Yes, some airlines give you miles if you wait too long for your luggage at baggage claim

Airline travel can be unpredictable since flights can be delayed or canceled at any time. In these situations, many airlines have policies to accommodate or compensate customers facing travel issues. 

A viral social media post with millions of views says customers flying on Delta or Alaska airlines can receive 2,500 miles if their bag doesn’t get to baggage claim within 20 minutes.

Many commenters questioned whether this policy is real and how it works. 

THE QUESTION

Do some airlines give you miles if it takes more than 20 minutes for your luggage to get to baggage claim?

THE SOURCES

• Delta Air Lines

• Alaska Airlines

• A Southwest Airlines representative 

THE ANSWER

Yes, Delta and Alaska airlines will give you miles if it takes more than 20 minutes for your luggage to get to baggage claim. 

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WHAT WE FOUND

Both Delta and Alaska airlines will give customers miles if their luggage takes over 20 minutes to arrive at baggage claim. This 20-minute “hack” only works with these two airlines. 

While the viral social media post says to start a timer as soon as the plane lands, Delta says, “The time to baggage claim will be defined as time elapsed between aircraft door open and delivery of the bag to the baggage claim belt.” Alaska Airlines says the clock begins when the plane arrives at the gate. 

How you claim these miles depends on the airline. 

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines’ 20-minute Bag-to-Claim guarantee says “if your checked bag doesn't arrive at the carousel in 20 minutes or less after any domestic flight, you are eligible to receive 2,500 bonus miles.”

To claim miles for late bags, you must submit a request online at delta.com/bagsontime. Requests must be made within three days of the flight’s arrival and can only be made per flight, not per bag. The benefit excludes oversized or overweight luggage. 

You must be a member of Delta’s SkyMiles program at the time of travel in order to receive the miles, which the company says can take up to two weeks to appear on a customer’s account. 

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines’ 20-minute baggage guarantee provides customers with the option of receiving 2,500 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan bonus miles or a $25 voucher for use on a future Alaska Airlines flight, the company says. 

To claim the miles or voucher, customers must speak with an Alaska Airlines customer service agent in-person at the airport’s baggage office within two hours of their flight’s arrival.  International flights that require customs clearance and oversized luggage are excluded under the policy. 

The program is limited to one voucher “per qualified passenger, per flight, for one or more checked bags,” Alaska Airlines says. Miles should be accessible on a customer’s account within three days.  

Other airlines

While other major airlines don’t currently have a specific 20-minute baggage guarantee, they may have other policies to compensate passengers whose bags are late. 

A Southwest Airlines representative told VERIFY that while they don’t have a 20-minute baggage benefit program, their employees “review each customer's experience individually when assessing if a gesture of goodwill (such as Rapid Rewards points or a flight voucher) is appropriate for an inconvenience.”