Domestic Flights
1. Handling irregular baggage transportation
(1) In the event of delays, loss, or damage to baggage during transportation, China Southern Airlines or a China Southern Airlines agent will fill out a "Baggage Transportation Accident Record" with the traveler. The situation and its cause will be investigated as quickly as possible, and the results of the investigation passed on to the traveler and relevant departments. Compensation may be arranged at the point of origin, any stopover locations, or the point of destination, if necessary.
(2) In the event that the traveler's checked baggage is not able to arrive on the same flight as the traveler due to a problem on the part of China Southern Airlines (and therefore inconveniencing the traveler's travel plans), the traveler should be provided with compensation for necessary items.
2. Baggage Compensation
(1) Responsibilities of China Southern Airlines
a. China Southern Airlines shall be liable for any delays, losses, or damage to checked baggage from the time the baggage is checked in to the time it is delivered to the traveler.
b. China Southern Airlines shall not be liable in the event that it can prove that all necessary measures to prevent delays and losses were taken, or that it was not possible to take such measures.
c. China Southern Airlines shall not be liable in the event that the damage to the checked baggage was entirely the result of force majeure, or a quality issue or defect of the baggage.
d. China Southern Airlines shall not be liable in the event of injury to the traveler or baggage caused by items packed in the checked baggage. The traveler shall compensate China Southern Airlines for all losses and pay all resultant fees incurred as a result of items packed in checked baggage causing injury to others, damage to the belongings of others, or damage to the property of China Southern Airlines.
e. If items attached to or within checked baggage as listed in Provision 9.1.4 of《General Conditions of Domestic Carriage for Passenger & Baggage Catalogue》are lost or damaged, CSN is only liable according to the limitation of damage for general checked baggage.
f. In the event of connecting transportation, China Southern Airlines shall only be liable for compensation for damage to baggage occurring on routes for which China Southern Airlines is the carrier.
(2) Compensation limits
a. The compensation amount for completely or partially damaged or lost checked baggage shall not exceed CNY 100 per kilogram. In the event that the value of the baggage is less than CNY 100 per kilogram, compensation shall be made in accordance with the actual value.
b. The weight of the lost baggage shall be calculated in accordance with the actual weight of the checked baggage. If the weight of the lost baggage cannot be determined, the maximum compensation available shall be based on the free baggage allowance allowed for each traveler.
c. In the event that baggage is damaged, compensation shall be paid according to the loss of value caused by the damage, or equal to the amount of the cost of repair. In the event that baggage is damaged, the amount of compensation awarded shall not exceed CNY 100 per kilogram, based on the weight of the baggage itself.
d. In the event of the loss of baggage caused by an event occurring when boarding or disembarking the plane, or while on the plane, China Southern Airlines shall award a maximum of CNY 3,000 per traveler in compensation.
e. Any excess baggage charges collected for the baggage to be compensated should be returned when paying compensation.
f. Baggage compensation for domestic legs of an international trip shall be awarded in accordance with the compensation regulations for international baggage transportation.
g. China Southern Airlines shall notify travelers as quickly as possible in the event that lost baggage for which compensation has been paid is subsequently discovered. Travelers must repay any compensation in full when reclaiming their baggage. However, compensation for necessary items does not need to be repaid. In the event that the traveler has obviously engaged in fraudulent activity, China Southern Airlines is entitled to recover the compensation in full.
(3) Compensation requests
In the event that a traveler's checked baggage is lost or damaged, a compensation request should be submitted to China Southern Airlines or a China Southern Airlines service agent before the expiration of the claims period. The customer's ticket or itinerary (photocopy), baggage identification tag, the "Baggage Transportation Accident Record," evidence proving the contents of the baggage and its price and any other relevant evidence should be submitted along with the request.
(4) Claims deadline
In the event that checked baggage is lost, the person with the right to make a claim should submit a written claim to China Southern Airlines upon discovering the loss. In the event that checked baggage is lost, the written claim should be submitted between seven and twenty-one days after the date on which the baggage should have been received. A Transportation Accident Record for damaged or contaminated luggage must be submitted to the carrier (or agent) before leaving the baggage reclaim area. Any claims must be submitted within seven days of the submission of the Accident Record. In the event that checked baggage is delayed, any claims must be submitted within twenty-one days from the date on which the baggage is delivered to the customer.
International Flights
1. Processing of Irregular Carriage of Baggage
(1) In the event of delay, loss or damage in the carriage of baggage, CSN and CSN’s authorized ground handling agents, along with the passenger, should fill up a Record Form of Accidents of Baggage Carriage, check out the situation and reasons, and report the results of investigation to passenger and departments concerned. If compensation for baggage happens, it can be processed at the journey’s origin, stopover or destination.
(2) In the event that the traveler's checked baggage is not able to arrive on the same flight as the traveler due to a problem on the part of China Southern Airlines (and therefore inconveniencing the traveler's travel plans), the traveler should be provided with compensation for necessary items.
2. Baggage compensation
(1) Limits of Liability
a. According to Warsaw Convention, in the event of baggage destruction, loss, damage or delay that happens during international baggage carriage, the compensation limit for each kilo is 17 special drawing rights.
According to the Montreal Convention, in the event of baggage destruction, loss, damage or delay that happens during international baggage carriage, the compensation limit for each passenger is 1288 special drawing rights.
b. In the case of flights subject to the Warsaw Convention, if the weight of the baggage is not recorded on the baggage check, it is presumed that the total weight of the checked baggage does not exceed the applicable free baggage allowance for the class of service concerned, as provided in CSN’s Regulations.
(2) Time Limitation on Claims and Actions
a. Notice of claims
- No action shall lie in the case of damage to checked baggage unless the person entitled to delivery complains to CSN forthwith after the discovery of the damage, and, at the latest, within seven working days from the date of receipt; and in the case of delay, unless the complaint is made at the latest within twenty-one working days from the date on which the baggage has been placed at his or her disposal. Every complaint must be made in writing and dispatched within the times aforesaid.
- Any claims should be raised in written form within time limit, or no compensation should be raised towards CSN.
b. Any right to damages shall be extinguished if an action is not brought within two years reckoned from the date of arrival at the destination or from the date on which the aircraft ought to have arrived, or from the date on which the carriage stopped.