Northwest Offers $25 Lost Luggage Vouchers

Northwest Airlines last week began offering travel vouchers of $25 and up to customers whose baggage is temporarily lost in transit--a program that is an industry first, it said. The exact amount varies by the price of the passenger’s airline ticket. The vouchers are sent in a packet when luggage is returned. (Federal rules allow passengers to claim up to $2,500 if luggage is permanently lost.) Northwest, the world’s fourth-largest airline, generated 224,693 “mishandled baggage” reports in 1999, or 4.81 per 1,000 passengers, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation--the fifth-lowest rate among 10 major domestic airlines. The figure includes problems with carry-ons, excess baggage charges and other complaints besides lost, damaged or delayed bags.