kmkord

Flew OGG/DEN/ORD starting on Sunday night with my 9 & 12 year old Daughters. Flight from OGG to DEN was great. Received Easy Update that 242 from DEN to ORD was delayed 4.5 hours due to mechanical.

We decided that standby wasn't an option since there were so many on the list, and many were trying to make connections in ORD. We waited out the delay and boarded 242 to Chicago. When we arived at ORD the flight was listed on the baggage claim board, but no carousel number was listed. We finally were told that all the ORD bound luggage from 242 was put on an earlier flight. The bags were all locked in the storage cage. We had 4 bags. Three of them were in the cage. The other was missing.

Of course the missing bag was the one with all the good stuff in it. They tell me that the bag circled the carousel for 10 minutes and then disappeared. Since it was a black bag, they say someone may have mistakenly taken it, and will likely return it once they realize they have the wrong bag. There were no other bags that looked like mine still circling or in any of the baggage cages, so I'm not hopeful that someone will return my bag.

Does anyone have experience with a situation like this? I always go directly to baggage claim, and retrieve my bag right away for this very reason. I can't belive UA would just let my bag circle round and round just waiting for someone to take it. What a coincidence that they just happened to get the "money bag" of the 4 of our luiggage pieces.

What can I expect from UA in trying to recover my losses if my bag is not found? I just read on the UA website that they do not provide reimbursement for loss of jewelry. I didn't bring anything too expensive, but I had packed some "accessory" type necklaces in the $200 range. Will those be a total loss? I had also purchased two necklaces in OGG for Christmas presents for my Daughters. They were packed in this bag, as well as all the souveniers (crystal covered turtles at $65 each) that my kids purchased. Will United call this jewelry and refuse to cover it?

I had just spent about $3000 for clothes for this trip, and I have all the receipts for those, but what about all the bras, underwear, and other stuff in the bag that weren't recently puchased? A 10 day trip means a lot of that type of stuff. Not to mention that my favorite pair of jeans ever was in that bag. They can't be replaced.

Is there any additional liablility on UA for putting my bag on the carousel when I was still in Dever?

Any advice would be most appreciated.

jhayes_1780

Other then upgrades, this is probably the 2nd most popular topic.....

I stopped counting at 20:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...e-my-bags.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...t-baggage.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...essing-me.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-indiv-us.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...t-do-next.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...sponse-ua.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...gets-paid.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...lp-please.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...on-thread.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ce-please.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...mplaining.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...pensation.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...nied-help.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...age-claim.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...t-luggage.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...gage-rant.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...pensation.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ge-advice.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...xperience.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-no-stops.html

JeffS

This is all on the website which you indicate that you have read.

This is what you can expect:However, you cannot expect reimbbursement for:Because:For the new clothing and items you should be fully reimbursed For the older items, you should expect some sort of partial reimbursement since you have had some use out of them. In any event, the maximum reimbursement will not exceed $3,300.

kmkord

JHayes

I realize this is a common question. I did a search, but didn't find a similar situation. Not to mention the fact that many of those posts are from 2004 prior to the change in value compensation allowed for lost luggage.

Seems there should be additional liability since they put the bag on the carousel when they knew I was still sitting in the DEN airport waiting to take off.

Hopefully, I can get some answers here. I am in the middle of a marathon call with the baggae number where I am getting no where since they just say my bag arrived in Chicago. There is a language barrier as well.

JeffS

Normally the baggage claim agent or some other contractor will start removing bags from the carousel. Somtimes this is right as the first come on the carousel and sometimes it is after most people have retrieved their bags.

Even if they began to remove the bags towards the end of the claim process, that doesn't negate the possibility that someone else took your bag: mistakenly or on purpose.

I am assuming that they told you that the bag definetly arrived in Chicago because they can see it scanned in. If so then let's all hope your bag turns up. In the meantime as long as you have already filed the missing bag claim there is not much more to do than wait. I would not bother calling the baggage number for another 24 hours.

I am sure this is frustrating and I have experienced it myself several times. Both outbound and inbound. Outbound is the worst.

kmkord

Thanks JeffS

I'm glad this occurred on the way home!

I was told by ORD baggage yesterday that the bag definately arrived in ORD, and circled on the carousel for approximately 13 minutes. My other 3 bags were removed from the carousel by a UA employee, and put in the locked cage. My 4th bag went missing. It's good to know that they can trace the bag to the last minute since they scan the bags each time the go "behind the house". They should be able to look at the security video and see who was near the carousel in those 13 minutes. Hopefully, the quality of video is good enough to identify the person. Not that anyone will try to do so!

I'm still hopeful that someone mistakenly took the bag, and will return it.

