GE90-115B

Flew HKG-LHR on CX255 and then connected onto a domestic leg from LHR-TXL on BA yesterday, all flights booked under the same itinerary. We were delayed out of HKG as there was congestion over Chinese airspace, which was right in the way of the flight path to LHR. The flight landed at LHR 50 minutes late, and we had just over 90 minutes transit. Thankfully the "invitation to fasttrack airport security" pass given to us by CX was a big help. We were able to make our connection, and were subsequently opupped to Club World at the gate .

Fastforward to Berlin, we waited at TXL's baggage carousel, only to discover that our luggages did not arrive with us. We went to the "baggage service center" to file a claim. I presented the baggage identification tags issued at HKG, and the agent filed the claim, and later gave us a reference number to track our bags on worldtracer.aero. I never even knew about this online service until yesterday. I'm very surprised though that the agent at the baggage service center never scanned the identification tags, he only recorded the number on it to file the claim. I always believed that scanning the barcode on the tag would indicate to us the exact location or last known location of the bag, is that not the case?

I decided to look up the suggested connection times of Heathrow airport after getting to the hotel, and found that the minimum connection time for Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 was 90 minutes! We had over 90 minutes to connect even though our CX flight was delayed, meaning that our connection was legal, and they still messed up our bags.

Needless to say, there will be some urgent shopping at Berlin for clothes. And the fact that we had more than 90 minutes to connect at LHR makes me think that I'm eligible for compensation. Does anyone have experience with sending CX shopping receipts and receiving compensation in return for delayed luggage?

hkskyline

Did you buy travel insurance? Typically I claim the insurance company on this and it is an easy claim and no questions asked.

CrazyJ82

I think BA, as the last carrier you flew, is responsible for delivering your bag and handling compensation. I'd ask for advice on the BA board to determine what they usually do.

Also, the connection time doesn't factor into it. If your originally booked itinerary was above the MCT, which it clearly was if in the end you made the connection even with a 50 minute inbound delay, then they need to sort out getting you and your bag to the final destination no matter how much time you spend on the ground on the day.

brunos

BA is handling your claim as last airline.

They usually do not scan your bar code on worldtracer, but they enter manually the number, so that is sufficient. I remember when LHR bag system broke down last year, they had hundred of thousands of "missing" bags and it took a long time for worldtracer to have the data entered.

As you know CX and BA use different terminals at LHR, so the risk of bag misconnect is higher. Also having several airlines on the same ticket makes it a bit difficult to claim compensation as they might try to pass the bucket.

Your bag should have been delivered by now. There are six or seven BA flights LHR-TXL per day and CX255 lands early morning. If you bag just went missing for a day, I doubt that you can claim much in terms of emergency purchases. If your bag goes missing for a couple of days, then the situation will be more tricky. But both BA and CX are quite good with compensating emergency purchases. Of course, that assumes that Germany is not your home.

Guy Betsy

As others have commented, the airline that was the last carrier to your final destination is responsible for your bag. If any compensation is needed, you need to check with BA.

As airlines cannot be trusted with any sort of compensation if any, it is always good to have travel insurance.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

Airlines will, in most cases, offer an amount which you can spend to cover the purchase of emergency clothing. Different airlines have different amounts, based on their policy (which usually includes length of time for the delay, whether you are at your home port or outstation, and may be higher for premium cabins).

Some airline will advise their limit automatically (at the time you fill out the lost luggage report), others will only tell you if you ask. If you don't ask at the airport, you can contact the airline once at your hotel to ask if you are entitled, and what their limit is.

Keep all receipts up to the airline's limit, and further receipts for claiming against travel insurance (if you have it).

percysmith

CX255 2Aug departed 55 mins late so 100 pax from KA can connect.

GE90-115B

Mine was July 31st. But all is fine now, the bags got delivered to the hotel yesterday evening.

sam_goh

Does anyone have any fresh advice for what Cathay's delay compensation might be? I flew CVG->ORD->HKG->SIN in J. Bag never arrived and the baggage claims people in SIN gave me $150 SIN for the first day. It is now day 4 and no baggage. I flew here last minute for a funeral and have had to buy clothing replacements.

