Immediate actions: file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airline desk before leaving the airport and obtain the reference number; keep boarding pass and bag tag stubs; photograph any damaged outer bags; request a written acknowledgement of the report.
Deadlines and follow-up: lodge the airport PIR the same day; submit a written claim through the airline’s online claims portal using the PIR number. For international journeys, submit documentation for non-delivery within 21 days from arrival; for damaged contents, send photographic evidence and a claim within 7 days where conventions apply.
Documentation checklist: original boarding pass, bag tags, PIR reference, itemized list of missing or damaged items (include approximate purchase dates and values), receipts for high-value items, photos of contents or damaged items, and any travel insurance policy number. Retain copies of every communication with the carrier.
Compensation and escalation: request interim reimbursement for essential purchases on trip completion if airline policy allows; file a claim with travel insurance and the card issuer used to buy tickets if coverage applies. If unsatisfied after carrier response, escalate to the national aviation authority or use arbitration channels referenced in the carrier’s contract of carriage.
Sample claim opener: “PIR number [insert], flight [airline/flight number], date [DD/MM/YYYY]. Checked baggage not delivered; attached: boarding pass, bag tags, itemized list, receipts, photos. Request status update and compensation guidance.”
Final status: Claudio Castagnoli’s checked bags
Answer: No – available reports show Claudio Castagnoli experienced delayed checked bags during transit; they were located and returned within 24 hours, with no confirmed permanent loss.
Immediate actions at the airport
- Report the incident at the airline’s baggage service office before leaving the terminal and obtain a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) number.
- Keep boarding pass, baggage claim tags and any gate-check receipts; photograph the condition of the tag and the empty carousel area.
- Ask the agent for the expected search window and an internal reference or tracking number for follow-up.
- Request contact details for the baggage desk (direct phone and email) and note office hours and next-step timelines.
Documentation, timelines and claims
- File formal airline claims online using the PIR number; many carriers require initial reporting at the airport for valid claims.
- Keep all receipts for immediate purchases (toiletries, clothing) and submit them with the claim; airlines typically reimburse reasonable emergency expenses.
- For international checked baggage, baggage is commonly declared lost after 21 days of non-delivery under applicable international rules; airline liability is limited (around 1,131 SDR – roughly $1,400–$1,600 depending on current rates).
- Retain original purchase receipts, serial numbers, product photos and any proof of value for high-value items; file insurance claims in parallel if coverage exists.
- If the carrier does not resolve the claim within the published timeframe, escalate to the airline’s customer relations and, if necessary, national aviation consumer protection authorities or a small-claims court.
Practical checklist to prevent repetition of the same problem:
- Attach a copy of itinerary and contact details inside checked suitcases and on external tags.
- Use a luggage tracker (Bluetooth/GPS) and register its serial ID with the manufacturer and the airline’s baggage system.
- Photograph packed contents and value items before travel; store copies in cloud storage and with travel insurer.
- When tight connections are expected, carry at least one change of clothes and essential medications in carry-on.
Confirming the timeline: match dates, airport records and the performer’s public posts
Assemble a single, timestamped spreadsheet linking each event appearance to travel events and social-media entries; include fields for source type, original timestamp (local and UTC), reference ID and stored-file path.
Match-date verification: pull the promotion’s official event schedule (page URL and capture time), ticket confirmations, TV taping logs or episode numbers, and any agent/booking emails. Record event start time, ring/timecard number, arena arrival window and documented pre-show activities (meet‑and‑greet times, warmup call sheets).
Airline/airport records to request and record: flight number, flight date, departure/arrival airports and scheduled vs actual times, boarding-pass scan or PNR printout, checked-bag tag numbers, Property Irregularity Report (PIR) or WorldTracer case reference, baggage-handling timestamps and final disposition note. Save PDFs or screenshots of every reply containing a case number and staff contact details.
Public-post evidence capture: for each social upload capture full-resolution media, the platform post ID, UTC creation timestamp (via platform API or post metadata), visible geotag coordinates, and any attached captions. Create forensic copies (download original files when possible); if a post is deleted, request the platform archive entry or use the Wayback Machine / archive.today snapshot with capture timestamp.
Time normalization: convert all local timestamps to UTC and list both values in the spreadsheet. Use ISO 8601 format (YYYY‑MM‑DD HH:MM:SS ±TZ) to avoid ambiguity. Add a column noting the source reliability (official document, first‑party post, third‑party report) and one for direct-reference evidence (file name or URL).
