FormerAmtrakTraveler

A straightforward situation but I couldn't find an existing thread on this:

One of our luggages was delayed to our destination by 3 days because somehow it didn't get transferred in HKG (thankfully destination was home but it was still very inconvenient). What if any compensation is due from Cathay and how do I claim it? We were on award J tix's booked from AA miles if that's relevant.

(And I can't claim from credit card insurance because they were award tickets and the taxes were paid with a credit card I've since canceled.)

Thanks!

FlyPointyEnd

Any travel insurance? I'm not sure, but my friend got declined compensation before he was on the flight home.

FormerAmtrakTraveler

Nope

Pretty lame if there's no compensation. Clearly their bad missing the bag transfer. On United an email to 1kvoice probably nets a few hundred dollars in an e-cert.

FlyPointyEnd

Was it a tight connection? They normally give miles though, won't hurt to ask.

If the weather was bad, your bags might have not been off loaded from your first flight in time for your connection.

It happened to me on the way to TPE, there was a red or black rain warning, and we were stuck inside the plane because ground crews were told to stay indoor. I eventually made it to my flight but my bag got left behind in HKG. (I eventually got it after a few hours and was delivered to the hotel)

johnny147

Last year I was on DUS-LHR-HKG-CTS and my bags were lost in transit at LHR. Since I only had a 24-hr layover in HKG so I flew to CTS without any of my item. I have been told by the baggage agent at HKG that my bag would be with me upon arrival at CTS but I wasn't the case so I waited for 72 hour in total. Clearly, the responsibility is on BA since CX did not receive the bag from BA at LHR. I was glad that CX proactively offer HK$1000 per day of delay so in total I received HK$3000.

FormerAmtrakTraveler

Wow they stopped bag movements due to weather and let planes fly without letting the bags catch up? Yeesh.

In my case that wasn't the issue. The whole thing is actually a bit odd. We had a 20 hour overnight layover in HKG. The route was SIN=>HKG=>BOS. We checked 3 bags in SIN all the way to BOS. We added a bag in HKG the next day. Two of the SIN bags made it, and the HKG bag made it.

When we reported the missing bag in BOS the agents were insisting it is impossible for a single bag to have not made it when the rest did. So they claimed that someone else must have taken our bag. And when we looked on the belt one of two bags left was similar to ours, so we thought this was possible (though our bag was super heavy, 32kg, the absolute max allowed for J, and that bag was probably less than half that). And we started worrying about losing a bunch of stuff in it.

We didn't hear for a day. On day 2 they said they found it in HKG and they would send it. It showed up at our doorstep on day 3, with almost all (but not all) of the items in it.

FormerAmtrakTraveler

Who did you deal with to get the compensation? My problem is there's minimal staff here in BOS and email via the web contact form has gone unanswered for >> 2 wks and the guy in BOS gave me a phone number that dials to a fax machine.

johnny147

The baggage enquiry desk in HKG. I believe this is the reason why my case was dealt promptly and accordingly. You may want to try dialling the baggage hotline in HK.

christep

You may have a case for theft of the items you claim disappeared, though whose jurisdiction they disappeared in is going to be hard to prove.

Otherwise, a short delay in delivering bags when returning home is not compensation-worthy in my opinion, but then I guess not being American gives one a different view on these things.

garykung

Usually airlines will reimburse your reasonable daily expenses based on your delay. However - given you are returning to home, airlines may argue that no daily reimbursement is due.

You will have to go through Baggage Claim for the compensation.

Simply because UA is giving out ETCs/miles does not mean others have to follow.

Beside - the magnitude of UA's compensation is nowhere near what CX will offer.

Cathay Dragon 666

I have found any luggage issues it's best to deal straight with Hong Kong Luggage Office. I have found out-ports to be unhelpful, and forget about any compensation out of them. Maybe they are not authorize to give out compensation, but it's extremely tough.

garykung

Because they are outsourced.

Guy Betsy

Depending on the destination. If you put in your claim at destination, they might give you a token sum to buy for incidentals. But if you wait till 3 days later, then you have to put a complaint through with Customer Service.

I arrived on a First Class revenue ticket in Bangkok.. and bags were not even loaded in Paris (BA's fault)... so my compensation was THB 1500.. = US$ 45 !

That was it.

Bags were delivered within a day though.

sxc

No travel insurance (in Hong Kong) covers delayed baggage when returning to your home. So in this case insurance wouldn't have helped.

Disappointing as the last few times I've had luggage problems they've been on returns to HK. No free shopping sprees.

Cathay Dragon 666

Luggage is actually one area I find Cathay to be extremely competent (HKIA office). Any damage is promptly given more than adequate cash compensation (provided you don't have a long stay to allow them to fix it), and any delay is promptly dealt with in less than a day.

Of course I am curious is Cathay that nice to me because I'm DM, or will GR or no status pax get the same treatment?