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ARCHIVE: Lost baggage /luggage delay, loss, damage - advice, etc. (pre-2018)

Old Aug 13, 2014, 3:03 pm
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Last edit by: JDiver
Lost baggage /luggage delay, loss, damage - advice, compensation, etc. (consolidated)


This is the archive of older posts for this subject. For the current thread, please see:

Lost baggage /luggage delay, loss, damage - advice, compensation, etc. (2015-onward)
Note: Live AA baggage tracking became available 15 Sep 2015.

Track your bags Link
September 18, 2015:

Hello, Addressee,
AAdvantage Platinum Number:

You can now follow your checked bags from check-in to carousel with your smartphone, laptop or tablet. See real-time information about your bag's status, including when your bag is checked in, on a plane or at baggage claim. All you need is your bag tag number or your record locator.

And, if your flight has Wi-Fi onboard, you can track your bags in the air for free.

Here's how to get started:
  • Go to aa.com/baggage
  • Click "Track your bags"
  • Enter your last name and bag tag # or record locator
Keep track of your bags from check-in to touchdown using your record locator or bag tag number.
NOTE: On itineraries with more than one airline, the responsible airline for lost or delayed baggage is the final carrier; that carrier's procedures may differ from AA's. In any case, most do require if you arrive at your destination and your baggage has not arrived (or has been damaged), be sure to fill out a baggage claim form prior to leaving the airport.

American Airlines: Delayed Baggage
:Baggage delayed less than 5 days
Phone: +1-800-535-5225
24 hours, 7 days a week

Baggage delayed longer than 5 days
See www.aa.com/bagstatus for further information.
American Airlines: Delayed or missing baggage:

We do our best to ensure that your checked bag travels on the same flight with you. If your bag does not arrive on your flight, our goal is to return your bag to you within 24 hours. The measures may take longer for international itineraries due to flight frequency or Customs and Immigration procedures.

Note: These procedures apply when American Airlines or American Eagle are taking you to your final destination.

If you are unable to locate your checked bag:

Notify an American Airlines/American Eagle baggage service agent prior to leaving the airport (If you purchased the American Airlines baggage delivery service provided through BAGS VIP Luggage Delivery in advance of travel, notification must be made within 12 hours of the arrival of the flight on which you traveled.)
  • You will be given a confidential file locator ID and a brochure explaining the recovery process
  • Our Baggage Service desk will contact you periodically to keep you informed of our progress in locating your bag (aspirational statement)
  • Refer to your confidential six-letter file locator (not your PNR) in all conversation and correspondence regarding your delayed bag
  • Use your last name and confidential six-letter baggage file locator (not your PNR)to check the status of your bag.Check Baggage Status
If your bag isn't located in five (5) days:
  • Central Baggage Service will take over the tracing effort
  • Fill out and return a Property Questionnaire within 30 days from the date you traveled
  • Available on the 6th day at www.aa.com/bagstatus.
  • Mailed to your permanent address within 10 days of your travel date.
  • Complete the questionnaire in its entirety including specific details such as colors, sizes, brand names and logos as well as information such as book titles, medication, electronics, gifts, souvenirs and food items
  • Retain a copy for your records
Damaged baggage:

Prompt notification of a damaged bag helps us get your property to you promptly therefore all American Airlines and American Eagle airport locations are equipped to handle the initial report, evaluation and settlement of damage claims. If your bag is damaged, please notify us:
  • In person before leaving the airport
  • At the latest, within 24 hours after you receive your bag for domestic itineraries
  • Within 7 days for international itineraries
Please notify us as soon as possible. Failure to report damage to baggage within the prescribed time limit releases American Airlines and American Eagle from any liability.
Wheels, "protuberances" etc. please see:

Notice regarding damage to wheels, handles, and other components of checked baggage

Baggage_Guidance_rev_11242015.pdf (link)

About this Document

In September 2015, the Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings (Enforcement Office) conducted extensive inspections of U.S. and foreign air carriers operations at 16 U.S. airports. The Enforcement Office found, among other things, that carriers routinely exclude from liability damage to specific parts of checked baggage, such as wheels, straps, zippers, handles, and protruding parts. Carriers often post signs indicating that they categorically refuse to compensate passengers for such items. In some instances, carrier agents also discouraged or refused to accept reports of such damage.

Link to aa.com Delayed Baggage; FAQ.

Link to aa.com LIABILITY LIMITATIONS regarding baggage - but see

USDOT reminder to airlines compensation is due for damaged wheels, straps, etc.

Link to aa.com DAMAGED BAGGAGE

Link to aa.com Delayed Baggage tracking form (need baggage claim file locator number to use)

American Airlines Conditions of Carriage (See BAGGAGE et seq., including Liability.)

