Trying to get satisfaction, through a credit card company is usually a futile move. Take our experience with American Express. We discovered, when we tried to get a $ 10,000 refund on a cruise we had to cancel because of a medical emergency. American Express said they "investigated" the case and found we had failed to notify the cruise company. There were two things wrong. First, we had a registered letter to the cruise company president notifying him of our medical emergency. Amex never contacted us so when the cruise company said we failed to notify they believed them. The second thing that went wrong(for the cruise company) was that this complainant was a former federal agent. I simply used the federal mail fraud statute and filed criminal complaint that the Justice Dept was happy to pursue. Magically we got our refund. Document everything, used registered mail and be aware of your protections under Title 18 of the U.S. Code.
1
People Ddo have to learn to travel smart too, Don't pack valuable items or electronics in a bag that you are going to check. Take your toiletries, your meds and a change of clothing in a carry on. Most of the time your checked luggage will show up, but you should be minimally prepared for the time that it doesn't show up. And don't take too much stuff and too many different outfits and too many pairs of shoes and the like. You can probably get by with much less than you realize.
We flew EL AL - BA from Tel Aviv to Glasgow via London. One bag did not make the connection. It was delivered to us the next day at our destination, a two hour drive from Glasgow. Amazing service. At Glasgow airport they took our information and gave us a phone number to call.
Year or so ago, well outside peak travel days/times, it took 45 minutes or an hour or so for our flight's bags to start showing up on DC's National Airport baggage carousel. I griped about delay to the airport and United; received $50 refund from UA. Wrapped in "This is one time, courtesy gesture, blah blah" language. But it's decades since I was Premier flyer, so sometimes a simple request works.
I recently flew from Boston to Paris via Iceland on Icelandair. When I arrived in Paris, my luggage was still in Iceland. (That's why I try to have only carry-on, but my suitcase just missed the size measurement by about 1/2 inch). We were on our way to SW France, with 2 overnight stops, so I gave instructions as to where I'd be 2 days later. Eventually it took a couple of phone calls to find out why the luggage wasn't there, and discovered it was at a postal drop in an industrial park about 45 minutes away. We eventually went there to get it 4 days after our original arrival. I had bought a few limited items at a shop at the Paris train station, but fortunately European friends we were sharing a house with had brought some clothes for me. Also, there was no baggage fee. I've registered a complaint with Icelandair, more for informing them about the situation rather than asking for any money.
Checked bags?!?!?! Why would anyone be stupid enough to do that?
Let's all just use carry-ons! We'll lengthen the process of getting through security as our multiple carry-ons are slowly inspected. Boarding the plane will take longer too. There might be a few death matches in the cramped isles as you fight others for limited overhead space. Why is someone 10 rows in front of you putting their items in the bin over your seat? Don't bother asking, you are a sucker for not belonging to their rewards program and boarding the flight earlier. You'll also end up buying all those wasteful travel-sized toiletries.
But hey, it's that or pay a minimum of $50 extra dollars for each person for a round trip and wait at the carousel for your luggage and don't expect a refund if they don't deliver your luggage.
Let's all just use carry-ons! We'll lengthen the process of getting through security as our multiple carry-ons are slowly inspected. Boarding the plane will take longer too. There might be a few death matches in the cramped isles as you fight others for limited overhead space. Why is someone 10 rows in front of you putting their items in the bin over your seat? Don't bother asking, you are a sucker for not belonging to their rewards program and boarding the flight earlier. You'll also end up buying all those wasteful travel-sized toiletries.
But hey, it's that or pay a minimum of $50 extra dollars for each person for a round trip and wait at the carousel for your luggage and don't expect a refund if they don't deliver your luggage.
5
I can easily do a week in a soft-side carry-on that fits under the seat in front of me if it must. And that used to be true on a business trip. Of course women's business wear takes less room than men's.
1
I do travel enough to maintain platinum status on United, have flown 1M+ miles on Delta hence I do consider myself a seasoned traveler. I routinely do not check the luggage because I travel light. Usually one carry on (since iPad, most of the time, I even leave the laptop at home) and garment bag. I see people checking huge bags suggestive of relocating, instead of traveling. Ironically, most of their precious belongings remain undisturbed and are deprived of fine dining, museums and sightseeing exciting places... Overabundance seems to be rather popular these times.
Of note, can somebody explain why folks park their 50K+ automobiles on the driveway while the garage serves as a storage for rubbish that is worth few hundreds bucks, at best...
Of note, can somebody explain why folks park their 50K+ automobiles on the driveway while the garage serves as a storage for rubbish that is worth few hundreds bucks, at best...
2
I hear ya!! I used to pack all kinds of "what if" stuff that was simply lugged from point A to point B. Then a Flight Attendant friend of mine explained how she packed: Plan 3 outfits that can do double duty or can be dressed up or down. Travel instantly became a lot more fun without all the "baggage" and if all else fails I ship an item home with far less hassle.
Oh yes, I totally agree about the garage being loaded with junk while the expensive car sits outside subject to the elements. I overcame separation anxiety and my car sits happily in the garage.
Oh yes, I totally agree about the garage being loaded with junk while the expensive car sits outside subject to the elements. I overcame separation anxiety and my car sits happily in the garage.
2
So simple, isn't it? Travel light and pack smart. That's al there is to it.
