I sent feedback/complaint online after experiencing a 2 day delay in my baggage arriving, after a flight cancellation and rebook in Houston. Although I had over 5 hours sit time in Houston, and was on a paid F ticket with my baggage tagged as 'Priority/First', it seems the baggage was not re-tagged in IAH and therefore didn't catch up for a couple of days.

When it arrived, it was damaged/contents inside also damaged. The feedback mentioned my disappointment with the length of the delay. I also expressed concern that I had to wait over an hour and a half for someone to even turn up to man the desk at baggage services on arrival, and that this was an 11pm arrival - so I was kept waiting until well after midnight before someone took the delayed baggage report.

Given that the damage as a separate issue did not become evident until I actually got the baggage delivered to us a full 2 days after landing at our destination, I thought the following response from CO was quite hilarious:

"Thank you for your email. I apologize for the problems you experienced. Per the Contract of Carriage, the damage to your luggage must be reported to the airport of arrival or our central baggage office within 4 hours of arrival for domestic US flights. As we cannot see the bag nor evaluate the damage the airport has final authority in these matters. Because a damaged baggage claim was not filed at the airport, I regret that they will not be able to reimburse you for the damage to your bag. Regards, XXX, Baggage Claim Specialist"

This was the response in it's entirety. Aside from the ridiculous '4 hours after arrival' comment given I didn't get the baggage for 2 days, there was no acknowledgment or address to the other points raised.

Thanks for reading my feedback / complaint so thoroughly CO. Nice to see you take care of your F customers so well!!

Ugh.

This is something I've had trouble understanding in the past - if you have delayed baggage, they generally deliver it to you. Therefore, you probably won't have damage reported at the airport, especially "within 4 hours of arrival." And anyway, whose arrival? Yours? The bag's?

It's made me wonder if I should opt out of having delayed bags delivered to my home or hotel, because it sounds like I've waived any damage claim rights if I accept delivery. If I drive to the airport and pick it up, at least I can file a claim right then and there. How does this work?

I would suggest that you contact the Online version of we care. I have recieved two responses in the last two weeks to two different issues and I feel that they addressed these concerns correctly.

In that letter I would mention that you tried to have this issue resolved by the baggage resolution center but that you got the following response (insert response here).

I feel that the WE CARE has been better when I write and usually responds within a 5 to 14 day timeframe depending on what has happened within the system recently (ie IAH Snow/Ice Storm, EWR Snow/Ice Storm, ETC). Good luck!

I should also mention that last year I had a bag that was delivered early and once i got home I found a problem. I reported the problem in person the next day (came in on last flight of the day) and got resolution a month later. I think that as long as you show a reasonable timeframe on your part to report the issue that it can be resolved. If you havent already, I would go to the station where the delayed bag came in and report the missing items to them.

This is typical of CO customer care's responses. They're there to disclaim liability, and in my experience, they're not interested in resolving a problem, rather they're interested in explaining why the problem you just experienced isn't really a problem. Precisely what they did in your case.

I would escalate this issue, and inform them that you intend to seek damages for them damaging your luggage (and related contents), and ask them to take your complaint seriously. If you get nowhere, file a DOT complaint and/or a small claim in your local court.

UA has an AWESOME luggage assistance line that you can CALL on the WAY OUT of the airport as a 1K instead of waiting for seemingly hours to get a $.12 toothbrush package and a snarky response from the luggage dragons of CO!

So does CO for the Elites. Just call the Elite line for any assitance with your delayed luggages issues.

Although I think that all airlines should treat ALL its customers well, I have to say that CO treated me very well when my luggage was damaged when flying PDX-IAH back in May. Back then, I was a mere silver, and they sent me a check to cover the expense of fixing the luggage.

But if you're not a 1k, there is no way to communicate with UA by phone about your lost bag - you will only be connected to their stinking ICC.

My experiences with Customer Care has been the same as the OP. While I hate to do it I have found that by copying scott on my 2nd, 3rd and 4th emails to Customer Care seems to get a decent response. The initial responses from them are just like that of the ops, a canned reply where they appear not to even have read my detailed email/complaint.

I will admit though that CO has come through for me in the end, but the aggravation of the canned responses is extremely frustrating, even as a Plat/CO*.

I got a chuckle out of the complaint, that CO wanted damaged baggage reported on arrival to authorize repair, when it is delayed.

In Nov on a short flight within Calif, another airline knocked a wheel in a well off my Halliburton, which is not easy to do. On trying to report it to the baggage office, was told that that airline doesn' do or pay for any repairs. To date, CO has been very accomodating. And their baggage handlers do a much better job at caring for the luggage when loading and unloading it from the plane.
A couple of other airlines starting with the letter 'U' can make a new piece look old after a R?T flights with dirt, grease, oil, scratches, dents. cracks, etc.

CO all the way, as long as it is possible!

I think the best way to deal with anything less than catastrophic damage or total loss is to just lump it.

You just buy decent but not fancy luggage (say $80 for large carry-on size) and you just accept that you're gonna lose a handle or two, get an exterior pocket or two ripped, etc... and after a couple of years have to replace the thing.

I honestly find that easier than getting into spats with airlines. It's not out of sympathy with the airline, it's about allocation of my time and energy.

The current policies of most airlines is that luggage is just a protective case for your contents. Normal wear and tear are not going to be covered. A broken handle, missing wheel and a small tear are just part of the things that airlines no longer cover.

Follow Up:

I did call the 1 800 WECARE2 and also my initial online email was to customer care. They were very clear that they do not get involved in any feedback/concerns/complaints if there is anything whatsoever to do with baggage.

I was given a toll free number for baggage tracing (I did explain that I was not trying to trace the luggage, but rather follow up from a written complaint, but to no avail).

The baggage tracing representative seemed a bit bemused as to why I was calling them, but after verifying the details of my flight etc. he apologised and offered $100 future travel credit as goodwill gesture for the extended delay, and another $100 credit as goodwill for the damage to the luggage.

I looked up the terms regarding damage claims in the CoC:

While it's nice to know that a friendly CO agent can, at their discretion, help with these issues... I would very much like to know the official policy for delayed AND damaged bags. So you make your delay claim "within four hours after arrival of the flight on which the Baggage was or was to be transported." Then they deliver your damaged luggage a couple of days later... and then what? You're outside of the window of when it "was to be transported," and probably more than four hours after it was actually transported. And you're not at the airport to make an immediate claim.

Are these "extraordinary circumstances"?

Sure the airlines disclaim all these things. But if they're negligent in providing care for your luggage, all bets are off. The airline is most certainly responsible, despite whatever drivel they want to print in their policies.