Being sure all possible loose ends are tied up before starting out on a much anticipated vacation is a wise thing to do. Oftentimes, it's kind of natural to bank on a belief that erring takes a back seat in a matter so close to heart. However, considering success of the pastime you are embarking on requires more than absence of own contributory negligence, being safe is a better bet. On the other hand, lower incidences of external attributes of trip misfortunes is holiday going's silver lining. So, giving a humanly aspiration the best shot it deserves is worth a try.
There are times, though, when the best of efforts are not good enough. Baggage in air carriage is a recurrent incident whose effects on a planned trip makes memories for all the wrong reasons. Public property in the care of a transporting airline is regulated by international conventions. Translated, incidents pertaining to them have a non-negotiable point of reference for settling disputes. In a nutshell, liability for damage, delay, pilferage or loss of property in air transit is limited.
The full context of international conventions and what they entail is a complex subject to broach. It suffices to say that national governments ascend to a convention and the provisions thereof become applicable to various organs including air services incorporated in the territory of the government in question. Basically, they address specific issues related to defined groups or circumstances; but the treaty status by which an international convention is implemented often puts some aspects of it on a collision course with local laws. For example, the Montreal Protocol number 4 seeks to protect economic interests of all airlines belonging to UN member states by setting an upward limit on legal obligations. To enforce it, US Laws – or any other country's for that matter – that forbid unfair compensation for legally acknowledged damages are overidden. What's more, the conventions' silence on the specifics of attaining limitation leaves airlines pretty much to their own devices. The controversy of profit-oriented entities wielding statutory powers to curb legal obligation is thus made plausible under international law.
Four such international treaties are in existence namely the Warsaw Convention of 1929, The Hague Protocol of 1955, the Guatemala Convention of 1971 and Montreal Convention of 1999, to which the US ascended in 2003.
The outcome of an executive process of settling cases of property mishandling is a moment of difficulty in as far as the commonly understood precepts of courtesy are concerned. It is not unheard of for airlines to put off honoring promises to call back to update complaint status, for example. Frequently, a faulted carrier would neither exercise due diligence in disclosing the rights of a passenger in the circumstances nor resist letting on as little as possible, if any, on limitation of liablity. The technical term is in use in the world of finance and has no relevance to the wider society. In the end, you will comply anyway, so typically there is no volunteering on filling in on what is unlikely to be asked for, especially if the topic in one way or another leaves the traveling public worse off. The likely picture to emerge from a baggage situation is that of a host hiding behind vagueness of a sanctified alien approach, something that serves to subtract from, rather than add to your special occasion.
Given the circumstances, it is a good idea for individually plausible options to incorporate preemption. As it is not practical to leave luggage home while you travel, you can at least take some steps that help to combat baggage incidents in air carriage, some of which include:
- labeling your bags outwardly and inwardly.
- using strong locks to secure the main compartments of your bag.
- avoidance of including jewellery, currency, negotiable documents, perishable, fragile corrosive or radio-active materials in your bag.
- ensuring your baggage conforms with the required standard dimensions.
- desisting from using cardboard boxes as packing materials and use footlockers instead.
- do not consider for check-in, items weighing more than 55 pounds/25 kilograms, unsecured packages or large, abnormally shaped pieces where possible.
Consequently, shipping luggage to your destination ensures you will find it waiting for you upon arrival. In particular, if you intend to include activities as part of your vacation, you can ill-afford the heightened risk of disruption by having crucial equipment and accessories going through normal baggage traffic. In addition to ensuring realization of your plans, keeping belongings out of passenger itinerary saves time by cutting airport formalities and eliminating transfer worries altogether.
The next time you plan on an occasion to remember, be sure to reduce chances forbeing held back.
Martin Wynn