Q. What can I do to help prevent or resolve baggage loss?
  • Don't place valuables in your checked baggage; such loss is generally not covered by airline policy. Some airports have higher pilferage and theft rates.
  • Have two baggage tags, affixed at different points on each bag; handles do get torn off.
  • Use a baggage belt: some have TSA-approved locks, and a belt may keep your bag from spilling contents if it becomes damaged. A bright color helps distinguish your bag from similar ones.
  • Add a pom, ribbon or other device enabling you - and others - to distinguish your bag from similar / identical bags.
  • Have identifying information and an itinerary inside your case where it will be seen if the bag is opened (which will occur if external tags are lost). Some use an itinerary tag such as this Magellan's retriever tags.
  • Have a photo or two of your bags on your smartphone to show the baggage clerk exactly what your bag looks like.
Others suggest:
  • Don't use high end luggage; fancy, famous brands and fine finishes make your bag a target of thieves.
  • Airline status tags mark your bag as belonging to a high value customer, but nobody's provided evidence that helps. Some have reported status tagged bags may be targeted for delays during industrial actions such as employee slowdowns or strikes.

Updated: 31 Dec 2015

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ARCHIVE: Lost baggage /luggage delay, loss, damage - advice, etc. (pre-2018)

Old Sep 10, 2012, 1:53 am
  #331  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2004
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Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Originally Posted by FootInMouth
AA lost my wife's bag somewhere in DFW-MIA-STT and then we took a ferry to the BVI. AA swears that they delivered it onward to Tortola but every time we ask which port in Tortola they respond with, "Huh?" BVI customs has never seen it.
I am confused. What do you mean which port?
Why would AA send it to a port, rather than to the airport or other location specified?
Rather than ask them what port they sent it, did you ask them exactly where they sent it?
mvoight is offline  
Old Sep 10, 2012, 2:23 am
  #332  
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Regarding the mishap for the flight to Quito.
How much do you expect the insurance company to reimburse?
I doubt they are going to reimburse anything for the plane tickets or boat charter. AA should reimburse you for the clothing and equipment rental.
mvoight is offline  
Old Sep 10, 2012, 7:16 am
  #333  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 616
a happy lost bag story...don't seem to happen too much!

FLL-DFW-XNA original flight DFW-XNA canceled (M80). Put on the next flight (E140). 1 bag arrives, along with a plethora of bags from the canceled flight. That bag labeled with "PAX ON BOARD". The 2nd bag did not. We were the only ones with lost bags from that flight. The bag was already scanned on the next flight. (it also had PAX ON BOARD with the other flight number, but I'll give the benefit of the doubt that they just crammed what they could on). that flight sat at DFW as XNA waited out a t-storm, and ended up diverting to FSM before arriving about 3 hours later than scheduled. Bag was delivered to the hotel around 1am. Props to XNA ground staff for arranging to have it delivered, but what a wild night Friday was!
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Old Sep 10, 2012, 2:35 pm
  #334  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: LON (mostly)
Programs: FlyingBlue Platinum Elite / BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,953
I've now received a form from AA asking for my banking details... Hooray!
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Old Sep 10, 2012, 3:03 pm
  #335  
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Originally Posted by pianoamit
I've now received a form from AA asking for my banking details... Hooray!
Why would they want that? Are they doing an electronic transfer into your checking account of some sort?
tom911 is offline  
Old Sep 10, 2012, 4:01 pm
  #336  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: LON (mostly)
Programs: FlyingBlue Platinum Elite / BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,953
Originally Posted by tom911
Why would they want that? Are they doing an electronic transfer into your checking account of some sort?
Apparently... Should I perhaps call them before sending a complete stranger my banking details?
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Old Sep 10, 2012, 4:43 pm
  #337  
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That's HIGHLY irregular. As for delayed bags while traveling internationally, that's happened about 10 times to me. Not once did the airlines involved know where the bag was. But the bag always showed up miraculously. I put ID information on the outside (actually, an unlocked outside pocket) AND the inside of the bag, including where I'm staying and relevant phone numbers. I suspect that has prevented my bags from becoming lost instead of merely delayed.
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Old Sep 10, 2012, 4:45 pm
  #338  
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Maybe pianomit, you should post your banking details here. That would be about as safe as volunteering it to a stranger over the telephone.
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Old Sep 11, 2012, 1:55 am
  #339  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: LON (mostly)
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Originally Posted by Austinrunner
Maybe pianomit, you should post your banking details here. That would be about as safe as volunteering it to a stranger over the telephone.
No - I meant phone the AA London office, and ask if the letter I received is genuine. We are, after all, only talking about the sort code and account number. These are exactly the details that I put on every invoice that I issue; it isn't possible to make any withdrawals with them, but it is impossible to make a deposit without them.

