If your luggage arrives damaged, the DOT says, the airline will usually pay for repairs. But the airlines are protected by a federal limit on their luggage liability on domestic flights. If your luggage doesn't turn up on the baggage carousel, find an airline representative to tell. Insist, no matter what soothing words the representative may utter about the next flight in, that you be allowed to fill out a lost-baggage form and keep a copy. Get a customer-service phone number where you can follow up.
Some carriers compensate consumers after they produce receipts.
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