.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. We actually even got a local tailor to hem the pants in just an hour so that we could get on this train.

[Sally French]

So, yeah, I would trust an Italian tailor to hem my pants in an hour. That.

[Meagan Coyle]

That sounds so nice. And then I also just grabbed some other things because, you remember, I only had one pair of casual clothes.

[Sally French]

Yes.

[Meagan Coyle]

And the airport clothes. So I went to Zara, got a couple of other things, but just very quickly, just so I could make it through, like, the next couple of days, because I was so sure, like, my bag is coming, like, in just a day or two.

[Sally French]

Yeah, okay. You know, I was browsing your Instagram photos, Miles with make and co, and I was like, your Cinque Terra outfit was so cute. Did you buy that in Italy?

[Meagan Coyle]

That's all the Zara in Florence.

[Sally French]

Oh, my gosh, it was so cute. This is like a happy end. And you got cute clothes out of it.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, yeah. And I want to give everyone a tip, so if this happens to you and you have to buy some replacement stuff, keep all the receipts. Eddie was taking pictures of his on his phone so he didn't lose them. I was keeping mine, like, altogether in my backpack. I wasn't trying to go crazy with buying a ton of stuff that first day because I had read on the IATA website that the vast majority of mishandled luggage is returned to the passenger within 48 hours.

[Sally French]

Yo, they are way too optimistic.

[Meagan Coyle]

I guess we'll finish this after the mid roll. Okay.

[Sally French]

Because we do have a cliffhanger. You are not reunited with your clothes yet, so stay with us for the rest of the story. In a moment.

[C]

Abercrombie's viral denim sale is back, and Spotify listeners get an extra 15% off with code Spotify AF. Abercrombie is known for their denim with 30 to 50% off all jeans. Find out how denim should feel. Shop the viral denim sale in the Abercrombie app online or in stores. Sell it in stores and online through August 11, 2025 in US and Canada. Excludes clearance price, reflects discount code. Valid in US and Canada through August 11, 2025. Exclusions apply. See details online.

[Meagan Coyle]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. With the price of just about everything going up, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer which is apparently a thing.

[Sally French]

Mint Mobile unlimited premium wireless. Everybody get 30, 30. Better get 30. Better to get 20, 20, 20. Better get 20, 20. Everybody get 15, 15, 15, 15. Just 15 bucks a month.

[Meagan Coyle]

Sold. Give it a [e-mail] Switch. Upfront payment of $45 for three month.

[Sally French]

Plan equivalent to 15 per month.

[Meagan Coyle]

Required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of networks busy.

[Sally French]

Taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com all right, you have your luggage still missing, but you must press on. What happened next, Megan?

[Meagan Coyle]

So I'm pretty preoccupied with the wedding for the next few days. And Eddie and I checked the claim online. It doesn't show any updates. So after the wedding, I move cities going to Cinque Terre and we call the airline again and they say they still can't find it. And so days and days go on. And now it's like I'm really starting to miss the things that are in that checked bag. Things like my raincoat, like a sweater, my running shoes. I didn't want to go all the way to Cinque Terre and not do the hiking. No way. I told you to do the hike. Absolutely. I was like, Sally says I should, so I have to do it. And so I had to buy like a touristy sweater and I actually had to buy a whole new pair of running shoes.

[Sally French]

Okay, how much money have you spent at this point?

[Meagan Coyle]

Oh, man. Okay, probably at that point maybe €200 or something like that.

[Sally French]

Oh, that's not bad. There are limits.

[Meagan Coyle]

So I looked up some of the limits. Air France says on its website that it'll reimburse up to €1,880. Kind of random number, but I knew I hadn't hit that yet. So I also figured that my credit card would reimburse me because a lot of travel cards offer reimbursement for delayed or lost luggage.

[Sally French]

Yes. And that is the most underrated benefit on these travel credit cards. I think a lot of people only think about travel credit cards for big spending on travel or the random perks like the lounge access. But many of these credit cards offer travel protection for trips paid for on those cards. This includes delayed or lost baggage protection. And we will post a link to some of our favorite cards that offer this in the episode description.

[Meagan Coyle]

Now, you have to be really thoughtful about which card you're using, so it's.

[Sally French]

Not better than others.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, like when I booked this particular flight, I was working on the signup bonus for the Amex Platinum. So that's what I used to pay the taxes and fees because this was an Air France flight that I bought with Flying Blue points. Okay. So now that I've had this experience, I'd really encourage listeners to familiarize yourself with the travel protections on the cards you have. Had I known that this would have happened, I would have booked with a different card.

