lamprey

Have three bags that didn't make my connection at CDG on Sunday (11 October) and AF still has no clue where they are. Their Twitter team said it is due to a broken sorter at de Gaulle and Delta said there was a weekend baggage "meltdown." At least 100 passengers on my A380 flight had the same problem. I've lost all hope that the perishable foods in those bags will still be good if/when the bags ever arrive.

Has this happened before and how long it take take to sort out? At what point does compensation come into play instead of just reimbursement for my delayed clothes/toiletries?

ShopAround

I once flew the A380 JFK-CDG and on arrival, there were at least 50 or so of us who didn't receive our checked luggage. After waiting for nearly an hour, we were told that AF misplaced one of the luggage containers and they didn't actually know if it had been loaded on the plane or was still somewhere in JFK. We were given the option of leaving and being contacted or waiting for news. I chose to wait.

The bags eventually turned up over two hours after we landed - they found the container somewhere on the airport grounds. Ironically, most of the bags in that container were tagged priority. I tried to take it in stride - I had a week in Paris, so an extra hour or so wouldn't kill me - but there were some real DYKWIA types who were taking it out on the poor front line staff trying to help.

brunos

Unfortunately technical problems do sometimes happen at airports.
CDG has been relatively free of massive technical problems (although some industrial actions can create big problems once in a while). But in case of serious technical problems (often software), bags could be delayed for a while. LHR has been subject to two massive problems in the past year that created chaos, and I was subject to one them.

Perishable goods is a risk that you are taking and they are not covered by any kind of insurance, at least not by the airline. The airline would usually reimburse you for the purchase of essentials (clothes, toiletry and medicine) that you need while your bags are delayed. Each airline has a different policy and factors such as class of travel, elite status and the length of delays play a role. AF is usually good but do not expect that you will be able to buy expensive clothing and the like. I think that DL has a policy of $50 per day of delay. BA reimbursed me for the necessary purchase of a cheap suit, shirt, tie and toiletries as this was a business trip with a five-day delay. But I was in business class and BAEC Gold (OW Emerald). In any case, the Montreal convention states that the maximum liability is around $1,500. The DOT has a higher maximum, but not sure that this applies in your case. However, this is the overall maximum liability of the airline in case of full loss, but purchase of essentials can be part of that maximum. Of course, you would need the receipts.

If you were going back home, as seems to be your case (few details given), the airline would usually not cover any purchase of essentials.

No other compensation is to be expected.

How long the delay is going to be is impossible to predict.

lamprey

Update: the bags arrived and I managed to get them in time thanks to my organization's wonderful expeditors (this happened despite of AF staff/systems having no clue or record that they were even on that flight. They didn't even notify me until 10 hours after I had the bags).

I'm very relieved that the perishables fared well even after 72 hours of transport, mainly thanks to my strategic use of dry ice and good coolers. Only lost about $20 worth of food, so not nearly as bad as it could have been.

So I shouldn't expect any compensation for a 48 hour delay in getting my bags? Only if I needed essentials or someone damaged/pilfered my stuff or they lost my bags?

shuigao

You'd have an easier time claiming from your travel insurance (if any)

bricksoft

I assume you advised the airline that you were transporting dry ice

lamprey

Yep; Delta and Air France both take up to 5.5 pounds per bag, and I just declare it when checking in and they give me an extra bag tag that says Dry Ice.