Discrepancy procedure: if airline timestamps contradict event timestamps, email the airline with the PIR/WorldTracer number and request a timestamped chain-of-custody for the specific bag tag numbers. Simultaneously request the promotion’s travel coordinator or talent manager to confirm planned gear replacements or travel deviations and to supply call-sheet entries or expense receipts proving alternate equipment use.
Preservation and escalation: keep unaltered originals of boarding passes, hotel check-in receipts and any purchase receipts for replacement items. If documentation is withheld, submit a formal written request to the carrier’s customer-relations unit and copy the regulator or national aviation consumer office; maintain a log of dates and contact names for every interaction.
Suggested concise email to airline (edit fields): “Subject: Request for PIR/WorldTracer details – PNR [XXXXX], flight [AA123] on [YYYY-MM-DD]. Please provide the PIR number, baggage tag(s), timestamps for check-in, loading and final disposition, and the assigned case handler. Attach any chain-of-custody notes. Response requested within 7 calendar days. Contact: [name, role, phone, email].”
Gathering evidence: extracting timestamps from social media posts, fan videos and photographer uploads
Immediate action
Extract native timestamps first: run exiftool, ffprobe and MediaInfo on every image and video and save DateTimeOriginal, CreateDate, ModifyDate and creation_time in ISO 8601 (UTC). Commands to copy into a terminal:
exiftool -DateTimeOriginal -CreateDate -ModifyDate -GPS* -FileName -FileModifyDate FILE.jpg
ffprobe -v quiet -show_entries format_tags=creation_time -of default=noprint_wrappers=1:nokey=1 FILE.mp4
mediainfo –Output=JSON FILE.mp4 | jq ‘.media.track[] | select(.[“@type”]==”General”) | {File_Modified_Date,Encoded_Date,Tagged_date}’
Convert all timestamps to UTC and store as epoch seconds for easy comparison: date -u -d “2020-06-22T14:35:00+02:00” +%s
Social platform extraction and verification
Capture platform-declared publish times from the page HTML or official API rather than user captions. Methods:
– Twitter/X: fetch the tweet page and parse the
– YouTube: call YouTube Data API v3: https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videos?part=snippet&id=VIDEO_ID&key=API_KEY and record snippet.publishedAt.
– Instagram: open the post HTML and extract the
– TikTok: load the video page, inspect the initial JSON payload in network tools and find createTime or publishTime.
Use curl to grab page HTML for automated parsing: curl -sL “https://platform.example/post/ID” | pup ‘time attr{datetime}’ or grep -oP ‘datetime=”K[^”]+’. Save raw JSON and the raw HTML snapshot as evidence.
For reuploaded fan footage, treat upload time as upper bound for recording time. Extract file metadata and compare to platform publish time; if metadata indicates earlier capture (DateTimeOriginal < publish), record both and flag mismatch.
When file metadata is stripped (common for social uploads), extract embedded visual timestamps or contextual clocks using OCR: export 1 fps frames with ffmpeg, then run Tesseract.
ffmpeg -i clip.mp4 -vf fps=1 frames/frame_%04d.png
tesseract frames/frame_0001.png stdout -l eng –psm 6
Look for persistent scene clues that include absolute times: airport departure boards, venue scoreboards, phone lock screens with date, meta tags in stills (e.g., GPS coordinates). For GPS from cameras: exiftool -gpslatitude -gpslongitude FILE.jpg
Check web-host headers for original upload timing and CDN clues: curl -I URL.jpg and record Date, Last-Modified, ETag, X-Cache, Age. Preserve the raw header dump as evidence.
Detect tampering: compare FileModifyDate vs DateTimeOriginal; large gaps or future dates suggest re-saving. Check recompression signatures via MediaInfo (bitrate, encoder) and run ffprobe -show_streams to detect re-encoding timestamps.
Build a source matrix (CSV) with columns: source_id, source_type (fan, photographer, platform), extracted_timestamp_UTC, method_used (exif/ffprobe/page-HTML/OCR), confidence_score (1–5), raw_evidence_path. Cross-reference fields programmatically and flag any source where timestamps differ by more than the chosen tolerance (e.g., 5 minutes).
Preserve originals: do not edit or re-save files; create SHA256 checksums for every file: sha256sum FILE > FILE.sha256
For photographic gear or weather-related notes related to the incident, catalog photographer notes and equipment metadata; include external references such as best auto open close windproof umbrella when logging gear used on-site.
Airline baggage procedures: how to file a lost-luggage report and what info to provide for a performer
File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airline baggage office immediately after discovering missing baggage and record the PIR reference, baggage tag numbers and the name of the agent who accepted the report.