[Sally French]

Yes. Because the Amex Platinum does not cover baggage for flights that were booked with the loyalty program's points.

[Meagan Coyle]

Megan. Yeah, I know. Did you know that, though, like, off the top of your head?

[Sally French]

I did. Only because I know that, like, Chase Sapphire Reserve is the premium and Amex has like all these little fine print things.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. It was so silly. So I was like.

[Sally French]

And then also, Megan, this is wacky. If you had booked with Amex points through Amex Travel, that would have been covered, but you booked with Flying Blue, so no go.

[Meagan Coyle]

Well, also, I got a much better deal with a Flying Blue point, so there's no way I would have booked through Amex Travel points anyways.

[Sally French]

Yes, I know. And then Amex is also double stingy because if you had paid in cash, you would have not covered it. Because Amex baggage protection only kicks in if your luggage is damaged or declared lost. But I don't think that's where the story is going.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. So Air France told me they would declare my bag lost after 21 days. And at this point in the story, it's only been about seven days since I'd lost my bag.

[Sally French]

Yeah. And it's important to note, 21 days is a long time. I mean, you were probably already back home in the US after 21 days.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, I definitely would have been back in the U.S. i also didn't want to, like, lose everything in there. You know, I didn't want them to declare it lost and then be like, oh, so that suit that was in that bag is just gone.

[Sally French]

But you could get the insurance from it.

[Meagan Coyle]

Right. But I would have preferred the suit.

[Sally French]

Okay, well, so this is where I'm going to give shout out to Chase Sapphire cards, because Chase Sapphire cards do cover baggage delay. The maximum benefit is $100 per day, and then they max this out to up to five days. So you could have gotten 500 out of that. That.

[Meagan Coyle]

Right. Now that I know that I'm booking all of my flights on my Chase Sapphire card from now on just to make sure I have that baggage delay protection.

[Sally French]

Yeah. Our recent show, we totally dunked on the Chase Sapphire Reserve changes, but I gotta say, their travel insurance is like, top tier.

[Meagan Coyle]

Absolutely.

[Sally French]

Another Thing that you could do if you don't want to have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, because we did dunk on it, is you could resort to a standalone travel insurance policy. That could have helped because typically those also offer baggage protection. We also have a bunch of resources on travel insurance on nerdballet.com and we'll link to that in the show description as well.

[Meagan Coyle]

I also want to give a quick shout out to one more resource that I learned about from one of our freelance writers. So there's this company called Blue Ribbon Bags, and they offer just standalone baggage insurance. They don't do anything else. No trip cancellation. Nothing else. And what got me interested is it's only $5 per bag.

[Sally French]

Interesting. Flat fee per bag.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, flat fee. And they'll handle all of the hassle with calling the airline, and they'll give you $1,000 if they don't get it back within five days.

[Sally French]

Yeah. And I would say that is a benefit of using a dedicated travel insurance company or maybe even a travel agent. They do a lot of the back and forth that's really the most valuable in spending all the time on the phone trees talking to the airline, saving the time and headache, not needing to do that. Could be worth just having a separate travel insurance policy.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah, and it costs money, too. Like, I literally racked up hundreds of dollars in international calling fees, like being on hold waiting for Air France to pick up. And then they say, we still haven't found your bag.

[Sally French]

So you still don't have your bag yet?

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. So after a week, they asked for some pictures of the bag, which I didn't have. So I was, like, scouring the Internet, trying to find a picture of a bag that, you know, hasn't been on sale for, like, 10 years.

[Sally French]

You're also like, it's a black ruler bag. Like, literally all black roller bags.

[Meagan Coyle]

No, actually, mine was really special. So I was really surprised when they were like, oh, we need a better description. Mine was a duffel rolling bag. So it's already kind of a different shape, and it's gray, and it has bright yellow zippers.

[Sally French]

Every bag is gray. Come on.

[Meagan Coyle]

It looks different, though. It's a duffel bag.

[Sally French]

Okay, I will say so. I do own one rolling suitcase to my name, and it is designed to look like Donald Duck. So I'm like, I got the missing Donald Duck bag.

[Meagan Coyle]

You know, honestly, I think, like, based on my calls with Air France, it didn't matter what your bag looked like. They were going to take their time with it.

[Sally French]

Okay, so did we get the bag back, yes or no?

[Meagan Coyle]

So, yes, we finally did. It was really annoying because it was day 12 of the vacation. So we've been without our bag for almost two weeks at this point.

[Sally French]

But not 21 days.

