You Can Earn Free Airline Miles for Long Waits at Baggage Claim
One of the many frustrations of air travel is certainly waiting forever for your checked luggage to arrive at the baggage carousel long after you’ve arrived at your destination. There are a number of reasons why baggage claim may be delayed – from the size of the airport to bad weather – and in most cases you’ll just have to live with it.
But if you’re a Delta Airlines or Alaska Airlines passenger and it takes more than 20 minutes for your bag to get from the plane to the carousel, you could be eligible to earn 2,500 bonus miles for your trouble.
How to Get a Delta Airlines Baggage Delay Credit
If you’re flying on Delta, the clock starts when the plane door opens and stops when your luggage arrives at the baggage carousel. If any of your checked bags take longer than 20 minutes to arrive at the carousel, you can apply for a 2,500 mile credit. You must do this within three days of your arrival.
To earn bonus miles, go to delta.com/bagsontime and enter your information. You will need your SkyMiles number, departure date and city, arrival city, and travel confirmation number.
Please note the fine print: you must already be a SkyMiles member at the time of your flight to be eligible to earn miles. This policy only applies to domestic flights in the 50 US states and Puerto Rico, so if you’re waiting more than 20 minutes while traveling internationally, you’re out of luck. It may take up to two weeks for the credit to be reflected in your SkyMiles balance.
How to Get an Alaska Airlines Baggage Delay Credit
If your baggage claim wait time exceeds 20 minutes after your Alaska Airlines flight arrives at the gate, you can claim either 2,500 bonus miles to put toward your Alaska Airlines mileage plan balance or a $25 discount code for a future booking. This must be done in person at the airport within two hours of your arrival, meaning you will have to go to Alaska Airlines customer service and speak with a representative.
Like Delta, Alaska has made a small point: The 20-minute guarantee only applies to flights operated by Alaska, Horizon and SkyWest, which do not require customs clearance, and oversized checked baggage delivered to a separate carousel is excluded from the policy. Alaska Airlines also reserves the right to void the guarantee in the event of bad weather or airport malfunction.