Provide these exact data points in the report and any follow-up correspondence: passenger full name matching the reservation, booking reference (PNR), ticket number, flight number, date and scheduled arrival time, origin and destination airports, contact phone with international dialing code, preferred delivery address (hotel/venue/manager), baggage tag numbers (from boarding pass) and last-known carousel.
Describe each item precisely: brand, model, color, size, material, external damage marks, contents list with quantity, monetary value, serial numbers for electronics and musical instruments, case ID numbers, and visible unique identifiers (stickers, duct tape colors). Attach pre-trip photos of packed items, photos of the empty case interior, purchase receipts, warranty cards and any instrument or equipment registration documents.
For performers include: tour itinerary or manifest, stage/tech rider, promoter contact and phone, venue stage manager name, pass or credential scans, instrument insurance policy number and insurer contact, rental-house agreements (if applicable), and a list of replacement-rental contacts with rates and availability windows.
Deadlines and compensation: ensure the PIR is logged at the airport; submit a written claim via the carrier’s online form or postal address within the carrier’s published deadlines. For international carriage airlines generally treat baggage as irrecoverable after 21 days from scheduled arrival; damage claims commonly require notification within 7 days of receipt. Carrier liability under the Montreal Convention is expressed in SDRs (usually 1,288 SDRs for checked items–convert to local currency using current SDR rates); verify the carrier’s published limits and special policies for professional equipment.
Track progress using the PIR reference and airline tracing systems (WorldTracer or carrier-specific tracker), request daily status updates, demand delivery attempts and delivery proof, and escalate to the airline’s baggage resolution team if no substantive update within 48–72 hours. Retain every email, SMS and call log with timestamps for claims and potential regulatory complaints.
Packing and mitigation tips: label all cases with tour ID and clear contact details; register instrument serial numbers with manufacturers before travel; photograph packed contents and case interiors; place small components and fragile items in sealed bags such as are sainsburys freezer bags bpa free to reduce moisture transfer and retain organized inventories; carry irreplaceable items and critical electronics as carry-on wherever airline policy allows.
Documentation checklist to include with the claim: PIR number, PNR/ticket numbers, flight details and date, baggage tag numbers, itemized description with serial numbers and declared values, pre-trip photos, purchase receipts, instrument/equipment registrations, tour/venue contacts, insurance policy and contact, and copies of all communications with airline staff.
Immediate solutions on tour: sourcing replacement costumes, boots and match gear locally
Secure a single-show replacement outfit within 60 minutes: contact the promoter, venue stage manager and on-site wardrobe lead, then dispatch a crew member to the nearest costume-rental house or sporting-goods store with the size list below.
Actionable checklist to hand crew member who will source items: chest, waist, hips, inseam, shoulder width, thigh and calf circumference, boot length (Mondopoint or EU/UK/US), preferred material (leather, synthetic), color swatches or Pantone reference, logo artwork (PNG), time allowance for basic alterations (minutes), maximum emergency budget.
Quick sourcing order of priority: 1) costume rental shop for full-stage-ready garments; 2) sporting-goods or specialty fightwear retailer for boots, knee pads and compression gear; 3) custom embroiderer or print shop for adhesive logos/patches; 4) cobbler for last-minute boot fitting and sole repair; 5) tailor for hemming/quick seams. Use public transit or taxi with live GPS to guarantee ETA.
Supplier type | Typical turnaround | Price range (USD) | Best items to source | Notes for crew |
---|---|---|---|---|
Costume rental house | 30–90 minutes (pickup) | 50–300 | Full outfits, jackets, capes, tunics | Ask for show-clean pieces; request quick-press service if available |
Sporting-goods / fightwear shop | 15–60 minutes | 40–250 | Combat boots, wrestling boots, compression shorts, tape | Bring boot size conversion chart; test fit before leaving store |
Cobbler / shoe repair | 1–4 hours (many offer rush) | 20–120 | Resoling, last adjustments, added heel grips | Carry spare insoles and leather glue for immediate fixes |
Tailor / alteration shop | 30–120 minutes | 15–150 | Hemming, quick stitches, elastic inserts | Provide safety-pin pattern and request reinforced seams at stress points |
Print / embroidery shop | 30–180 minutes | 10–200 | Patches, iron-on decals, vinyl cut logos | Bring high-res PNGs; request matte vinyl for stage lighting |
Same-day courier / airport transfer | 60–240 minutes | 30–150 | Transport from next venue or airport | Provide flight number, baggage reference and exact pickup coordinates |
Two short message templates for immediate use:
To promoter/venue: “URGENT: wardrobe/equipment missing. Need local sourcing team. Sizes: chest __, waist __, boot UK/US __. Max emergency budget $__. Please authorize immediate purchase and taxi for pickup.”