[Meagan Coyle]

Right. And again, the day before we're supposed to go to the next wedding, we get a call from Air France at like 5:30 at night. And they're like, hey, we got your bag back. We sent it to the Florence airport. And we're like, wait, what? We just left Florence. We're in Rome now. You have our whole itinerary. Like, why are you sending it to Florida? And so of course that got messed up. And they were giving me some options. They were like, we can deliver it in the Florence area, but we can't deliver it to Rome. We can't deliver it to where your next wedding is. So they were basically just like, we could ship it back to the US but at this point I lost like all trust in the airline. Right. I'm just like, no way.

[Sally French]

Like, oh, I would have said ship.

[Meagan Coyle]

It back to the U.S. no. You know, actually, since we had bought a new suit and all this other stuff, it wouldn't have fit in our carry on. It felt like we would have had to buy.

[Sally French]

Oh, so you don't want to buy another suitcase.

[Meagan Coyle]

Right? So I was like, you know what, Eddie, let's just go to Florence right now. We were in Rome, the biketracked to Florence. Yeah, the high speed train takes like less than two hours.

[Sally French]

Shadow trains.

[Meagan Coyle]

And so I was like, all right, we can catch the next train at 7.30pm we'll get to Florence at 9 and then we can take the tram to the airport. And then we basically have about half an hour there that we need to get the bag back. And then we need to hightail it back to the train station to catch the last train back to Rome.

[Sally French]

Wow, it's like the Amazing Race.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. So we literally had to be very focused. Just beeline to Luggage Lost and Found office. And we get there and they're closed. Like, the blinds are down. And I'm like, oh, no, I think I'm gonna cry. Not even fake crying. Real tears, Real crying. I'm just like, no way. I knock on the window because there's still people there and I'm like, hey, I just came all the way from Florence. Like, can I please just have my bag back? It's right there. And they're like, no, we're close. And they shut the blinds. Like they literally.

[Sally French]

Oh, my gosh, that's so mean. I thought Italians were nice.

[Meagan Coyle]

I think they all are, generally. But, yeah, this was tough. I did get some misinformation before we had left Rome that the office would be open, but it really wasn't open.

[Sally French]

This sounds like an episode of the Amazing Race. We should call Phil right now, get you on.

[Meagan Coyle]

I'm ready. I'm down. I would win this thing because I told Eddie, I was like, I'm not leaving this airport without my bag right now. We're gonna be back in our hotel in Rome tonight. So I'm. I walk around and I try and find someone else who will, like, actually listen to this whole saga. I don't tell them this whole thing, but I basically say, we've not had our bag for two weeks. It would just be easier if you gave it to me now. It's right there. I know that the customs people are still working. There's still flights coming in. Yeah. Can you please just hand it over? And so this customer service person at the airport was like. He did some calls, and then he was like, okay, yeah, I can go pick it up, so. Oh, okay, Go back, get the bag. And I'm like, okay. Pro tip is, like, if you get.

[Sally French]

Get told no once, just keep. Keep asking until you get told.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes, absolutely. Whether you're on the phone or even at the airport, just keep asking until someone will pull some strings for you.

[Sally French]

This is just like, a free life tip for anything.

[Meagan Coyle]

Yeah. And so we got our backpack, and we got this new. And we made it to the second wedding, and all's well that ends well. Yay.

[Sally French]

That's good news. Okay, so final question. Did you get reimbursed?

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes. I filed another claim once I got my bag back and I returned to the US Guests, and we put together all the receipts, me and Eddie. So they gave us back almost $2,000. It was literally everything I submitted a receipt for. It took about a month from the time I filed the claim to get the confirmation that I was getting reimbursed, but it's sitting in my bank account right now.

[Sally French]

Interesting. So they covered the cost of that cute Zara top.

[Meagan Coyle]

They did. And also the trains to go pick.

[Sally French]

Oh, even the trains.

[Meagan Coyle]

The trains to go pick up the luggage.

[Sally French]

So happy ending. Eddie got a free Italian suit out of this?

[Meagan Coyle]

Yes.

[Sally French]

Whoa. Okay, so this is not the worst. Even though you had anxiety. I had anxiety listening to this. The listeners probably also have anxiety. So let's wrap this thing up with, like, some quick tips of what people should do if they are in A similar situation.

[Meagan Coyle]

So, number one, rethink how badly you need the checked bag. I'm going to another destination wedding in Australia this year, and I'm gonna go carry on only for that.

[Sally French]

Backpack only.

[Meagan Coyle]

I don't want to deal with that.

[Sally French]

Yeah.

[Meagan Coyle]

Number two, book a nonstop flight. That'll avoid any issues with transferring the luggage on a layover. Number three, make sure you have a luggage tag, a photo of your bag from the outside, a photo of your bag from the inside, and an airtag or some type of electronic tracker.