1
Absolutely! Pack enough clothes for 2 weeks in Italy, Switzerland and France for a family of 4 in carryons! It so funny to see a 6-year-old child struggling with a wheeled bag! And the 2-year-old? Man, those diapers fill up her carry-on just right!
And, like Langelotti says, it'll make the boarding process so much more fun.
Really, people, think before you post.
And, like Langelotti says, it'll make the boarding process so much more fun.
Really, people, think before you post.
6
If Southwest doesn't charge baggage fees for first two bags why don't the other airlines offer the same? Southwest is one of the newer airlines too.
1
Absolutely we fly Southwest WHENEVER there is a choice, and THAT is the reason. Oh. Cheaper, too.
1
A lot of those carriers go places that SW doesn't, so there isn't the same pressure, I'd imagine. I love SW and fly it whenever possible, but it doesn't get me to Europe.
And they're nicer, and care about their customers!
Interestingly, although I carry the United Explorer card, presumably entitling you to a free checked bag, I was still charged the usual $25 for a flight I "paid" for with United points, presumably because I did not charge it to this Chase-issued credit card. Regardless of my protests to both Chase and United, I ran into a brick wall. And for this I pay a $90/year fee?! I'll probably cancel the card. Thanks for the article. I'll circulate it to our Hideaways International/www.Hideaways.com travel club readers.
Why are you complaining? The card terms are very clear; you must purchase your ticket using your Chase United card to get free checked bags. If you travel on an award ticket, you don't get free checked bags just because you have this card.
2
I'd love for some of these airline executives to get in a cab and say, "Penn Station," be dropped off in the Bronx, and then hear, " Sorry, rides are non-refundable." Then I'd love for them to have their Christmas presents delivered to the wrong address and then hear, "Sorry, nonrefundable".
23
You quoted an airline spokesman: “Customer service decisions are best left to the dedicated airline employees who interact with and receive feedback from their customers every day — not government."
Sorry...what??? Using that line of argument, ANY business decision is "best left to the business to deal with -- not government." Arguments don't get more specious than that. It is precisely because airlines are taking advantage of their power over their customers here, that this bill is being considered.
Sorry...what??? Using that line of argument, ANY business decision is "best left to the business to deal with -- not government." Arguments don't get more specious than that. It is precisely because airlines are taking advantage of their power over their customers here, that this bill is being considered.
13
Actually that was not a quote from an airline spokesman,but a spokesperson for the trade group (and the trade group likely has very few staff who interact with customers).
How much time did you spend, recouping what is yours to begin with?
This episode is symbolic of businesses today. When it comes to customer satisfaction, "talk the talk" but don't " walk the walk".
Better to let the customer spend inordinate amounts of time chasing after resolution. Hopefully they'll just give up & go away. Many of us do.
This episode is symbolic of businesses today. When it comes to customer satisfaction, "talk the talk" but don't " walk the walk".
Better to let the customer spend inordinate amounts of time chasing after resolution. Hopefully they'll just give up & go away. Many of us do.
2
The elephant in the room here is that Ron and many others actually think the airlines care about anything except themselves. By "airlines" i do not mean the flight crews who have to face the angst of flyers created by airline management. By the way, can you hear airline management laughing at this article?
4
One more tool, one that gets the attention of a business: file a Better Business Bureau complaint, in the city where the airline does its main business. This is simple and can be done entirely online; work with the carrier first so you can document that contact; and don't THREATEN--actually do it. Whether successful or not, it becomes public record. And a final tool: if you are a stockholder, get a fax number for the CEO and provide details of your case, suggesting you'd be happy to speak at the Annual Meeting. If you're not a stockholder, buy one share. But beware: commonly the airline will try to settle for a percentage of the loss, it's just how they work. Don't cash the check--insist on 100% if you can back up the loss you claimed.
Pack a frozen fish in you luggage. If they delay or lose your luggage, they"ll find you.
6
The most important point is to SAVE, YOUR BAGGAGE TAGS.
Also be sure to complete the missing baggage paperwork at YOUR FINAL DESTINATION. Don't leave the Airport until this is done!
Save the missing baggage forms, boarding passes, etc.You will need the all important 6 or 7 digit airport code/airline and number for any followup.
This number will read like, CDGAC10487
Once this missing baggage number is in the Airline system, a baggage agent can look up your claim, from a computer terminal anywhere in the world.
How do I know?
My son and I recently flew to Europe for a ski trip..our skis didn't. We left Paris Airport, for Zurich after our skis were found still sitting in the departure airport. We requested the airline to forward our skis to Zurich. Problem solved we thought, skis are found. But we didn't fill out the lost baggage forms in Paris. Well in Zurich they wouldn't let us complete the lost baggage paperwork,because WE HADN'T FILLED OUT A LOST BAGGAGE REPORT AT OUR FINAL DESTINATION, which in this case, was Paris, not Zurich. Finally sorted it all out, skis arrived at Zurich Flughaven a day later.
Also be sure to complete the missing baggage paperwork at YOUR FINAL DESTINATION. Don't leave the Airport until this is done!
Save the missing baggage forms, boarding passes, etc.You will need the all important 6 or 7 digit airport code/airline and number for any followup.
This number will read like, CDGAC10487
Once this missing baggage number is in the Airline system, a baggage agent can look up your claim, from a computer terminal anywhere in the world.
How do I know?
