Originally Posted by
ftwrldxplr
Anyone here have any experience with declaring 'excess valuation' on their baggage? Owing to the cost of just luggage itself, to say nothing sometimes about the contents therein, the max. compensation can woefully fall short for replacement following a loss. I requested 'excess valuation' service, awhile back, on a different carrier (AA) and the agent appeared clueless as to how to perform the task. Frankly, I don't think she wanted to be bothered by looking up the procedure that may have been (still?) rarely requested. I abandoned the effort and fortunately nothing went awry on that itinerary. I have an upcoming flight (international) on CO where I may want to do this so any experiences there would be great to hear.
Finally, how does one know which "treaty" applies to ascertain the max. compensation value? I sorely wish that the proper max. amount would be reflected when ticketing in a manner like one is advised of the precise penalties for cancellation/change per fare class. I recently had a flight to Toronto. Do I assume that the "Montreal treaty" applied simply by virtue of the fact that my travel was to Canada? Is "Warsaw" EVERYWHERE else?
I am not surprised at your experience in declaring excess valuation. I have found that agents in Europe can handle these questions very easily. I just don't know if most agents in the US know how to do it.
I found this issue out when a CO check in agent told me that the bag was over the weight limit and I had to pay extra. I told her that I wanted to declare excess valuation. It turned out it was easier for her to ignore my weight problem (that bag that is
), than to find out how to get me extra insurance.
If you really want to declare excess valuation, you have to ask for a supervisor (or a red coat if one is around). Try the agent first, but if that fails, ask for a supervisor. They'll start off by telling you that home owners insurance covers the contents of your bag. You’ll have to negotiate to give them money--it's kind of the completely opposite approach that car rental companies take!
I wonder if there is an extra revenue source here for CO!
The Warsaw Convention definitely applies, but it was amended some time in the 90's at the Convention held in Montreal. The liability is printed in the ticket jacket--at least it used to be. The check in agent (or a CSR on the phone) should be able to tell you what the limit is. It would be an interesting exercise to call and find out about the cost of extra insurance.