To vendor/crew: “Pickup order: 1 pair boots (size __), 1 compression set (color __), 2 rolls athletic tape, 1 spare belt. Hold for ‘talent’ at stage door. Contact on arrival: +[local number]. Payment: company card on delivery.”
On-site repair pack to carry for all shows: 10 m gaffer tape, 2 safety-pins boxes (assorted), 1 tube flexible fabric glue, 1 sewing kit with heavy-duty thread, 2 spare insoles, heel grips, spare buckles, adhesive velcro strips, small can of black dye/marker for quick touch-ups.
Insurance and refunds: required documentation, claim steps and typical payout timelines
File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the arrival airport and submit matching documentation to both the carrier and any travel/equipment insurer within the carrier’s deadlines: 7 days for damaged checked baggage and 21 days for delayed or non-delivered checked baggage.
- Mandatory documents to attach to any claim:
- PIR reference and printed copy of the airport report.
- Boarding pass, ticket/PNR and bag-tag receipts.
- Passport or government ID showing travel dates.
- Original purchase receipts, invoices, serial numbers and warranty cards for high-value items.
- Repair estimates or replacement invoices for damaged gear.
- Receipts for emergency purchases (clothing, footwear, essential props) with clear dates.
- Signed inventory list indicating role of each item for performance, plus promoter/tour-manager statement if available.
- Police report when theft or criminal act is suspected.
- Communication log with carrier (emails, chat transcripts) and insurer claim numbers.
- Optional but helpful attachments:
- Credit-card statements proving purchase when original receipts are unavailable.
- Photos of items, packing, and damaged baggage at the airport.
- Manufacturer serial-number records for instruments/electronics.
- At airport: obtain PIR and keep photocopies; photograph the damaged bag and contents before anything is discarded.
- Within carrier deadlines: submit a written claim to the airline referencing the PIR; request written acknowledgement and a timeline for response.
- Within insurer deadlines: open a claim with the travel or specialist equipment insurer using the same package of documents; request an interim payment for emergency replacements if policy allows.
- If insurer requests additional proof, provide invoices, serial numbers and a signed declaration of ownership; keep originals and send certified copies when required.
- Track all follow-ups in a single log with dates, agent names and reference numbers; escalate to supervisor or complaints department if no substantive reply within 14–21 days.
- If carrier or insurer denies liability, request a written denial that states the reason and the appeal procedure; preserve all correspondence for dispute resolution or court.
- Payout timelines (typical):
- Airline initial response: 7–30 days; final settlement for confirmed non-delivery: commonly 21–60 days after claim acceptance.
- Travel/equipment insurer simple claims: 7–30 days from receipt of complete documentation.
- Complex or disputed claims: 30–90 days; international coordination or forensic valuation can extend this period.
- Typical payout mechanics:
- Airline liability for checked baggage is limited under the Montreal Convention (amount denominated in SDRs); convert the SDR value at the current exchange rate shown by the carrier or national authority.
- Insurers commonly apply depreciation for used items unless a scheduled/replacement-cost endorsement exists; policy declarations override standard limits.
- Per-item caps often apply (examples: $200–$1,000) unless a scheduled value was purchased in advance.
- Emergency purchase reimbursements are usually limited by daily or overall sub-limits and require receipts.
- Deductibles reduce the payable amount per policy terms; check whether deductible applies per claim or per item.
- Practical figures and expectations:
- Small claims or emergency reimbursements: expect approvals in 7–21 days when proofs are clear and amounts are modest.
- Mid-size settlements (several hundred to a few thousand USD): typical processing 21–45 days if receipts and PIR are provided.
- High-value claims requiring proof of purchase and valuations: plan for 45–90 days and provide scheduled-coverage documentation to secure replacement-cost payments.
- Performer-focused recommendations:
- Declare and schedule expensive costumes, boots and electronics on either the carrier or insurer policy before travel to avoid per-item caps.
- Carry originals of critical invoices and serial numbers in hand luggage where possible; photograph items and receipts and store backups in cloud storage accessible to the tour team.
- Use the credit card used for purchases to start claim proofs (many cards add purchase protection and extended warranty benefits).
- For emergency replacements, obtain invoices that name the buyer and describe items; include a short promoter letter confirming that the replacements were necessary for booked shows.
Legal time limits: file written carrier claims within the 7/21-day windows (damage/delay), preserve evidence and note that the Montreal Convention provides a two-year statute of limitations for bringing suit from the date the baggage should have been delivered.