My son and I recently flew to Europe for a ski trip..our skis didn't. We left Paris Airport, for Zurich after our skis were found still sitting in the departure airport. We requested the airline to forward our skis to Zurich. Problem solved we thought, skis are found. But we didn't fill out the lost baggage forms in Paris. Well in Zurich they wouldn't let us complete the lost baggage paperwork,because WE HADN'T FILLED OUT A LOST BAGGAGE REPORT AT OUR FINAL DESTINATION, which in this case, was Paris, not Zurich. Finally sorted it all out, skis arrived at Zurich Flughaven a day later.
2
I fly a lot. what I have seen is a new practice of sending my luggage ahead on a flight with me. Then when I get to my destination I have to go through a process; sometimes longer than waiting for the bags to get my bags. United, Southwest and American do this. It will be interesting how if these laws pass, it will effect luggage delayed or lost. Maybe I should do what a lot of people do. Show up at the gate, and have them check it for free.
If you have the time, and wish to view the US, try Amtrak long distance trains. Thirty-two inch wide seats with 300 pound free baggage allowance per seat. With roomettes and bedrooms (supplement fee required) you get doors that lock, free meals in the dining car, berths, and, depending on the route, private half or full baths. Baggage never arrives later than you do because it travels in the same car and you have access throughout the journey. (On the other hand there will be only one departure per day. On the third hand, however, arrive fifteen minutes before scheduled departure and you'll be on the train with your checked luggage.) Did I mention you get to keep your shoes on?
The major down-side is the average speed: 60 miles per hour versus 600 miles per hour.
The major down-side is the average speed: 60 miles per hour versus 600 miles per hour.
3
Another downside is the cost for all the benefits you men†ioned. I have been looing because I. too, do not want to fly--even on Southwest.
THis is all domestic airlines... I suppose international flights are a totally different matter- depending if the carrier is a domestic one (United, Delta, etc) vs. a foreign airline. Mr. Lieber- is there any recourse for international flights?
I was never one to buy insurance, especially insurance to be compensated for the failure of a company to do what they should be doing. But because of the circumstances as described by the author of this article, I feel compelled to have insurance covering me for lost or delayed baggage. Fortunately, my credit card provides me with such insurance.
Steve Solosky
www.travelingprofessor.com
Steve Solosky
www.travelingprofessor.com
2
great article. thanks for writing on such an important topic.
1
I flew a nonstop from San Diego to Boston on Alaska and they lost my luggage entirely- never to be seen again. I saw that the destination tag was correct and saw it on the carousel. It was full of important things because I was making a move. The worst of it is just how many items they will not reimburse- all the expensive things. camera, computers, optics, jewelry and more. Who is to say that it was not taken from the carousel at arrival? What an easy scam. I asked about the security cameras- and was told they had nothing to do with them. Given that all luggage has a bar code, how simple would it be to verify that the person picking up a bag has a matching bar code luggage slip with a bar code reader.. It could be a chosen option, and color tagged. It use to be to be that numbers were verified before luggage could exit- a much more time consuming process. It short it was a very painful experience with the loss of many precious things.
5
A few days ago, received an email from Citibank's credit card division with a link to a booklet about the various travel-related and benefits that go with their credit card, and several of them were travel related, including some allowance for lost baggage -- $100, I have in mind. Saved it onto Google Drive, so I could access it from my smartphone.
If you ever run into an airline employee who is dedicated to making a passenger more comfortable or taking care of his problem in a proper, friendly or efficient manner, please let me know. It's been a long time since I have encountered one. Most of them have degrees in snotty behavior.
4
You don't fly Southwest much, do you?
That's too sweeping. For some years, I was AA platinum. Many airline employees really do want to do a good job. It helps not to blame them for circumstances that they don't control. (No, this had nothing to do with my status, which most of them didn't know.)
IMO, this has nothing to do with airlines and shouldn't even require new law. If you purchase ANYTHING and don't receive it, as far as I'm concerned, it's fraud that you were charged for it and not refunded.
There should be a generic law that no fee or charge can be declared non-refundable if one doesn't receive the service. This should also fall under laws concerning implied warranties.
An airline that doesn't automatically refund such a fee when they don't deliver your luggage should be ashamed of itself. No amount of TV advertising is going to be make up for the hatred people feel for airlines in those circumstances.
There should be a generic law that no fee or charge can be declared non-refundable if one doesn't receive the service. This should also fall under laws concerning implied warranties.
An airline that doesn't automatically refund such a fee when they don't deliver your luggage should be ashamed of itself. No amount of TV advertising is going to be make up for the hatred people feel for airlines in those circumstances.
8
The issue isn't non-delivery, but late delivery. Who gets to define "late"?
An automatic refund is the key. Without that obligation, airlines will simply make it more trouble than it's worth to request a refund. Automatic refunds should also be required for premium economy and reserved seats that don't materialize. I've had multiple instances where I paid $50 or $100 for a premium economy seat, only to lose it due to missed connections. In every instance, the airline required that I go online and request for refund. The airline surely knows I was re-assigned a lesser seat on a later flight. But if only half of fliers request refunds, that's a lot of unearned money the airline keeps.
10
I'm waiting to see which airline will be the first to charge a Baggage Recovery Fee (BRF) for returning luggage that doesn't arrive on the carousel. After all, the airline incurs costs when they track down and deliver lost bags. I think we'd all agree that making shareholders bear that expense is a tragic injustice.