[Sally French]

And get a crazy doddle duck bag so it's easy to spot anyway.

[Meagan Coyle]

I really don't know if that would help, but if your bag quacks, maybe that would.

[Sally French]

Okay. Okay.

[Meagan Coyle]

Next one, know your insurance policy. Will you be covered by your credit card or your travel insurance?

[Sally French]

And use the right credit car. Follow nerdwallet for the right credit card tips.

[Meagan Coyle]

Right. Consider checking a bag just on the way back. So that might mean, you know, rolling up a little duffel bag and putting it in your suitcase and only checking it on the way back. Because once you're back, then you have all your stuff. So it's not as onerous if you have to go through this process. And then my number one tip, pack your carry on bag. Like, you'll lose your checked bag.

[Sally French]

I agree. Do not put anything special. The, like, stuffies from you when you were five. Do not put that in your carry on bag. Right. Or in your checked bag. In your checked bag. Keep it with you.

[Meagan Coyle]

That's valuable. Okay. And last one, save your receipts. You'll need them. Actually, one of Eddie's photos of his receipts had his finger over the date, and they actually made us resend that one, so.

[Sally French]

Okay.

[Meagan Coyle]

I think just having all of them and taking the photos as a backup is a good idea.

[Sally French]

They're like, this guy is trying to get his suit from five years ago reimbursed.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay. I think it's time for hot takeoffs. Okay.

[Sally French]

Megan, I want to make you so mad.

[Meagan Coyle]

All right.

[Sally French]

My hot take. It is impossible to underpack.

[Meagan Coyle]

What? Okay, wait, let me think about this. It's impossible to underpack. But, like, what about if you forget your ski jacket? You have to buy a $250 ski.

[Sally French]

Jacket while you're there, Then you buy a ski jacket when you're there. You gave me so much anxiety this whole episode about, like, all your stuff and then having to, like, get on the train, amazing race style, having to buy all these new clothes, having to, like, get a suit for the wedd And I was just like, you know what? Just like, don't pack this stuff to begin with, because then you can't lose it.

[Meagan Coyle]

Okay. I think people will survive on less.

[Sally French]

That is, people will survive on less. Amen. Thank you.

[Meagan Coyle]

But do pack your suit if you're going to a wedding. I think those expensive things, it is worth packing them, right?

[Sally French]

So, like, if you are going to a wedding, you need to pack the bridesmaid dress that you are forced to wear. And then, like, you can pack a couple other outfits, but, like, just pack what you're absolutely sure you need. If you might need something, just buy it there because you risk losing it. And then you are also just carrying around so much stuff. Bags are heavy.

[Meagan Coyle]

That's true. I had to carry that bag around, like, the checked bag. Once we got it back, I was like, you know what? Maybe it was a good thing we didn't have this all over Europe. It seemed like too much.

[Sally French]

All right, well, I do have a whole other packing philosophy. It's called the ten $10 rule. And we're gonna do an entire episode on packing Better. We're gonna feature that I know me a really good bag tip. So stay tuned for a future episode to hear that.

[Meagan Coyle]

And if you've got packing tips, email [e-mail] or you can even leave us a voice memo. We might play your voice on the show also.

[Sally French]

Please follow, rate, and review the show on your favorite podcast app that includes Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio.

[Meagan Coyle]

And share this episode with your favorite travel buddies. So they pack what they're supposed to.

[Sally French]

Yes. This episode was produced by Tess Vigland, whose luggage was lost for 40 hours on the way back from Paris. I'm telling you, Paris is dangerous. But in the end, British Airways refunded the extra baggage fee. They charged her because of it, so she's not mad. Okay, that was our fun test tangent. Also, Hilary, Georgie, and Claire Sosi helped with fact checking. I don't think they've ever lost bags. And Nick karisaby mixed our audio.

[Meagan Coyle]

And here's our brief disclaimer. We're not financial or investment advisors. This info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes. Hopefully you were really entertained by this whole bag story. And I was. Entertained may not apply apply to your specific circumstances.

[Sally French]

Thank you for listening. Sticking with us. My anxiety levels are so high. Megan, we hope you're inspired to keep your passport full and your wallet even fuller. See you next episode.

[D]

No offense, but your brain is a terrible place to keep your big ideas. It belongs in the world. But you know that already. You have a calling, a voice that says this is what I'm meant to do. Create the website your big idea deserves with wix. Make it your own with top to bottom customization, AI to help realize your vision and built in business tools to turn your daydream into your dream job. WIX supports every stage of the business journey except one. Your decision to begin. Ready go to wix.com.