I return in the morning and they have yet to trace my bag and the local baggage claims folks say that my file will be forwarded to ORD to handle because that's where the bag was scanned last I don't even know where to begin - I filled out the baggage claim report but the local folks are saying that's just to help them locate the bag and not an actual claim.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Blueskyheaven

Is it riskier if you have 2 flights on 2 separate itinerary? I mean risk of delayed/lost luggage!
For example, KTM-HKG on KA & HKG-ORD on CX? Can't imagine not finding our luggage & bags from first flight and not knowing what to do when you have to catch the next flight!

Blueskyheaven

Did you have your name & address of a hotel written down somewhere on your bags? I never do it and seems like it is a smart idea!

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

No. This makes no difference at all. Provided your transit in Hong Kong isn't super long (like over 12 hours), you should ask for your bags to be through checked all the way from KTM to ORD. The KA agent will do this for you at check-in - just show the two separate tickets. This saves you having to pass through immigration, collect your bags, and then re-check in HKG.

Why do bags go missing? Variety of reasons, but often there may not be a good explanation and no one really knows why one bag makes it and another doesn't. The bag itself doesn't know whether it's on one ticket or two!

If for some reason you really want to collect your bags in HKG (and there is no reason to do so unless you have a super long transit), and if the bags don't show in HKG, don't worry. Ground staff will assist you and organise to have the bags sent to ORD and delivered, by car, to your home, free of charge. You will catch your flight to ORD as planned - no need to miss the flight.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

It doesn't hurt to write your name and address on a label inside you bag. Do not label the outside of the bag as that makes it easy for a potential burglar to see (a) you are leaving the country and (b) where you live!

If you lose your bag, you will fill out a claim form and the airlines will look for it. They will do this via the tag on the outside. Having your name and address inside will help if for some reason the tag comes off the bag (which is not an easy thing to achieve!).

Blueskyheaven

I can have my bags checked to my final destination even if I booked those 2 flights separately with 2 separate itinerary? For example, the KA with BA Avios & CX with Aadvantage miles?


Regarding my experience with delayed bags on Etihad & Gulf airlines, It happened on flight from Bharain & AUH to Nepal. You arrive but bags won't arrive. What I knew later was this happens almost every day on each of those flights. You go to a counter where a rep of those airlines would take down your name & number and any hotels you are staying at. In KTM, there is no address system so if it is not a hotel, you can't even tell them where you are staying. The first time this happened, I was suggested to wait for the next flight to arrive and check for our bags. I waited for 4 hrs and bags weren't there. Left the airport and went back for the first flight the next day and grabbed them. The next year I flew there, same thing happened. I waited for the 2nd flight and grabbed them. Spent 5 hrs at night for that. I contacted their office and received compensations for the trouble. I 'd never fly to Kathmandu from those arab countries. I did it twice because my aadvantage miles would allow to travel via those countries only somehow.

I'd fly via Singapore, HKG, BKK, Delhi, any thing except from those gulf countries.

They have very poor customer service on flights to Nepal from Bharain & AHU because at least 97% of the passengers are Nepali citizens from remote corners of Nepal returning back to their country. They are treated poorly by the airlines and they get nothing but insult and threats of arrests if they go to make complaints at the airline office. If you don't hold a Nepalese passport, they would take your complaint and would resolve it.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

Yes. As you are flying KA/CX - separate tickets, and how you purchased those tickets makes no difference.

As you approach the check-in at KTM, tell the agent you are flying to ORD on CX the same day, that you would like your bags to go all the way to ORD, and present both tickets. The agent will then find the second flight in the system and tag the bags accordingly. You should check the bag tag says HKG-ORD on it.

The agent should also be able to give you both boarding passes and lounge invites for Hong Kong. This means on arrival all you need do is clear transit security and head up to the lounge.

If for some reason the check-in agent in KTM can't give you the boarding pass for HKG-ORD, you can collect it at a Cathay transfer desk after you disemebark the aircraft. Then you head to transit security and to the lounge.