The BRF would be marketed as a new benefit that offers passengers expanded choice and added convenience. One could choose to pay the fee, and receive the possibility of getting their some or all of the property back at some future time, just as passengers with lost bags now enjoy for free. The fee, of course, would be non-refundable if the airline is unable to locate the bag. As with all aspects of air travel, the fee buys an unspecified probability of timely intact delivery, not a guarantee.
Alternatively one could choose to avoid the fee (and all the the subsequent hassles) by abandoning the lost bag. Any proceeds from the auction of its contents would then represent pure profit. Whichever choice the passenger makes it's a win-win situation for the airline, transferring yet another risk and cost to the passenger.
Airline executives can get away with treating passengers like self-loading cargo because there are no alternatives to squeezing into a downsized middle seat. Most of us can't paddle a kayak or swim across oceans; or we don't have time to to drive, crawl leisurely on Amtrak trains, or ride between Skid Rows on Greyhound buses. So what's one more fee?
The BRF would be marketed as a new benefit that offers passengers expanded choice and added convenience. One could choose to pay the fee, and receive the possibility of getting their some or all of the property back at some future time, just as passengers with lost bags now enjoy for free. The fee, of course, would be non-refundable if the airline is unable to locate the bag. As with all aspects of air travel, the fee buys an unspecified probability of timely intact delivery, not a guarantee.
Alternatively one could choose to avoid the fee (and all the the subsequent hassles) by abandoning the lost bag. Any proceeds from the auction of its contents would then represent pure profit. Whichever choice the passenger makes it's a win-win situation for the airline, transferring yet another risk and cost to the passenger.
Airline executives can get away with treating passengers like self-loading cargo because there are no alternatives to squeezing into a downsized middle seat. Most of us can't paddle a kayak or swim across oceans; or we don't have time to to drive, crawl leisurely on Amtrak trains, or ride between Skid Rows on Greyhound buses. So what's one more fee?
9
I am so old that I can remember when the airlines and the flying public didn't regard each other as the enemy. This specific controversy epitomizes the collision of two major forces that have developed over the past 50 years: 1) increasingly affluent and demanding consumers who feel entitled to the best service at the lowest possible cost, and 2) increasingly cut-throat airlines that are beset by complex, ever-changing economic forces and the imperatives of satisfying their stock-holders, many of whom, of course, are the same entitled consumers they are trying to squeeze with various fees. Expect it to worsen.
20
I will be surprised if the airline industry does not end up buying exactly the bill that they want from Congress. Every other industry has. Let us wait to the last minute and see before we get too hopeful on this one. The industry knows how to play the game, and even how to put up smoke screens. The travelers aren't even in the game.
30
In August 2013 my partner and I flew round trip from Zurich to Venice on AirBerlin for a 4 day trip in the middle of a grueling summer of working overseas. AirBerlin lost our one bag (we consolidated everything in one bag, and there was no baggage fee) in BOTH DIRECTIONS. Needless to say our trip was ruined. We arrived wearing autumn-weather clothes into 100' heat. All our toiletries, tampons, meds (yes, now we know that was a big mistake), were gone too. We spent what was supposed to be a brief respite running around pharmacies and underwear shops trying to make do, and spending a small fortune in the meantime. The day before we left our luggage arrived. As mentioned, it was lost on the return as well, returned 3 days later, soaking wet, AFTER my partner returned to NYC (I was working in Switzerland for another 6 wks). Seems impossible, I know. Long story (not-so) short, AirBerlin has NO customer service dept. and we were unable to speak with a person, let alone get any compensation from them. (Moral: NEVER fly AirBerlin no matter how cheap the tix are)
I had put the tickets on my CapitalOne card and we received a FULL refund from them for our trip from hell. Thanks CapitalOne!
I had put the tickets on my CapitalOne card and we received a FULL refund from them for our trip from hell. Thanks CapitalOne!
16
In several encounters with United Airlines, including two recent cases of lost luggage, I've had a modicum of success by posting a complaint on United's Facebook page. It appears that the page is monitored and one of the monitor's jobs is to respond to complaints and assist in resolution.
23
I don't think the airline industry has more than halved its loss rate over 25 years. My arithmetic shows that half of 6.24 equals 3.12, and the current figure given, 3.24 is greater than that.
It should be 6.84. I typed it wrong when moving the number from my notes. Thanks for pointing it out -- we are correcting it and apologies for the mistake.
2
Writing such a comment is definitely a cry for help.
Why is being alert and accurate a cry for help? Part of my job is research. My eye caught the error too. Articles do not not need to be perfect (whatever that means) but they need to be error free or you suspect their integrity.
1
I have avoided all of the airline fees and everything else by simply not flying since 2006. My height at 6'5" simply does not fit in coach and they started charging extra for emergency rows and aisle seats. My fantasy is to have everyone not fly for one specific week in protest of all this nonsense.
53
I am with on this. Flying has become so obnoxious that I don't anymore either. Western US has more than enough for me to do and see without flying.
10
UPS, for one, will, in general, deliver goods you would have checked with the airline to you destination more cheaply and on time.
21
Dear Your Money: another topic - how about refunds from TSA for the expensive TSA-approved locks they routinely clip, destroying suitcase zipper pulls in the process? a common problem at JFK.
