We’ve given recommendation relating to delayed baggage and proceed to obtain messages from readers about what they need to do on the vacation spot when there is no such thing as a thought when they are going to see their checked baggage once more. Airways normally give none, little or no, mistaken, or downright incorrect recommendation on what they’re obliged to compensate in case of delayed baggage (hold these receipts!)
I’ve by no means had my baggage fully misplaced, however it as soon as took Air Canada six weeks to reunite them with me once I was on an around-the-world journey. I wrote final yr a couple of compensation expertise with one other delayed Air France baggage case that they managed to ship to Marseille once I flew to Barcelona and continued to Mexico Metropolis (learn extra right here).
My Recommendation What To Do When Baggage Is Delayed & Misplaced:
My Recommendation Relating to Delayed & Misplaced Baggage
Air France Helsinki – Paris – Tokyo Baggage
Unsure what’s going on with Air France, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and delayed luggage, as mine was left behind the opposite week once I was flying from Helsinki to Tokyo Haneda with them.
I wrote about my expertise of redeeming 4 completely different awards from completely different applications for this journey:
Award Success: 4 Enterprise Awards On Air France, ANA, Cathay Pacific & Gulf Air
The flight from Helsinki to Paris was barely delayed, and the connection would have been tight if the CDG-HND flight had been on time. The flight to Tokyo, nevertheless, was delayed, and the connecting time was greater than two hours.
Upon arriving at Haneda and making my method to the bags corridor, the Apple AirTags indicated that my luggage had been nonetheless in Paris.
There have been Swissport workers by the belt, and I requested if my baggage was on the flight and noticed my title on their listing, that means they obtained advance discover of luggage left in Paris however made no bulletins upon arrival.
They claimed that solely one of many luggage can be in Paris, however they realized this was not the case after they had been each fortunately pinging six thousand miles away.
I used to be then requested to fill out a type they might later sort into the baggage system and electronic mail me.
I mentioned no and demanded that we do the Property Irregularity Report (PIR) on the airport in order that I might be certain that the knowledge was right.
The shape that they gave was for baggage injury and pilferage.
Few others had been fortunately filling out these varieties, however we finally made our method to the Swissport’s arrival baggage desk, the place the agent took my data and made the report.
Bear in mind to concentrate that the baggage tag numbers and your data are right. You later want to make use of the file quantity to replace and monitor your bag’s whereabouts on the Worldtracer.
There was no level attempting to get united with the baggage in Tokyo, as I might be there only for 36 hours. I requested that Air France delivers the baggage to Regent Hong Kong, the place I might be for 4 nights.
The agent made a mistake and inputted Regent Hong Kong as my everlasting handle and never because the supply one (I didn’t catch it then), which doubtless delayed the supply by a few days.
I obtained an electronic mail from Air France that there had been a baggage meltdown in CDG, and plenty of luggage had been delayed.
There was quickly a notice on the file that the baggage had been placed on a flight two days later and would arrive in Tokyo on Friday once I would already be in Hong Kong.
Later, they despatched a message by the Air France app.
Hong Kong
I visited the baggage desk on the Hong Kong Airport’s arrivals corridor and spoke with Air France’s brokers concerning the baggage supply, and so they famous the knowledge.
This was on Friday, and I believed I would get the baggage on Saturday, because the Air France airplane lands so late in Haneda that there are not any fast same-day connections.
The AirTags indicated on Saturday that the baggage had arrived at Haneda, however there was no replace from Swissport about what flight they might put them to Hong Kong.
Sebastian sprung to motion and emailed the Air France and Swissports Tokyo/Haneda station managers to seek out out the baggage’ standing, and so they ensured that they might quickly be placed on a flight to Hong Kong.
This was late Sunday, and I believed that these luggage can be unlikely to be reunified with me whereas I used to be in Hong Kong, so I made a decision to replace the Worldtracer file with the supply addresses in Bangkok.
On Monday, Sebastian despatched one other electronic mail to Air France & Swissport to inquire concerning the luggage’ standing as a result of, per the AirTags, they hadn’t moved in any respect since arriving in Japan. The baggage’ standing was up to date each couple of minutes, so that they weren’t in a distant place.
Swissport then replied that they might be on a flight to Bangkok on Tuesday, solely to observe up and ask for a screenshot the place Apple indicated the baggage had been. It was apparent that they’d no thought of the baggage’ location.
I took one other screenshot, and it was despatched to Swissport Haneda.
Bangkok
Within the meantime, upon arrival, I visited the bags service desk in Suvarnabhumi’s Arrivals Corridor, and plainly the BFS (Bangkok Flight Companies) handles Air France’s delayed luggage in Bangkok. They’d a have a look at the case, and I used to be quickly on my manner.
Swissport replied a couple of hours later that the baggage can be on their method to Bangkok on Wednesday, every week later than I ought to have obtained them within the first place.
The baggage arrived in Bangkok round 5 AM.
The baggage arrived in Bangkok very early Wednesday, however it took till the afternoon earlier than their supply service bought them to the Grand Hyatt Erawan.
Nothing was lacking.
My earlier Compensation Clinic-series case with Air France and delayed baggage:
Compensation Clinic: Air France Delayed Baggage
Conclusion
Plainly Air France and Charles de Gaulle are black holes relating to checked luggage.
No less than three different folks had been on the identical flight from Helsinki to Haneda with a connection in Paris that had been lacking their luggage.
The Swissport’s agent in Haneda ought to have put Regent Hong Kong because the supply and never the everlasting handle, after which there might need been a slight probability that Air France would have seen this and despatched the baggage to Hong Kong as a substitute of Haneda.
Swissport’s operations at Haneda are chaotic. Normally, Japanese corporations and operations run very easily, however that’s not the case with this ground-handling firm.
It was fairly telling that they requested for the screenshot from Apple to see the place the baggage on the airport had been.
These Airtags are nice for monitoring your luggage’ whereabouts, and in case they’re delayed, you may get an thought of the earliest time you get unified with them. I believed that, realistically, it might be two to a few days earlier than I get the baggage, however every week?
We frequently get messages from readers who ask what they need to do in case of delayed luggage. I all the time inform them to go on with their enterprise, purchase no matter they moderately want, and later declare these bills from the airline and/or journey insurance coverage.
Final time my declare with Air France was roughly 1,200 euros that they paid with out saying a phrase. This time the bills are extra, however I may also declare 800 euros from the journey insurance coverage offered by Amex if AF doesn’t reimburse the whole lot.
However that can be a Compensation Clinic case as soon as settled and fee has been obtained.
