Delayed Luggage Compensation?
 

A week ago I flew with BA/CX from CPH to MNL. My luggage never made it further than Heathrows - which I have come to understand is quite normal for Heathrow (and the reason why I will try to avoid this airport from now on which also means avoiding CX).

In Manila I was told that nobody knew where my luggage was - and couldn't give me any idea of when they would know. I had a connecting domestic flight and had to leave but asked for compensation since all my belongings exept the laptop was left somewhere between CPH and MNL. They said they could only give me 1200 peso (24 $). And those I didn't even get because then I would miss my connecting flight.

The day after I called and called CX for my luggage and finally was told that it had arrived in MNL but that there would be no available domestic flights within two more days. I then visited the local offices and they told me that they had plenty of flights available and that that day had been almost empty. Then I called back to CX and demanded to have my luggage send within 24 hours which they then did. But still no word of compensation at all.

It took more than two days before I could pick up my luggage and this only because I was persistent.

I know some say that there are surden rules of compensations but again some say that it only goes for damaged luggage. What would you say that I am intitled to according to those rules that perhaps are not really rules?

Mostly I am angry about the treatment, the lying and the lack of effort.

Since you were reunited with our luggage within 48 hours, you are only due, as a courtesy, a reasonable cost of the necessities you would have had to purchase. There is no set amount per se, it very much depends on the specific location. In this case, such compensation, however insufficient you believed it to be was offered, but unfortunately, could not be delivered to you.

Personally, I would forget about compensation. If you did choose to pursue the matter in writing to Cathay, I believe they would send you duty free vouchers of little value, as a gesture of goodwill. Legally, they owe you nothing.

I've never had delayed or lost luggage with CX so I don't know what their policy is, or the legal position (as governed by their Conditions of Carriage and applicable HKG law). I do know BA policy and law quite well in this regard. Unfortunately the airline responsible for lost luggage is the one flying the last sector (CX in the OP's case); but if the ticket was purchased in the EU from BA (issued as a BA ticket number, and not CX), then the BA and EU luggage compensation does apply! So it all depends on whether this was a BA or CX ticket.

For BA, any delay of over 24 hours in baggage delivery is entitled to a set amount. The amount varies by class and route (short/longhaul). I forget the exact amounts, but the range is GBP 30 for shorthaul Y to GBP 300 for longhaul F. Receipts are required for all items, but up to this amount is paid without any fuss by BA (at least in the EU). If BA had been the carrier flying the last leg then this is the compensation that would have applied (with additional amounts for delays over 24 hours, though these days BA is more likely to just pay the lost luggage charge and not deliver it instead -- so getting the baggage at all is an accomplishment).

As for avoiding LHR meaning not flying CX, do remember that CX has good service to several other cities in Europe. FRA and AMS are good alternatives from CPH (in fact I would have prefered routing via FRA!), and even FCO is a possibility. There is no need to fly via LHR on CX!

The policy unfortunately is up to the local airport's compensation rate - which usually is close to nothing...

I had a flight from LHR to CDG on BA, and from CDG to HKG to BKK on CX in First Class.

Upon arrival - no bag. Handling agent was TG. CX could only give me 1500 Baht as a 'courtesy'. Not any more. Doesn't matter if I was in F class and was a DM member then. In all fairness, by the time I arrived, my bag was actually on its way on TG straight from CDG to BKK.

Unfortunately, CX advised me that they have no control over that...

So like all said above... you have already been given a courtesy amount as an inconvenience. No compensation will be given.

please read
 

hi,

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...hlight=baggage

i think this might help you in the future.

dp

Lost one bag flying HKT/BKK/SIN on TG/CX so it was CX's problem in SIN. Even though I got the bag within 24 hours (thanks be, I hate losing my stuff be it ever so modest!) and it could easily have been TG that screwed up, CX volunteered SGD150 (about USD100) without my asking. I was flying F on CX.