25
In my experience from working at JFK, most times that a TSA locked suitcase is broken it's because an airline employee or a Customs officer needed to get into the bag for some kind of verification, and they do not have access to a TSA lock key. This applies especially if a bag arrives on a different international flight than the passenger did.
In my experience from working at JFK, most times that a TSA-locked suticase is broken it's because an airline employee or a Customs officer needed to get into the bag for some kind of verification, and they do not have access to a TSA lock key, This applies especially if a bag arrives on a different international flight than the passenger did.
Normally, I would say let the marketplace work this out through competition, but the airline industry appears to have a herding instinct where they follow the leader who is most likely to make them uniformly hated by their customers, employees, and investors, amazingly all at the same time.
I had a similar experience on Delta when they lost my baggage on an international connecting flight. (Through an error, I had been charged for my luggage because the first leg of the flight was domestic). Anyway, not only did they lose my luggage, but it took them 6 days to find it, even though, on each day, after very difficult efforts to contact them, they told me that I would have it that day. On the sixth day, I was informed that the bag had been delivered to a carrier's warehouse in a remote part of the city in which I was staying (Dear customer, your luggage is now available for pick-up at the FedEx warehouse in Elizabeth, NJ). Gee whiz, if you had told me that, I would have just paid out of pocket to have the luggage delivered to my hotel. The carrier refused to deliver it to my hotel (even if I paid for it) because "Delta had not authorized that."
But, the amazing thing: Delta refused to offer any compensation for this fiasco, or to refund the luggage fee.
Where do they find the people who run the airlines: Retired prison guards? Recent immigrants from Russia who worked for Aeroflot? Psychopaths?
I had a similar experience on Delta when they lost my baggage on an international connecting flight. (Through an error, I had been charged for my luggage because the first leg of the flight was domestic). Anyway, not only did they lose my luggage, but it took them 6 days to find it, even though, on each day, after very difficult efforts to contact them, they told me that I would have it that day. On the sixth day, I was informed that the bag had been delivered to a carrier's warehouse in a remote part of the city in which I was staying (Dear customer, your luggage is now available for pick-up at the FedEx warehouse in Elizabeth, NJ). Gee whiz, if you had told me that, I would have just paid out of pocket to have the luggage delivered to my hotel. The carrier refused to deliver it to my hotel (even if I paid for it) because "Delta had not authorized that."
But, the amazing thing: Delta refused to offer any compensation for this fiasco, or to refund the luggage fee.
Where do they find the people who run the airlines: Retired prison guards? Recent immigrants from Russia who worked for Aeroflot? Psychopaths?
72
Code1's experience with Delta mirrored our own. Delta/Air France lost my father's bag on a direct flight from Seattle to Paris. For 6 consecutive days, they insisted that the bag would arrive at our hotel in Paris within hours and that somehow it had been routed to Amsterdam. It never arrived. We went out and spent a day buying clothes for him - extraordinarily difficult for somehow confined to a wheelchair, but somehow we managed it.
We left Paris to visit friends in southwest France for several days. Upon our return, the bag had still not shown up, though Delta was still assuring us that its return was imminent.
Two days after arriving back in Seattle, my father's bag finally arrived.
What perturbed us most was not the loss of the bag, but the incessant lying and false promises by and of Delta employees.
We left Paris to visit friends in southwest France for several days. Upon our return, the bag had still not shown up, though Delta was still assuring us that its return was imminent.
Two days after arriving back in Seattle, my father's bag finally arrived.
What perturbed us most was not the loss of the bag, but the incessant lying and false promises by and of Delta employees.
2
I guess I had a different experience w Delta. Last year coming from West Palm Beach to Albany our luggage was lost. A Delta agent found us and apologized profusely. She immediately gave us a $25 voucher for each of the three pieces (which we used the next spring). The next day at around noon all three pieces were driven to our house in Rural Vermont some 75 miles away and delivered w a smile and another apology. PB
16
American Airlines lost my luggage on a Dulles to LAX flight this past December 2015. When I checked in, there was a 15-foot mountain of luggage just sitting behind the counter, and the conveyor belt was not moving. The ticketing agent was clearly frazzled, but no one was doing anything. Five hours later, I ended up waiting another 2.5 hours at the carousel, and then at the claim counter.
What frustrates me the most is that there's no way of knowing whether someone took your bag (either inadvertently or on purpose), or if the airline simply lost it in transport.
What frustrates me the most is that there's no way of knowing whether someone took your bag (either inadvertently or on purpose), or if the airline simply lost it in transport.
18
To update The Bard: 'The first thing we do, is kill all the accountants.' (And their lobbyists).
6
Why did they want to kill the lawyers? Because they were the ones standing in the way of those wanting to grab power & trample on the rights of citizens ...
Not sure accountants & lobbyists are in that category ;-)
Not sure accountants & lobbyists are in that category ;-)
1
Thank God for President Cruz! He wil do away with this budrensome regulation that denies airlines the freedom to prosper regardless of the quality of service they provide.
34
It's this bigger issue of unfettered profits at customers' expense made possible by allowing these giant airlines to merge and eliminate competition along valuable routes. We have fewer choices on who to fly where, and those flights are always packed. The airlines have less and less incentive to care about our experiences. You may not get your luggage fee returned but you can always spew a little vitriole on their facebook page. I think most of the major airlines are focusing more and more on social media and have a strong distaste for negative comments on their facebook pages...
