Youngmiler

Booked on United.com a Business Award Ticket CHS-ORD-PVG-BKK-CCU
(My routing to India is obviously not the quickest, but it was an award ticket)

CHS-ORD and ORD-PVG on United

PVG-BKK and BKK-CCU on Thai

Around 2AM in the morning of my departure, my phone goes off with notification from United that my CHS-ORD flight is delayed 5 hrs due to inbound crew issues. I call United and they offer to rebook me on DL flights CHS-ATL-ORD so that I can keep the rest of my itinerary.

I check my bag with Delta and the only hiccup to start is my bag can't have 5 flights on the tag, so they just put DL:ATL-ORD, UA:ORD-PVG, TG:PVG-BKK, TG:BKK-CCU.

The trip begins and I make it to ATL without a problem. However, I arrive a little late into ORD and have to run to make the flight (literally closing the gate door as I'm running up). When I land in PVG, I go to retrieve my bag and wait for 45 minutes, but my bag never shows up. At this point I have to leave the baggage area to go to the check-in for Thai Airways if I want to make my flight because I know immigration will have a line to depart PVG. On my way to the Thai Airways counter at PVG, I see the United desk has no line so I stop in for a moment to see if they can provide some insight. They make a call and inform me that my bag didn't make the ORD-PVG segment and they will arrange for my bag to reach CCU. I proceed to Thai Airways check-in counter, where they repeatedly tell me I need to give them my bag so they can check it in on the flight. I tell them it didn't make my last flight and finally they relent and let me check in. After waiting in line for departure immigration, I once again run to the gate to make my PVG-BKK flight. Finally I arrive in CCU after my BKK-CCU flight. After waiting for about an hour in CCU at the baggage carousel, I notify an Air India employee that my bag never arrived. Thai Airways didn't have anyone at the airport for the flight time, so Air India handled the process of filling out the Thai Airways report.

At this point it has been 4 days of going back and fourth between the three airlines as each is blaming the other and not a single story is lining up. Thai Airways is saying they never got the bag from United and I need to resolve the issue with United. Delta is saying they gave the bag to United and their system shows the bag making it on flight TG665. United is saying the bag was put on flight TG835 and talk with Thai Airway's so I can have it delivered. I've pretty much exhausted all options, but have yet to see any promising results that I will get my bag.

FlyingNone

Did you actually speak with Thai Airways or is the information you have just being given to you by United and Delta ?

Jaimito Cartero

The last airline is the one responsible for it, even if a previous airline mishandled it.

exerda

It's TG's responsibility at this point, regardless.

Youngmiler

Yes I have spoken with Thai Airways daily, starting the morning of my arrival. Every time they have said they are waiting for the bag to arrive in Bangkok and the would they arrange delivery to India. After day two of no response, I emailed and twittered to Delta and United.

Delta said there systems can't confirmation information, but it was on DL1884

United said via Twitter DM: "You baggage will arrive on flight 835 at 3:02 p.m. & TG will set up the delivery."


After day four of no response, I spoke with Delta and United on the phone. Delta pretty much said the same thing except added their systems showed the bag on TG665. United said the baggage claim is with Thai and to resolve it with them, but they will continue to look into the situation.

It really appears like Thai Airways Kolkata is the issue cause every time I call they keep blaming United, PVG, BKK, and saying it United's problem to resolve which is clearly against the agreement regarding responsibility of missing bags.

Thai Airways as a whole hasn't been cooperating, as everytime I call their various CS phone numbers they are want to transfer me or just say we are waiting on United, BKK, PVG.

At 5 days I am sick of waiting because clearly nothing is happening. I also am not looking forward to the incurred expense reimbursement process for the delay as I imagine it will be as difficult as them cooperating with the missing bag.

aacharya

As others have noted, your sole recourse is with Thai. Texting/tweeting Delta/UA/etc is an exercise in frustration. Take it from someone who had bags lost on ends of a UA/TK/TK, a TG/TG/OZ and a TK/TK/UA routing. The last one had final reroute tags via Ontario Canada to somewhere else to ORD to EWR. Man, that was a mess.

But I diligently worked with final carrier. Even TK gave me $50 USD a day for expenses.

PTahCha

+1 - work with TG, and this includes the reimbursement for any items you need while waiting for the bag.

Often1

Please put out of your head all notions of fault and blame. This is solely about responsibility and that responsibility is solely TG's.

1. By IATA convention, TG is the last delivering carrier and is solely and exclusively responsible for the bag and its contents. Period. Doesn't matter if DL has the bag sitting behind the counter at ATL.

2. Stick with TG and TG alone. Nothing will gum up the WorldTracer system faster than having multiple carriers hunting at the same time. Bags get loaded on the wrong planes all the time and the fact that DL thinks that the bag went to ORD doesn't mean it didn't go elsewhere.

The vast majority of bags show up sooner or later. But, under the Montreal Convention, they are deemed lost at 21 days even if they later show up. Under that Convention, you may be entitled to a maximum of approximately $1,600 if the bag cannot be located.

Easiest is to make sure you file a claim on your travel insurance and let them sort through things with TG.

crnk

From experience, SQ in CHC was able to tag through 5 segments by doing 2 bag tags on each bag. Such a simple solution for a complex but rare issue, isn't it?
FWIW, on the outbound, CA at IAH didn't know that this could be done and only tagged me for 3 of my 4 flights (I had the 4th flight tagged by NZ on arrival in the country).

Tchiowa

I'm confused about one thing. If this is just one long 4-5 leg flight, you should be in transit in Shanghai. Why did you try to collect your bag? Why did you have to go through Immigration?

As far as the rest, as others have pointed out, the last airline (Thai) is the one responsible. If United is the one that lost it, Thai has to work with UA on your behalf.

Youngmiler

Thank you all for the information, I will put all my efforts towards Thai Airways and keep you posted.

My most recent call with Thai Airways Kolkata included the supervisor saying "They are not responsible with the bag claim because they have tried to contact United many times and have never gotten a response."

In China you have to go through arrival immigration, they give you a 24 hr transit stamp without a visa, then you pick up your bag at the carousel, go through customs. After, you head to the terminal to check-in for your departing flight, then through departure immigration.

I saw a few flights that looked like you could continue on without going through immigration and customs, but I think those are for flights that don't pick up any passengers in Shanghai, I'm not sure tho.

username

Maybe also understand the rules for delayed bag as you are probably entitled to some stuff by now.

FlyinHawaiian

I will move this to the Thai Airways Forum so the members there can offer their assistance and advice.

Best of luck to you!

FlyinHawaiian, Co-Moderator
United MileagePlus Forum

Youngmiler

Thai Airways in CCU is still persistent on saying United is the hold up in getting my bag to me. United reached out to inform me today that they are working to coordinating with Thai Airways LAX to get Thai Airways BKK to get my bag to me as the bag arrived in Bangkok several days ago and they are not sure why this situation hasn't been resolved.

Anyone had experience with delayed baggage expense reimburse that could provide some insight.

Often1

1. If you have prior authorization from the carrier for a set amount, that is easiest, as you know what you are in for.
2. Document everything. Keep receipts.
3. Don't spend on anything which you aren't prepared to absorb as you can't count on reimbursement until the cash is in the bank (your bank).
4. Keep it reasonable. You have a carry-on allowance which should allow you to travel for a goodly period of time without even looking at checked luggage, so consider that if your request is not reasonable, you are likely to get nothing or close to.

Hopefully you have some form of travel insurance, whether through a specific policy, a CC, your employer or the like. In that case, you may find a set amount per day. That may be the easiest.