Also, the cover letter and the form both have my file locator on them, so I have reason to believe that it should be genuine.
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Old Sep 11, 2012, 2:01 am
  #340  
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If you are so sure you cannot be ripped off, why are you asking for our advice?
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Old Sep 11, 2012, 9:29 am
  #341  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: LON (mostly)
Programs: FlyingBlue Platinum Elite / BAEC Silver
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I wasn't asking for advice... I was sharing a success story, until the reply here made me doubt myself for a moment.
pianoamit is offline  
Old Sep 11, 2012, 7:26 pm
  #342  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by mvoight
Regarding the mishap for the flight to Quito.
How much do you expect the insurance company to reimburse?
I doubt they are going to reimburse anything for the plane tickets or boat charter. AA should reimburse you for the clothing and equipment rental.
The trip insurance has specific coverage for lost/delayed bags (I purchased this insurance specifically because of the nature of the trip and the (likely) chance of American losing the luggage).

I still have not heard back from the American customer service department. I sent a certified letter to the VP of customer relations last week. I am interested to see if he contacts me back.

--Mark
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Old Sep 15, 2012, 9:04 pm
  #343  
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Yesterday, my g/f and I flew NRT-DFW on AA 60. I have Global Entry and she does not, so I went ahead, got the bags and waited in baggage claim for her. I noticed two bags in a group of unclaimed bags just sitting on the floor by the belt, obviously from a previous flight. They were tagged LHR-DFW-CUN (all on AA), with big orange tags saying don't put the bags back in the passenger's hands until final destination, they are for "transfer only" in the U.S. OK, they obviously were mishandled as DFW destination bags and not transferred at DFW . They had name/address tags from a couple in the U.K., who were now missing both (or at least two) of their bags for their CUN vacation.

I went to the agent standing at the AA baggage stand, who was texting on his cell phone. I explained the situation to him, showing him (by pointing), "It's that blue one and green one next to the pink one over there by carousel 3." The agent didn't even look up from his cell phone, replying, "OK." (Yes, I have discounted the possibility that he already knew about those particular bags and was handling them. Wouldn't he have said, "Thanks, we already have them in the system and have made arrangements to get them to their destination."?)

This is AA customer service? Some people from the UK are having their Cancun vacation ruined by lost luggage, and the airline employee who can fix the problem with minimal effort, the one who actually has the bags sitting on the floor about 50 feet in front of him does nothing and appears not to care?

I fly OW carriers almost exclusively (for mileage earning purposes), with most of my flying outside the U.S. So in the U.S., AA is my carrier. I now understand why all of the times my bags have been mishandled have occurred within the U.S. and why I fly foreign carriers whenever I can. Employees who care is a critical element of a carrier's success. There's been lots of griping on FT about the deficiencies of domestic customer service compared to foreign, -- personally, I believe that a lot of it is cultural. It's something AA has to get fixed if it wants to compete and win globally.
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Old Sep 15, 2012, 9:55 pm
  #344  
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AA baggage personnel are not shining lights in the airline's firmament in most instances.
JDiver is offline  
Old Sep 27, 2012, 8:47 pm
  #345  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: AUS, LAX
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Does AA67 BCN-JFK Run Daily?

I'm getting conflicting reports from aa.com and flightstat.scom on AA67 schedule.

Long story short, yesterday (Wednesday) I flew BCN-JFK on AA67 and my bags didn't make it on the flight (no fault of mine. I connected from STR (arrived 2 hours early on AirBerlin and we arrived on time with over one hour for baggage connection. The airplanes were close to each other too). I was told my bags made it to BCN but missed getting on the flight. They said the bags would make it on AA67 today (Thursday). Now it says my bags won't arrive until Friday, and I'm getting tossed around AA's baggage and EXP system like the town whore.

When I go to AA.com Flight Stats, no flights show up for AA67 until 09-28-2012, but flightstats.com says AA67 landed on-time on 09-27-2012. One agent said AA67 was cancelled today, but I can't find any online proof of that.

Regardless, my bags are now over 24 hours delayed and by the current report will be over 48 hours delayed. Tomorrow afternoon I depart on another AA flight, so I won't be able to receive my bags.

I was told my bags would arrive at 10pm today and I'd receive a call around 830pm, to which I received no update all day.

I've been on hold and tossed around for 30 minutes thus far, and nobody knows what's going on.

So again, either AA67 isn't scheduled to run on 09-27-2012 or it was cancelled, I can't even determine that, although yesterday baggage reps at JFK and AUS both told me it'd arrive on AA67 today 09-27-2012. Unfortunately, I've got perishable goods in my suitcases as well as a wedding gift I'm supposed to depart with tomorrow. A 24-36 hour delay I can handle, but 48+ hours and considering my next trip, 96 hours is not so good. So if anyone can confirm AA67 schedule and status, please let me know.
BrianV is offline  

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