40
The current system is fine. Coupons, small-expense reimbursements and flight credits are perfectly acceptable ways of maintaining goodwill in exceptional situations. But you cannot take good intentions and squeeze it to cash (unless you don't have much of a life, like haggling for dodgy refunds, and like music-on-hold). If we were to accept the logic of cash refunds for delayed bags, well, then, airlines ought to refund the cost of the ticket for delayed flights, right? Makes sense, but don't even think of it. They'll call airport security on you.
8
Refunds for delayed travel is not unthinkable. In Britain, Virgin Trains refunds all of your fare if your train is more than a couple hours delayed. They send you a check. No music on hold. No hassles. The airlines could learn from them.
16
@Andy
Admirable, but Virgin Trains is heavily subsidized by UK tax payers:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/10/truth-richard-brans...
Separately, just ate an orange. Tasted better than the apple yesterday. But the apple is healthier and didn't need peeling. Guess both are good.
Admirable, but Virgin Trains is heavily subsidized by UK tax payers:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/10/truth-richard-brans...
Separately, just ate an orange. Tasted better than the apple yesterday. But the apple is healthier and didn't need peeling. Guess both are good.
1
Flying Southwest is certainly no solution for a person living in the Tri-State area.
1
If you're on Long Island, there are lots of flights from Islip. At LGA, they serve Midway among 1-2 others. And they just added a bunch more destinations from Newark recently -- worth checking.
5
My wife and I Just flew Southwest from Newark to Denver and back. Both flights departed on time and arrived early.The positive was low fares and no fees for the two bags we checked. The negative was no assigned seating and the very cramped middle seats on the plane. (the problem with boarding by groups was that even though we had numbers in the 3rd of 4 groups, when we boarded the plane, passengers had their coats on the aisle seats and window seats, saving them for friends who were in the group boarding later. So to find two seats together, my wife and I had to sit in the very last row.
9
Pay $25 for Early Bird check in or set your alarm for 24 hours before your first flight to check in. Helps you get in Group A.
You can also check at the gate agent to see if you can buy A-List upgrade to A-1 to A-15.
You can also check at the gate agent to see if you can buy A-List upgrade to A-1 to A-15.
Hopefully the regulations would stipulate that the payment be refunded the same way it was made within 24 hours. Having disputed charges from a rental car agency - they charged my card within hours of returning the car, but when I emailed proof that the gas tank had been filled immediately prior to being returned, it took 6 weeks to have my credit card charges reversed.
13
Only airline I have flown on the last 20 years is Southwest. Great fares, great service, fun crews, baggage was 1 hour late once...& they go anywhere I want to go. Unfortunately, a back injury is now seriously limiting my traveling.
11
Well, you were lucky. On a short direct flight on Southwest from Orlando to Ft. Myers, my luggage went to Buffalo.
3
I've flown Southwest a few times and they've been fine. Biggest problem: it's tough to get to Europe with them.
1
DELTA is short for "Don't Expect Luggage To Arrive" or "Didn't Even Leave The Airport." My wife's luggage has been delayed on three flights in recent years - all DELTA. Arriving in Rome from New York, we were told it was still in JFK. Arriving in Minneapolis on a direct flight from San Francisco, we learned it went to JFK. On another direct flight, this time to Atlanta, her bag went somewhere else. It is probably no worse than the other carriers, but it sure is maddening.
37
Don't remember the airline, but my parents once traveled to the Caribbean with friends whose luggage did not arrive. The airline was able to tell them that their bags had gone round-trip instead to Spain -- twice -- while apparently being powerless to interrupt their travels.
United Airlines lost one of our bicycles on the way to Sri Lanka, and it took two weeks for us to find it ourselves - no thanks to United - at San Francisco International airport, mis-tagged by United personnel at the Denver check-in counter. We had to badger them to get our $200 "sports equipment special handling" fee refunded. And they STILL managed not to be able to deliver it to our hotel in Sri Lanka, necessitating an expensive van ride to the airport to retrieve it. Losers. Our travel insurance provided no compensation on a fully-depreciated bicycle, and wouldn't have anyway since we eventually recovered it.
25
Alaska Air generally is wonderful regarding baggage. While checked baggage isn't free (except for certain circumstances), they have a guarantee that the luggage will be on the carousel in 20 minutes or they give you a choice between miles or a voucher.
5
But not a refund to your credit card?
6
Delta is positioning itself to challenge Alaska's domination of West Coast routes. Alaska - as mentioned by "Christy", supra, is first rate in dealing with baggage problems; Delta - well, Delta is Delta, although I personally have had few if any problems (something to be said for elite status and flying up front, I guess).
It will be interesting to see if Delta's baggage handling gets better on those routes where it goes head to head with Alaska - or, God forbid, Alaska's sinks to meet its competition.
It will be interesting to see if Delta's baggage handling gets better on those routes where it goes head to head with Alaska - or, God forbid, Alaska's sinks to meet its competition.
2
Air Alaska will actually refund your credit card, if you ask. However, their vouchers are pretty generous and they will extended them if there are extenuating circumstances. I don't work for Air Alaska...but they are hyper professional and they apologize and don't give you attitude, which is the norm American and Delta!
