yaychemistry

I'm sure the compensation question has been covered before, but I struck out with mobile search.

Mostly I want to know what to expect in this situation. Flew BOS-SFO on DL, connecting to SFO-TPE-KIX on CI. All on a single ticket, bags were checked through to KIX.

Bag tracking app says the bags were never loaded by DL at BOS, but are now "expedited" via KE metal to arrive 12 hours after we do.

I'm currently sitting in TPE waiting for our next flight. So what do we do when we arrive in KIX? DL Twitter tells me that we have to file a claim with CI when we arrive, but doesn't know if we do that before or after we clear customs.

I fully expect CI to give us push back if we ask for expenses since it's DLs fault, and DL to say the final carrier is responsible.

Also, can we expect our bags to be delivered to our hotel? Or should we plan for a return trip to the airport to get the bags?

LoganFlyer

DL is correct--you need to file the claim with CI. It's a standard policy among all carriers that when your ticket has multiple airlines, you file the missing bag claim with the last carrier you flew, no matter who is at fault. CI will then go to DL and track your bag down. As for where to file the claim, I would file it at the first CI bag office I saw after not getting my bag. I don't know if that's before or after customs at KIX.

mot29

At most international airports I’ve been in, there are baggage service desks in the bag claim area, after immigration, but before that final exit to the arrivals lobby. And yes, you start with CI.

I’ve had bags misconnect internationally several times. DL to LIM, KL to YYZ are two recent cases. In each case, the bags caught up to me the bags caught up to me within 24 to 48 hours and the airlines cleared them through customs.
For the KL misconnect, I was flying on to DCA the afternoon of arrival and the KL agent arranged for the bags to be sent on to me at DCA. What was interesting, from the bag tags that got attached, it seems the bags crossed the US border by courier to BUF then sent by air BUF-DTW-DCA.

fromYXU

The OP ask for expenses. What is the minimum delay in getting your luggage before getting expenses covered?

3Cforme

The OP should pose that question to CI.

Often1

By international convention, it is CI's responsibility to handle the claim, delivery, interim expenses and damages if there are any. CI and DL may then slug it out, but that is of no concern to the passenger.

File the claim as soon as possible at the first desk you see.

Theoretically, CI is responsible for reimbursing interim expenses here, but if the bags are only arriving 12 hours later, they may simply hand you a necessities kit and be done with it. Presumably, you've got the first few days clothing in your carry-on, so that ought not to be an issue.

Rule of thumb here is not to spend anything you would not spend if you were not getting reimbursed as you may not be.

SirJman

Also remember probably 99% of PAX that have missing bags aren't able to track it via an app, so they don't know 'who' is really at fault at the baggage office at the time of the claim. I wouldn't even bother mentioning to CI you know where your bags are, just walk up and tell them they aren't there. They'll be delivered as soon as they get them.

CI lost luggage is pre-customs at TPE, as it is in most airports.

Jaimito Cartero

I’ve had delayed bags a few times in CGK coming from the US. Each time they just handed me a cash payment of $40-80 when I made the report. I never waited more than 12 hours for the bags to be delivered to the hotel.

aquamarinesteph

I had my bag misconnect on a trip paid for on Delta, but the final leg was on Air France. We arrived in an airport without a desk for either, so Royal Air Maroc handled it after going through customs. I was reunited with my bag about 7 days later. I had to go to the airport to pick it up.

While I filed the paperwork for the missing bag/compensation with Air France, it's being handled via Delta since I live in the States. This happened in March. I'm still waiting for a final response from Delta.

Here's hoping that your bag shows up much faster!! If you do have to purchase something, save the receipt. And if you wind up in a cash only place, recreate what you bought with a picture that shows the items and maybe something local like the hotel stationery with a handwritten total of what that cost in local currency.

Good luck!!

ND76

I've had this happen one time; we were flying BWI-JFK-FRA, and then traveling by train from FRA to Strasbourg, France. Because of weather, we got on an earlier flight out of BWI (the later flight that we were booked on got canceled), and our bags never got loaded on the BWI-JFK. When we got to FRA, we actually got paged to go to the luggage office (which was before the customs exit), where they took our hotel information and gave us a "SkyTeam" zippered pouch (which contained the flimsiest t-shirt I've ever seen along with miniature toiletry bottles and tubes). Our bags showed up at our hotel the next day. Obviously, Delta somehow got them through customs without our having to go back to FRA.

TerryK

CI is responsible for your bag as final carrier. CI should not push back. You should push back CI's push back if they do.

I flew AF/OU last year and bag didn't show up. OU accepted my delayed bag claim without issue even though it was AF who didn't deliver bag to OU.

flyerCO

I would tell them the info on the expedite bag routing. This let's them know when to expect them.

Also I've found KE to be very unreliable for expedite bags. I had three of them not arrive in SIN with me on DL. (Side note, I always seem to not have nags on arrival in SIN, regardless of airline) DL had arranged for them to be expedited via KE LAX/ICN and ICN/SIN. KE let them sit in ICN for nearly a week. Each time Dnata would contact KE, they'd promise to send. Next day one bag would arrive, call again and two days later second bag arrives, call again and finally get last bag three days and five phone calls later. Apparently per the Dnata agent, KE is known for doing this.

yaychemistry

OP here. Thanks for all of the responses. They were much more helpful than DL Twitter who just kept saying "it's not our responsibility. Talk to CI". Even if it is CI's responsibility by their agreements, it would have been nice if DL would have been more helpful, perhaps they could say something like "let me contact CI to find out the reimbursement policy for you" or even "here's a link to the CI contact page".

The CI bag counter at KIX is before customs at the bag carousels. It's staffed by JAL employees. They actually handle bags for many carriers including skyteam (CZ, MU, CI, VN, ...) and *A (SQ, HO, MF, ...) and others (EK, NX, ...) at that counter. There wasn't a sign for KE at that counter.

The contract agents saw the same location info that the DL app showed. I got a glimpse of their printout that also said DL had put the bags in the wrong cart at BOS. The bags were due to arrive at 9pm on a KE flight at KIX (we landed at 1130 am). They helped us full out the special customs form for late bags and arranged to have the bags delivered to our hotel, and they finally arrived at 6pm the next day. So we were without our bags for ~30 hours (after spending nearly 24 hours traveling).

I asked the contract agents about reimbursement for our extra expenses. They said they didn't know the policy for CI, if we could make a claim or not. No amenity kit was offered. I submitted feedback at the CI website asking for reimbursement (I saved the receipts). So far I haven't heard a response.

Often1

DL's Twitter team was entirely correct. It is 100% the responsibility of the last delivering carrier to deal with all aspects of delay, loss, or damage to luggage. This would be true even if the bag is sitting next to the DL check-in agent at your origin. In the other direction, you would have had the same response from CI if DL is your final delivering carrier. The entire goal is to give the customer one single point of contact and to let the various operating carriers sort the logistics amongst themselves and leave you out of it.

CI is unlikely to fuss much about reasonable expenses but is most likely to take a flat approach for a short delay. E.g. $40 per day or somesuch. For most this turns out quite well.

TerryK

Precisely. OP was trying to circumvent it by asking DL to contact CI on his behalf. That's simply not how interlining is setup to work.