In an effort to improve the quality of passenger service the airport of Rostov-on-Don introduced an international system of automated baggage tracing - World Tracer. This technology was developed by SITA in conjunction with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to search baggage which could by mistake get on another flight or to another airport. The utilization of this system will not only optimize baggage tracing, but also reduce the probability of baggage loss during air travel. Now almost 90% of international air transport companies including more than 440 airlines and 2200 airports worldwide are connected to the World Tracer system.
In case the baggage is not delivered upon arrival the passenger should present the baggage tag and describe the baggage in detail. An agent responsible for lost and found enters the information from the property irregularity report into the global database of the World Tracer system. The system matches the data in your report with the information on the baggage that comes from other airports, where unclaimed baggage was found. When the data of the lost and found baggage coincide, the baggage is repatriated as quickly as possible. Usually, the baggage shall be sent by the nearest flight.
According to the rules, there are 21 days to trace the baggage, but in practice, suitcases and bags are found much faster. If within 5 days after the report the baggage has not been found, the passenger will be asked to write a list of the items inside. This list also gets into the World Tracer database and expedites the search. If within three weeks the baggage is not found, then it is recognized as lost, and the airline will reimburse losses to the passenger.