I find it interesting that so many people on other missing bag threads are so judgmental of the value of items in others luggage. You certainly can't carry everything on now days. One of the jackets in the bag was worth $435.00. I just bought it right before the trip, and debated whether I would wear it. It sometimes gets cold in the evenings, so I decided to bring it. I never wore it. In fact, it still has the price tag attached. There was also a brand new Eileen Fisher sweater that was $228, and I didn't get to wear it.

We were gone for 10 days. Just imagine all the things you use during that time. Swimming suits at $100 each. I had 4, incluiding two that I just purchased for the trip. Coverups at at least $50 each times 4. Four pairs of nice shoes at least $100 each. Cosmetics add up too.

It's not hard to exceed the $3300, especially when you're travelling to a resort destination, and tend to purchase higher end clothing.

jmastron

Given that you have confirmation that the bag was on the carousel at ORD, I would consider filing a police report -- that might get action in pulling and reviewing any surveillance video. While it's possible for an incompetent fool to grab the wrong bag, it isn't possible that they wouldn't realize it later -- at that point it's criminal theft, pure and simple.

Reimbursement conditions can be pretty crappy, as you've noted, especially when you have to replace a less frequently used item quickly (for example, having to buy new underwear and getting reimbursed for half isn't a big deal, as I would have had to replace it at some point anyway, but I replace my suit that I wear twice a year much less often. And I wouldn't be able to find the receipts from any of my clothing).

Baze

I am confused as to how they would know your 4th bag circled on the carousel for 13 minutes. I know the baggage handlers scan it and put it on the conveyor and at some automated airports it gets scanned multiple times on the way to the carousel but once it pops out the chute they don't scan it again. It does look like the baggage office at claims was made aware and they pulled 3 of your bags off the carousel. Is there a final automatic scan as it pops out the chute onto the carousel? Maybe it fell off the conveyor just below the chute. I can believe everything you have been told except the part about it circled for 13 minutes. Is there some kind of hidden scanner counting how long a bag stays on the carousel? I doubt it. When did the baggage person pull the other 3 off? after it was certain no more would be picked up as no more customers waiting? Or were they alerted and they stood by waiting for the bags to pop out the chute. I have never seen this happen but I have seen quite often that when the last customer disappears they get the remaining bags off the carousel and put them to the side and scan them and if they know the owner is on a later flight put them in the cage. I would suspect this is what happened to the 3 bags but the 4th, who knows. Maybe someone familiar with exactly how the process works at that airport can enlighten us.

kmkord

The bag circles the carousel and then goes "behind the house" before it comes out the original starting end of the carousel. They seemed pretty certain that they knew how long the bag circled. At least that was the explanation I received. Some airports have just a circle carousel. The bags go round and round. In ORD, once they circle once, they go behind the wall and then come out again. From the explanation, it sounds like they are scanned each time they pass behind the wall.


Maybe someone who has specific knowledge on this can comment.

Joshua

Did you buy your tickets with a fancy credit card like American Express, OnePass Plus, United Visa Signature or Mileage Plus Explorer, etc.? Some of them have lost/delayed baggage reimbursement.

Baze

That would make sense. I never stopped in ORD, only transited. Most of the airports I go to they just go round and round in a circle not disappearing behind a wall.

kmkord

I did check with AMEX. They also limit the amount of coverage for jewelry to $250, but that is better than nothing for the jewelry items that were in the luggage. I'd prefer to think of them as accessories, not jewelry since they are just cosmetic, and less than $200 each. Not sure if that will fly. I do have receipts for the 4 necklaces since two of them were Chrsitmas gifts that were purchased on the trip, and the other two were recent Nordstrom purchases. Hopefully, the receipt says accessories and not jewelry!

They will cover anywhere from $500 to $1500 of non-jewelry items depending on what UA doesn't cover. They allow $500/person. Three were travelling, and all our things were mixed in all of the bags. We each had things in the missing bag. Unfortunately, most of the "good stuff" was in the missing bag.

mgaiman

Considering that much of the baggage contents were recently purchased items, you may also be able to use the Purchase Protection benefits on your card (amex, etc). Between that, lost luggage benefits, and homeowners/renter's insurance, I'd hope that you'd be able to get most of the value back on the items even before any United reimbursement.

Definitely a huge pain though!

kmkord

Amex will only cover this as a lost luggage situation. If the items had been carry on, and stolen under that scenario, they would cover them. If you turn the items over to a third party, it is covered under lost luggage, with a low limit for filing.

They will also only pay secondary to UA. I have decided not to make a master list and start getting receipts until the 72 hour window has passed. I'm still hopeful that the bag will show up.

I'm just hoping that they actually reimburse me the actual cost for the items that I just purchased. Especially since I have receipts, and several of the items were not worn on the trip, and still had tags attached.

kmkord

Got another call from UA baggage last night saying that they still haven't located the bag. They are operating under the impression that someone took it by mistake.

Wouldn't they have opened it by now?

Also, does anyone know if they give replacement value for items lost? I'd hate to get pennies on the dollar for items I just purchased for this trip.