DevilDawg1960

Flew JFK-DUS-ZRH Flight number 7451 in Business class JFK-DUS, they only have coach for DUS to ZRH on flight 8118. I got to Zurich but my bag did not. I should have done a search here before trying AB as there are other examples of the completely inappropriate way that AB deals with their customers with lost bags. Having flown over 2 million miles I know bags get lost or misdirected. I can deal with that. It is the complete cluster #^%$% that you get from AB when a bag is lost that is unbelievable. And they have the system set up so that you can never speak to a real person. If you call reservations they direct you to a number in Germany "that is the only group that can deal with lost baggage". Three calls with long holds and then getting cut off before speaking to anyone. Then there is the online system that sends automated reply. The part on their web site that talks about contacting them after you bag is lost for 5 days is laughable - you cannot get anyone even then.

The policy from the AM Web site is pasted below. I dare you to try to make a complaint.

My first and last AB experience. I made the silly assumption that as a member of One World they were a real airline. Clearly that is not the case. Travel AB at your own risk. Things seems great if nothing goes wrong, but if it does strap yourself down for a wild ride.

from AM Web Site:
Baggage search

If your lost baggage is not found within 5 days, please contact our Central Baggage Tracing Office which is responsible for detailed searches after 5 days:

Baggage Express GmbH
Central Baggage Tracing Office

Gartenstr. 52
12529 Schönefeld
Germany

Fax: 4930 2016 32 827
Email: [email protected]
Or fill in our contact form »
Click on the link below to find out more about your search process:
Passengers with an AB-Reference number (airberlin) »
Passengers with a HG- Reference number (NIKI) »

swiss_global

Dear DevilDawg1960,

I'm very sorry about your experience. However, it's by no means unique to
AB. I had the same experience with major *A carriers (yes, I mean LH and UA), oneworld carriers (yes, I mean IB and AY), major Skyteam carriers (yes, I mean KL) until I stopped checkin in any luggage. I travel lightly and use the - very expensive - laundry service at hotels. So far hassle free.

swiss_global

Volvic

Sorry DevilDawg1960, all European AB operated flights are economy only, not only AB8118.

fizban

@DevilDawg1960: So what happened finally with your luggage? My luggage was lost today on JFK->DUS->TXL as well. I figured flying in Business on JFK->DUS would help with the luggage not getting lost...

nxsahraw

I flew AA ORD-DUS on September 18 and connected to AB from DUS-DME on September 19. Both my bags haven't made it yet. All this Worldtracer website says is - still being traced. It's been more than 48 hrs and my hope of getting the bags is diminishing. Does anyone know what my compensation options are?

DevilDawg1960

Since fizban asked - the saga played out this way:

I never once was able to have direct contact with AB. I was in Zurich for two days and the only reponse I got from the folks at Swissport who were handling the situation was - "your baggage has not been found."

I went to the Swissport office at the airport the day that I flew on to Istanbul and gave them contact information (hotel address and telephone number as well as my cell again). After two days in Istanbul they contacted me to say that my bag had been located and would arrive that night. No bag arrived and when I contacted Swissport thay said it was on flight xxxx and arrived. You will now need to speak with the baggage handling people in Istanbul.

The baggage handling people in Istanbul said the bag never arrived and I would have to deal with Swissport who insisted the bag was sent and arrived in Istanbul and that they had closed the case. I tried to contact AB by phone and email with no success. The day that I left Istanbul to head to Munich I went to the airport early to try to talk to the baggage folks there. This was a ridiculous exercise in futility.

From Munich, and then from Frankfurt I tried repeattedly to get some a response from AB but of course heard nothing. I spent 17 days in Europe with 41 business meetings with no baggage. I did buy some clothes and other necessities in Istanbul.

When I returned to the US I tried to file a complaint and request for reimbursement for lost bag and and purchased items. I never heard anything. Three weeks after I returned I got an email from Air Berlin saying that they had foud my bag and would be sending it to RDU but I would need to go to the airport to pick it up as they had no baggage handling cotract at RDU. I responded that this was unnacpetable. I got a response that said basically "tough luck" we will inform you what flight it will be sent on and when to go to the airport.

That was the last I heard from AB. Luckily the bag had my Million Miler Tag from AA. I received a call from AA one day saying that my bag had been sitting at RDU for days and the baggage handling people contacted them because of my AA tag. AA delivered the bag to me that day.

Moral of the story - I will never fly AB unless it is the only choice. A big thanks to AA for actually getting me my bag.

I never received any compensation for the clothes and incidentals I purchased and finally decided that my sanity was worth more than the couple of hundred dollars I was out. AB won. They wore me down and I waived the white flag of surrender. They sucessfully avoided paying for what they were responsible. Remember - this was a trans-atlantic business class ticket. Buyer beware!!!!

seawolf

I checked bags once with AB and it arrived. But having read the stories of AB being non-responsive, I would agree that if you are checking bags, AVOID AB.

inpd

AB lost my bags on 09/07 on DUS->JFK.

Still haven't got them.

USAir carried me JFK->Home and have daily told me how frustrating dealing with AB is. Won't take their calls, won't reply to voice mails etc. When I called up AB they just told me to file a complain via their website which says to expect a response in 30 business days ...

inpd

Ditto with me. AB modus operandi seems to avoid paying compensation and offloading their responsibility onto other oneWorld carriers.

joey965

Scheduled to fly JFK-Berlin next spring in Business Class. Can't fit everything I need for a 13 day trip into a carryon, but after reading these posts I am scared to death to check my bag. Are the chances better on a direct flight that they won't loose my bags?

seawolf

Nonstops should be more difficult to lose a bag as AA is handling the bag at JFK.

joey965

I didn't know that AA handles the bags at JFK, so thanks for that info as it puts my mind at rest! Much appreciated.

inpd

I don't think anyone has said that the chance of losing your bag on AB is greater than any other airline, though it maybe true. The problem is that "IF" you lose your bag then they are hopeless. As you can see in this thread, they are difficult to get a hold of and not very responsive or responsible.

So I suggest, if your traveling in J why not ask if you can take two carry ons? My bags are still "missing" 2 weeks later and its difficult to replace items like suits whilst overseas.

Good luck!

joey965

Interesting thought.......I will think about taking two carryons.

seawolf

I've been asked at JFK to weight carryon even when travelling in J during check-in.