CZ/AF Baggage Incompetance: Suggestions for recourse?
Jul 12, 2016, 6:07 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 12
CZ/AF Baggage Incompetance: Suggestions for recourse?
Hi all.
Recently experienced rather catastrophic service from CZ and AF, including baggage loss, destruction and general incompetance. Any ideas to recourse would be appreciated.
- I had a China Southern flight from PEK to CDG via AMS, arriving on the 28th of July.
- Upon arrival at CDG, my baggage was not delivered. There were a few other people on the same connection that didn't have bags delivered, so I lodged the loss, confident that that bag would be promptly returned.
- The AF baggage agent assured me that the bag was at AMS, and would arrive on the next flight in two hours, and be delivered to my house.
- When the baggage didn't arrive, and the tracking site said the bag status was unknown, I called baggge services. The phone support adheres to a script, and will not deviate from this script, nor provide any assistance (they refused to let me speak to a manager)
I was told that the bag status was unknown.
- Called twice the next day: one person told me the bag was in China, the next told me it was lost.
- Called twice the next day: First person told me that bag was in AMS and would be delivered when it arrived. Second person told me the bag was probably destroyed, and was asked to fill out the inventory of the bag contents.
- Six days later, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and went to CDG, made my way to baggage services, where the agent told me that the bag had been delivered on the 28th, 1h after my arrival, and was sitting in the locker.
- When I asked why no attempt had been made to contact me, and why I had been giving conflicting information, she said: "In this world there are competant people and incompetant people".
Unfortunately, the story continues:
- Inside the bag (Waterproof, highly durable duffel style bag for motorbiking) - was my motorbike helmet.
The helmet has been completely broken: the chin protector cleaved in two, with peices of the head protection fallen out, and the whole thing squished.
- I contacted AF, who replied with a perfect loophole: the bag wasn't damaged, so there was no proof of mishandling; if the bag is pliable and doesn't break, it doesn't provide adequate protection, so therefore, no mishandling.
While the above may be true, a helmet is a certified object that adheres to strict regulations. In lateral applied forces (ie, crushing), by EU law, a helmet must resist over 630N (~64KG) of force. In impact forces (IE, dropping) - it must resist to an even higher standard.
The fact it was broken proves unequivically that the bag was submitted to excessive force.
FT, what's your take on the whole thing?
I hadn't claimed anything during the loss, due to (an obviously unfounded) confidence that the airline would do its job competantly.
Legally, do I have any recourse? What are my chances that I can claim for the helmet damage (the helmet has a value of 450EU)
Otherwise, has anyone had any luck via other means with AF? Twitter? FB?
Thanks kindly.
TL;DR: AF lost my bag, claimed it was destroyed, when it was in their possesion. Upon opening, it had been so badly mishandled it had crushed my motorcycle helmet. They refuse to acknowledge any wrong-doing.
Recently experienced rather catastrophic service from CZ and AF, including baggage loss, destruction and general incompetance. Any ideas to recourse would be appreciated.
- I had a China Southern flight from PEK to CDG via AMS, arriving on the 28th of July.
- Upon arrival at CDG, my baggage was not delivered. There were a few other people on the same connection that didn't have bags delivered, so I lodged the loss, confident that that bag would be promptly returned.
- The AF baggage agent assured me that the bag was at AMS, and would arrive on the next flight in two hours, and be delivered to my house.
- When the baggage didn't arrive, and the tracking site said the bag status was unknown, I called baggge services. The phone support adheres to a script, and will not deviate from this script, nor provide any assistance (they refused to let me speak to a manager)
I was told that the bag status was unknown.
- Called twice the next day: one person told me the bag was in China, the next told me it was lost.
- Called twice the next day: First person told me that bag was in AMS and would be delivered when it arrived. Second person told me the bag was probably destroyed, and was asked to fill out the inventory of the bag contents.
- Six days later, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and went to CDG, made my way to baggage services, where the agent told me that the bag had been delivered on the 28th, 1h after my arrival, and was sitting in the locker.
- When I asked why no attempt had been made to contact me, and why I had been giving conflicting information, she said: "In this world there are competant people and incompetant people".
Unfortunately, the story continues:
- Inside the bag (Waterproof, highly durable duffel style bag for motorbiking) - was my motorbike helmet.
The helmet has been completely broken: the chin protector cleaved in two, with peices of the head protection fallen out, and the whole thing squished.
- I contacted AF, who replied with a perfect loophole: the bag wasn't damaged, so there was no proof of mishandling; if the bag is pliable and doesn't break, it doesn't provide adequate protection, so therefore, no mishandling.
While the above may be true, a helmet is a certified object that adheres to strict regulations. In lateral applied forces (ie, crushing), by EU law, a helmet must resist over 630N (~64KG) of force. In impact forces (IE, dropping) - it must resist to an even higher standard.
The fact it was broken proves unequivically that the bag was submitted to excessive force.
FT, what's your take on the whole thing?
I hadn't claimed anything during the loss, due to (an obviously unfounded) confidence that the airline would do its job competantly.
Legally, do I have any recourse? What are my chances that I can claim for the helmet damage (the helmet has a value of 450EU)
Otherwise, has anyone had any luck via other means with AF? Twitter? FB?
Thanks kindly.
TL;DR: AF lost my bag, claimed it was destroyed, when it was in their possesion. Upon opening, it had been so badly mishandled it had crushed my motorcycle helmet. They refuse to acknowledge any wrong-doing.