Funny, I had a United flight from Portland OR to MD a year or so ago - my bag didn't arrive, because it was misplaced during the Chicago connection. As I was watching the agent check her computer to find my missing bag (it was delivered home the next day), I asked casually, "you're going to refund my checked-bag fee, aren't you?" and she immediately said, "I'm putting through the credit right now." I assumed it's always like that!
19
If you were in Europe, or flying on a European carrier, you would get 200 euros within a week as compensation. That's what happened to a friend of mine when KLM lost his bags for 24 hours on a flight from Amsterdam to Toronto. Then there are the monies these airlines have to pay you when you get bounced, etc. These bureaucratic Eurocrats - must be socialists.
93
Yes!
If you are bounced off a flight in Europe, because it is oversold, it's an automatic 600 Euro compensation .
I guess you have to be a resident of the EU to get this compensation? Not sure about that.
If you are bounced off a flight in Europe, because it is oversold, it's an automatic 600 Euro compensation .
I guess you have to be a resident of the EU to get this compensation? Not sure about that.
British Airlines lost my bags for three days. I had to buy clothes and other essentials. I received no compensation at all. Not even an apology. They did deliver the bag to my hotel, for that I was grateful.
Hmm ... not my daughter's experience at all. Flew from US via Heathrow to South Africa, and back the same way. British Air lost 2 baggage going, and one bag back - all in Heathrow. Paid extra for baggage, including box marked fragile! Box finally delivered a day late in South Africa (with spoiled goods), and got messages that 2d bag was in Heathrow, but when contacting BA numerous times, was finally told they couldn't find it. When asked for compensation we were told to contact our traveler's insurance! Had to go thru extensive process to get some from insurance. On return trip, 1 bag checked, with everything photographed & all receipts in order. Incredibly, BA lost that bag as well! Return bag showed up 2 days later, with no compensation offered. Lesson: pack lightly (all meds, electronics, etc. should be carryon), get traveler's insurance that can cover value (some credit cards offer some amount - ours was $500), and don't fly BA!
Another reason to avoid checking a bag. As if we needed one.
13
Airlines are uniformly the least friendly consumer-facing service providers in the marketplace. No reason to list their defects because all Coach travelers know them by heart. It surprises no one that they resist an actual cash refund with regard to a service you had to pay for and which they did not provide.
65
I disagree! There is every reason to list their defects, just as there is every reason for the author of this article to blast the deficiencies publicly, and to tout the policies of Southwest Airlines.
We, the millions of travelers on commercial airlines, must raise our voices. This is not getting solved by government, it must be solved by customers demanding change.
We, the millions of travelers on commercial airlines, must raise our voices. This is not getting solved by government, it must be solved by customers demanding change.
1
US airline sector constitutes a quasi oligopoly thereby protecting it from effective competition. Popular routes are dominated be one or two companies. The only near term remedy is for Congress to stop protecting the industry (US law restricts foreign ownership) and negotiate an 'Open Skies' Agreement.
20
"First, fly Southwest."
I can't agree more. I'm a wheelchair user, and Southwest is the only carrier I've encountered that works with me to ensure that I have an aisle seat in the front of the plane. Imagine the struggle of trying to get to the bathroom when you cannot walk and you've been assigned a middle seat in the middle section of the plane. Southwest is the only airline that continues to treat economy class passengers like human beings.
I can't agree more. I'm a wheelchair user, and Southwest is the only carrier I've encountered that works with me to ensure that I have an aisle seat in the front of the plane. Imagine the struggle of trying to get to the bathroom when you cannot walk and you've been assigned a middle seat in the middle section of the plane. Southwest is the only airline that continues to treat economy class passengers like human beings.
48
Thanks Michelle, there is a bunch of stuff in the bill about wheelchairs on aircraft. Click through the links for the full details if you haven't already.
6
Two observations: One, the baggage fee came into being to offset the high price of oil. It is now less than half, maybe a third of what it was at the time of the establishment of the fee. There is , therefore, no legitimate purpose in maintaining it.
The payment of a fee implies a contract. I pay you for a given service. When that service is not rendered, the contract is abrogated and the fee must be returned.
The payment of a fee implies a contract. I pay you for a given service. When that service is not rendered, the contract is abrogated and the fee must be returned.
122
I guess everybody likes to complain about something but I can't believe wanting a refund because your bags are late, much less attempting to dispute a charge for a service you did receive. That technically is fraudulent. If your doctor is late for your 2:00 appointment, you still have to pay. If your plumber is late you can't get away with not paying. As long as you get your bags this shouldn't even be a discussion. If you don't like paying baggage fees, don't fly that airline or don't bring so many bags - or drive or charter your own plane. People have become so spoiled and want the govt to jump in with new regulations every time they don't like something.
Only if they lose your bag should you even be talking refund. Since most get overcompensated for their lost belongings the baggage fee is likely minor anyway.
What a bunch of whiners.
Only if they lose your bag should you even be talking refund. Since most get overcompensated for their lost belongings the baggage fee is likely minor anyway.
What a bunch of whiners.
7
That's one way of looking at it. But if you're right, then why do the airlines offer vouchers or miles at all in these situations? They delivered the bags eventually, so they could just tell us to shut up and be happy about it. But they don't do it that way. And all sorts of companies and service providers give refunds or vouchers when they do a poor job of delivering a service. It's not clear why airlines should be any different, especially when they are charging separate fees for something that once was free.
