raj_cl

Flight from Houston to Paris to Delhi. One checked in bag was missing upon arrival at Delhi and was delivered to my home 3 days later. I filed a claim and the response is to submit receipts. I did not keep any receipts when buying the change of clothes and other toiletries. Suggestions?

mlin32

If you didn't keep the receipts, not much you can claim unfortunately. Perhaps a credit or debit card statement/transaction. There has to be some kind of proof or backup, otherwise people would claim 1000€ each time....

Goldorak

You made a mistake not keeping receipts in this circumstances. Do you expect an airline or an insurance to reimburse you on your good faith ? Did you pay by credit card and can show them this part of your bank statement ?

johan rebel

My understanding is that in the case of delayed baggage the carrier will reimburse "necessary expenses", i.e. the cost of "essential things that were in your delayed bag that you can’t manage without, such as toiletries, underwear . . .".

OP states the bag was delivered to his home after three days. There are no doubt exceptions, but the vast majority of people surely have a change of clothes at home, as well as enough toiletries to sustain them for a few days. So which necessary expenses is AF expected to reimburse?

Johan

Goldorak

you have a very valid point. I didn’t assume India was home for OP as his profile says DFW. But OP is clearly saying bags delivered at home. In this case, there is usually no need to buy essential things with may be the exception of a few unexpensive toiletry items (toothbrush, toothpaste, etc)

brunos

If this is the return part of a DEL-;IAH-DEL, no airline will pay for "essentials" when you return home.

If your ticket started in the US, they will assume that your home is in US. Hard to believe you did not keep receipts for essentials you planned to claim. Maybe detailed credit card statement might help, but it would be unusual goodwill form the airline. It might depend on your fare (business?)and your status with AF.

smartytravel

Hypothetical scenario: what if this were a part of a longer route? For instance, OP lived in Anchorage, Alaska, but had to travel to Houston as part of his business trip. From there, he is taking another trip to DEL and back to Houston for a week or so, and then back home to Anchorage?

Let's assume that the luggage was lost in IAH (on the inbound), and the OP had to stay in IAH for work for another week or so?

Can the airline still deny refunding?

johan rebel

The airline will reimburse "necessary expenses". As long as the pax has a credible claim (e.g. as in your hypothetical case: pax lives in Alaska, bag never made it to Texas, he ran out of underpants, security blankets and mouthwash), the airline will pay up. Within reasonable limits, of course.

Johan

Billyfergus

My wife and I flew ABZ-AMS-BUD 3 weeks ago, out on the Saturday and back on the Tuesday. On arrival in Budapest, our one suitcase was not there. I have an apple tag in it and checked on its location and it was still at Schiphol. Reported it at the desk and nice lady said to me to inform the hotel that it would be delivered after last AMS flight landed in the evening.

It did not arrive on the Saturday, Sunday, Monday or even the Tuesday (before we left to go to airport). Checking the Apple tag, I could see it finally left AMS on Monday. Coincidentally, after leaving Budapest on the Tuesday with my good lady, I flew back out on the Wednesday morning with my friends to attend a football match in Belgrade (long story why we went to Budapest but we Scot’s like our football). When I arrived back in Budapest I went in past the hotel we were staying at during weekend and our suitcase had arrived on the Tuesday night so I finally got it back.

Anyway, when my wife and I had no suitcase we obviously had no clothes to change with so we had to go shopping. We got toiletries, underwear as well as new tops for each of us. I also bought a new pair of Levi’s 501. We had all receipts and when I returned from our football trip I put in the claim. I did expect some argument from them but absolutely none and we had the full amount (over €250) deposited in our account within a week.

As others have said, you really need to keep all your receipts. Not sure if we got treated any differently because of our status (both platinum).

gncohen

I arrived without my checked bag twice in the past couple years (once AF, once KL), and was told there was a 200€ limit for reimbursements (this was when I was gold if that matters). I'm not sure how hard and fast of a rule that is, but glad you got it all reimbursed without hassle.

Billyfergus

I never asked what the limit was but perhaps the €200 is per person? My wife and I are both platinum so perhaps this made things easier.

NickB

IME, they tend not to be nit-picking if the expenses can reasonably be justified and you do not go on a wild spending spree. The limit essentially means: if it is lower than that, we will not question it. If it is higher than that, we reserve the right to double-check that the expenses can in our view be reasonably justified.

On Time Reports

What's the best way to contact AF for delayed baggage? I would like my address to be updated on World tracer but no outstations are willing to do it because I have left the initial airport where I filed my claim. I believe it is not because they do not want to try to do it but rather the system is not allowing it. Apparently you can send "messages" to be attached to the claim but it doesn't seem like it is the most official way and definitely does not make the address change.

Long story short, AF sent my bag to the wrong city in Italy. I was staying in MXP but they sent it to PMO. The only reason I can think of is because Palermo was in the name of the address in MXP. But now I am going to Asia and still don't have my bag, while still incurring expensive for daily necessities.

Edit: I should add that my address on World Tracer is now expired and I am no longer at the temporary address. What happens if no other outstation can update it? What is Air France going to do with my bag?

Goldorak

of course, you need to update your address in World tracer. Very important.

On Time Reports

But how?

In the initial hours of my report being filed, I could still edit my address on World Tracer. But as soon as my baggage was forward to the (wrong) delivery airport, I cannot change anything anymore on World Tracer.

The airport where I reported my delayed baggage isn't picking up the phone nor replying to my emails.
The wrong airport that received my baggage emailed saying it must go back to the airport where I made the report.
When calling AF and selecting the baggage option, it tells you to submit a report online and then hangs up.