What's the best way to get compensated for Continental misdirecting our baggage to New Delhi spoiling a week's vacation? We got it back in our home city the day we returned, but the aggravation with their incompetance (tho Houston was a little more together) took up at least an hour a day.
They've offerred $300 to compensate for having to buy clothing and $50/day until re-united w/ the baggage but we think a free ticket is in order, any one been thru this?
Thanks,
Buzz

Hello.

I've had my baggage lost on CO once before, but they were very helpful and got it back to me in 3 days. I suggest you contact Continental's baggage centre:

Phone
1-800-335-BAGS (1-800-335-2247)
(281) 821-3526
(281) 233-1474 (Fax)

E-mail
[email protected]

Continental Lost Baggage Information
http://www.continental.com/travel/po...2E0F2C5B41E2CC

Prior approval must be obtained through the Baggage Resolution Center (1-800-335-2247) in order for any expenses to be reimbursed.

For wholly domestic travel, Continental's liability for any form of damage as a result of loss, damage or delay in delivery of customer's personal property shall be limited to the fair market value at the time of loss, damage or delay and will not exceed $2,800.00 per customer, except for wheelchairs and other assistive devices.

For most international travel to which the Warsaw Convention applies (including domestic portions of international travel), Continental's liability is approximately $9.07 per pound up to $640 maximum per bag for checked baggage and $400 per customer for unchecked baggage.

For most international travel to which the Montreal Convention applies (including domestic portions of international travel), Continental's liability is approximately $1,375 maximum per customer for checked and unchecked baggage.

When checking baggage for a flight, a customer may declare a higher value than the maximum limit of liability. See Excess Valuation for additional details.

Continental shall not be liable for loss, damage or delay in delivery of high value, fragile or perishable items. In addition, declaration of higher value does not apply to the above items. See Fragile and Perishable Items for detailed listings of exclusionary items.

In the course of normal handling, your baggage may show evidence of use. Continental is not liable for minor cuts, scratches, scuffs, dents and soil. Continental is not responsible for conditions that result from normal wear and tear or the following:

Damage to wheels, feet, extending handles, over-packed bag and items of fragile or perishable nature
Loss of external locks, pull straps or security straps
Manufacturer's defects.

I hope this helped.

Canada Flyer

Welcome to FlyerTalk, Buzzy Levine. In general, it's best to use the forums that are specific to each airline for airline-specific questions. So I will move this to the Continental-specific forum we have here for questions and discussions that are specific to Continental.

--richard, moderator

You were fairly compensated. Drop it and be happy.

im kinda thinking for the $50 per day, in New Delhi you'd be set..........New Clothes....Meals......Etc.........All on CO's dime

Not a bad deal

$300 Plus $50.00 per day. How do I get them to loose my luggage? :-)

You did well, b/c they only offered me $100 credit towards the purchase of another ticket....what makes them think I would even want to fly Continental again? I planned my trip to attend a very special occassion in Boston, which was planned months in advance. Only to learn that when I arrivied my luggage had not. My trip was only for a weekend, and I could not afford to go out and purchase clothing b/c I had already done so prior to the trip. Needless to say my trip was a disaster b/c I wasn't able to participate in the very occasion I went to the expense of be there for. In addition I had medications that I had to do without the entire three days. Mind you, it was not my decision to check my bag, but rather it was gate checked along with several others b/c it was determined when boarding that the plane was too small to accommodate everyone who had take-on luggage. I specifically inquired with the woman at my connecting gate about whether my luggage would be transferred to my connecting flight and was told yes. I made calls to Continental Baggage Report from Friday night through Sunday morning and spoke with numerous agents. I was told when I landed that it would be put on another flight and delivered Friday night....it wasn't. Saturday morning, I was told message were sent to Newark by Continental, no response as of 2pm on Saturday. The nightmare just continued on and on. The result, when I called on Sunday morning, I was told my bag had arrived and would be delivered in 1-2 hours, at which point I just told them to forget it b/c I was due to get back on a return flight early afternoon and they may as well just send the bag back to Raleigh. Well, needless to say, I arrived back in N.C. and home before my bag did. I finally received it at around 7pm Sunday evening. The worst experience traveling I've ever had in my life, and a major disappointment that I was unable to do what I had come for to begin with.

Buzz,

Despite the comments of another "flyertalker" regarding cutting your losses and being happy, I encourage you to pursue it further if you are not satified with the service!!

I guarantee that when the federal regulation changes in a month and airlines are bound by law to meet their obligation to customer satisfaction, they will change their tune quick, fast and in a hurry! Currently they have control over the extent to which they will compensate, however, that is getting ready to change, as will their disregard for the impact that their negligence has upon customers. Trust and believe that when they are required by regulation to compensate fairly, every incompetent and indifferent employee will have to change their work ethic, or I can assure you that the airlines will terminate them rather than have their incompetence effect their bottom line.

Some things you cannot put a price on and when you go the expense of planning a very special trip for a special occassion, one cannot recoup the loss associated with a dollar amount. Therefore you would think that the airline would make every attempt to salvage the repeat business by ensuring that they have exhausted every effort to satisfy the customer.

I say do what you need to do to feel better about your loss during your vacation!

Camillek

I'm sure the OP forgot about his issue as it was 5 years ago. Although you're new to FT, I am sure you read the rules before you posted. And digging up very old posts i a no-no.