28
Wait a minute. If you charge me for a service, you have to render that service. If you do not, it is you who is fraudulent for keeping my money and not me for requesting that you return the money I paid for your service. By the way, waiting in a doctor's office is not the same. He has not been paid yet and has not undertaken to give you service.
64
When you buy a ticket, you are purchasing a trip that takes place **at a certain time**. Airlines already are immune when act-of-god circumstances force delays or cancellations. That’s fine, if unpleasant, which is why passengers are lucky to get a meal voucher or two even if they end up stuck in an airport for 36 hours waiting out a blizzard.
But what if the airline is at fault, overbooking being the most notable example? Anyone involuntarily bumped from a flight is legally entitled to compensation. Sadly most don't realize how much they are lawfully entitled to (200% to 400% of the fare paid) and accept less. Even people voluntarily bumped do so for vouchers, acknowledgement that the airline made a mistake. In such situations, even though the airline could - and often does - still fulfill the trip at another time, said trip is no longer taking place in the agreed-upon timeframe. If that delay is not an act of god, the airline is liable. This is legally settled.
I see no reason baggage losses and/or delays should not follow the same standard. When you pay for a bag to fly with you, that bag should be expected to arrive at your location at the agreed-upon time, ostensibly when you do. And because with bag handling, it’s much harder for the airline to argue that it is not at fault (misplacing bags can’t be blamed on an act of god), airlines should be liable for compensation when the bags do not arrive on time, plain and simple.
But what if the airline is at fault, overbooking being the most notable example? Anyone involuntarily bumped from a flight is legally entitled to compensation. Sadly most don't realize how much they are lawfully entitled to (200% to 400% of the fare paid) and accept less. Even people voluntarily bumped do so for vouchers, acknowledgement that the airline made a mistake. In such situations, even though the airline could - and often does - still fulfill the trip at another time, said trip is no longer taking place in the agreed-upon timeframe. If that delay is not an act of god, the airline is liable. This is legally settled.
I see no reason baggage losses and/or delays should not follow the same standard. When you pay for a bag to fly with you, that bag should be expected to arrive at your location at the agreed-upon time, ostensibly when you do. And because with bag handling, it’s much harder for the airline to argue that it is not at fault (misplacing bags can’t be blamed on an act of god), airlines should be liable for compensation when the bags do not arrive on time, plain and simple.
75
In the past, passengers could carry with them two checked-in baggage, weighing up to 70 lb. in each, in addition to a free carry-on bag with them. The U.S. airlines eliminated this. International flights to/from the U.S. allowed the same two-baggage system, but the weight was reduced to 50 lb. in each checked in baggage.
I think, as constituents, we should ask our Senators and U.S. Representatives to restore the the original rules, instead they help the airline industry, which exploit the passengers. The government also should not approve airline mergers to maintain competition.
I think, as constituents, we should ask our Senators and U.S. Representatives to restore the the original rules, instead they help the airline industry, which exploit the passengers. The government also should not approve airline mergers to maintain competition.
32
Nothing wrong with accuracy, so say, “Our Senators and U.S. Representatives help the airline industry exploit passengers.”
3
This nickel and diming that US airlines do, has led me to take the stance that when i travel international, I try to avoid domestic airlines like the plague. Even when I am using my points, I prefer to fly one of their partners. While the rules for lost or delayed baggage may be the same , but at least the service on those airlines more than makes up for the time that they will lose my baggage.
37
Don't forget to document, document, document with names dates, times and length of conversations. I am firm but pleasant to those I interact with, recognizing that they, personally did not cause the problem and are in a position to help me find a solution. The same advice works for internet companies when service is not turned on, discounts are not applied etc etc. If all else fails, work your way up the corporate ladder. This may seem silly to most consumers but it is the dismissive tone of people working in CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I fly Southwest. Yes my luggage, filled with food (another story), took an extended detour from San Francisco by way of Denver, but every person I came in contact with, was trying to help me with my problem and not on a corporate script.
If I pay for a service, and a company has not provided that service, logic dictates a cash refund of some amount is in order. They are free to sweeten the deal with a voucher for my inconvenience.
I fly Southwest. Yes my luggage, filled with food (another story), took an extended detour from San Francisco by way of Denver, but every person I came in contact with, was trying to help me with my problem and not on a corporate script.
If I pay for a service, and a company has not provided that service, logic dictates a cash refund of some amount is in order. They are free to sweeten the deal with a voucher for my inconvenience.
43
Chase won't refund. They say it's a service, vs a good, and that they don't refund for services.
8
If anyone else has had this experience with Chase, please post about it here in the comments.
6
From the Fair credit billing act
(3) A reflection on a statement of goods or services not
accepted by the obligor or his designee or not delivered
to the obligor or his designee in accordance with the
agreement made at the time of a transaction
So you tell the Chase agent to shift you too the regulatory compliance division to report a violation of federal law.
(3) A reflection on a statement of goods or services not
accepted by the obligor or his designee or not delivered
to the obligor or his designee in accordance with the
agreement made at the time of a transaction
So you tell the Chase agent to shift you too the regulatory compliance division to report a violation of federal law.
15
He rebooked the whole flight on a different airline and asked the agent if they could find his suitcase and make sure it followed him on the new booking. The agent asked what color it was. ORANGE! They did find it!