Only me Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 My dd just got back from a weekend trip and the airline lost her luggage. She filed a claim but how does that work? First of all if by chance they find it will she have to go to the airport or will they get it to her? If it's truly lost how can she get reimbursed? Everything I see online says she needs receipts. She doesn't have any receipts. I doubt she even knows exactly everything that was in the suitcase. She is 24 and in a "learn the hard way" part of her life right now. She packed her eyeglasses and prescription meds in her checked luggage. I've told her before when she was younger never to do this but for some reason she did. I'm hoping she can get her doc to fill her meds tomorrow but I'm not sure if she can be reimbursed for her glasses. Any other tips? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 When my luggage was "lost" - it just got delayed and came in on the next flight after me (the next morning) - they were going to deliver directly to me an hour away, but my brother was in the city near the airport that day so I just had him pick it up. I never had to claim anything as forever lost, so I can't help you there. I hope her suitcase is found soon! If it doesn't show up, you could maybe check with your/her homeowners or renters insurance to see if they will replace eyeglasses and clothing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 we've had luggage arrive late - and it was delivered to the house. dh had lost luggage on a business trip (re: no change of clothes) - they had a specific amount they paid. don't remember what it was. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 We've had "lost" luggage many times. They delivered to the house or hotel when it was finally located, even when that meant they had to drive it 3 hours to where we were. She has the receipt for checking the bag, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 There is an extremely high probability that your DD and her luggage will be reunited. It may take several days, especially because of the Christmas holiday rush and the weather in some parts of the USA, which has caused havoc with many airline flights there in recent days. As you know, one should NEVER pack critical things like eyeglasses or prescription medicines in luggage that is checked. Sadly, your DD will need to learn from the things she did wrong and this will be a "learning experience" for her. The airline will probably deliver the lost luggage (once they have it in their system in an airport close to where you live) to your home or that of your DD. Suggestion: I am a former airline employee. If she calls the baggage service of the airline, or they call her, she MUST ALWAYS be as polite and courteous and friendly as she can possibly be. She should tell any airline employee she speaks with, "I know that you did not lose my luggage, please help me get it back". I remember going to the Baggage Claim in DFW Airport years ago. I don't remember where I'd come from (it was not an International flight), and my luggage never showed up. When I went into the Baggage office for help, the person in front of me was chewing out the airline employee who was there to try to help. When it was my turn I said, "I know you did not lose my suitcase, please help me find it". I then went to the motel near the airport where my car was parked. The next morning, when I woke up, the message light on the phone was blinking. I called the Front Desk and they told me the airline had delivered my suitcase and it was there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 (edited) Luggage is rarely actually lost, just temporarily misplaced. It will be delivered to her house. We live 2 hours from the airport; the airline arranges for luggage delivery. Usually it comes the next day. Only once did it take 4 or 5 days. Edited December 19, 2016 by regentrude 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 They'll deliver the luggage to her. By receipts, I think they just mean the receipt you are given when you check the luggage. And maybe for high ticket items that go above normal reimbursements rates. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 OP in the highly unlikely event that they do not locate her luggage, I doubt that they would reimburse her for eyeglasses or prescription medicines. I am assuming they will not pay for those items, because those are things the airlines always tell their passengers NOT to put in checked luggage. Things that are critical, like those, should be inside carry-on bags. If she had shoes and clothes in her bag they will reimburse her for those, up to the amount specified in their "Contract of Carriage" or some other place on the ticket. Hopefully, she has receipts and/or an excellent memory about what was inside the bag. SUGGESTION FOR FUTURE TRIPS: inside the luggage, place a photocopy of the airline ticket or boarding pass and contact information. Contract of Carriage. Transportation of Passengers and Baggage on flights operated by United Airlines, Inc. ... United Carriers' rights and limits on liability for delay or failure to perform service, including schedule changes, substitution of alternate air carrier or aircraft, and rerouting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 SUGGESTION FOR FUTURE TRIPS: inside the luggage, place a photocopy of the airline ticket or boarding pass and contact information. We put an index card with destination and home addresses on it, along with dates of vacation. My luggage has been lost more than once -especially notable was the time 12 of us showed up at our destination without bags. Thankfully only one person was without necessities and the bags were all delivered three days later. Give it time. The airlines are usually good about finding missing bags. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 Any time a member of our family had luggage that didn't show up, it always showed up eventually. The airlines would have it delivered to wherever the person was. Once, my dd landed in one city in Europe, and then trained over 200 miles to the next town where she was staying. The airlines delivered it to her all the way there. Someone just pulled up in a car and brought it to her at her school there! Another time, a dd had items stolen out of her suitcase during a layover in Miami under the airline's care. My dd came up with a list of everything in it, researched its value, and the airlines reimbursed her for everything. Another time, an item was damaged under the airline's care. Strangely damaged. The item had a deep scratch that ran across the entire surface. (And it was inside the suitcase and thoroughly wrapped.) For that item, she had to take pictures of it and send a receipt for what we had paid for it. (It was an expensive item.) They reimbursed her for the amount we had paid originally. That was the only item for which we needed a receipt. (We were able to get it online through the company where we had originally purchased it.) We have also turned to homeowner's insurance and credit card insurance (if the item had been paid for with a credit card that had the coverage) when items were stolen (not luggage). Not sure if they'd help cover something like lost luggage, but it's another option maybe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 My mom spent 2 weeks traveling in the middle east with no luggage... it showed up at her house 3 weeks later... This week her luggage was late but to my house by bedtime. She had 2 checked bags and split clothes between them so she and step-dad would have something to wear. Carry on anything needed immediate 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted December 20, 2016 Share Posted December 20, 2016 (edited) Dh used to travel almost weekly and once had things stolen out of his luggage. They were a weeks worth of nice dress shirts, ties, pants, winter dress coat etc. Expensive work items for us, that he had to have replaced. (vs a bunch of swim trucks and t-shirts that they would have got out of a vacation bag). Based on the specific items they took, vs what was left behind, they knew what they were looking for. We didn't have all the exact receipts, so I just found a bunch of vague clothing receipts that totaled the price of the clothes and submitted those instead. After that, we made sure to keep a file for his clothes receipts. Edited December 20, 2016 by Tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted December 20, 2016 Author Share Posted December 20, 2016 Good news! She just got it back about 20 minutes ago! Thank goodness. Thanks for the tips though 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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