Delayed getting through customs due to mishandled luggage. Huge Delay as a result
Mar 12, 2019, 10:33 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 5
Delayed getting through customs due to mishandled luggage. Huge Delay as a result
Am I entitled to anything from Delta (or Air France) after their mishandling of my bags that caused a HUGE delay
Needed to get my checked bag after taking my Paris to Minneapolis flight.
My bag never came down on the conveyer belt and I was initially not able to go through customs without my checked bag.
The customs people eventually double checked that the plane had been emptied and said there would be no more bags coming down from the flight I was on.
Customs eventually let me though but I completely missed my connecting flight because of the delay.
I got put on standby for a flight 8 hours later and was told there were 9 empty seats so I should be fine.
Went to the gate after waiting 8 hours at the airport only to find out that there were never 9 open seats on said flight and I was given the wrong info and had no hope of getting on the standby flight.
That was the last of the day and I would have to wait till the afternoon of the next day at the earliest, and even then, they wouldn't give me a confirmed seat.
I have given up and am now taking a 3 hour bus ride to my destination and will be getting in 12 hours after I was supposed to arrive at my destination.
If I left it up to Delta I would be arriving 24 hours late at a minimum. Very well could be 30 + 48+ hours since subsequent flights seemed totally booked as well.
Needed to get my checked bag after taking my Paris to Minneapolis flight.
My bag never came down on the conveyer belt and I was initially not able to go through customs without my checked bag.
The customs people eventually double checked that the plane had been emptied and said there would be no more bags coming down from the flight I was on.
Customs eventually let me though but I completely missed my connecting flight because of the delay.
I got put on standby for a flight 8 hours later and was told there were 9 empty seats so I should be fine.
Went to the gate after waiting 8 hours at the airport only to find out that there were never 9 open seats on said flight and I was given the wrong info and had no hope of getting on the standby flight.
That was the last of the day and I would have to wait till the afternoon of the next day at the earliest, and even then, they wouldn't give me a confirmed seat.
I have given up and am now taking a 3 hour bus ride to my destination and will be getting in 12 hours after I was supposed to arrive at my destination.
If I left it up to Delta I would be arriving 24 hours late at a minimum. Very well could be 30 + 48+ hours since subsequent flights seemed totally booked as well.
Mar 13, 2019, 3:25 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
Sounds like customs is the one that made you miss flight. You'll get something, but as for missing flight they'll claim customs is the one that made you miss. Have had plenty missing bags and customs never said anything.
Mar 13, 2019, 4:43 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
Programs: Bellevue Lifetime Premiere Mega Elite Supreme
Posts: 1,509
Lots of errors and missteps, all the way around. Who told you that you needed to wait for your bag? If you had a connection, make your connection. The airline that didn’t get the bag there in the first place will make the necessary arrangements to ultimately get your delayed bag to your doorstep.
It sounds like Air France, which did the same thing to me on my recent TLV flight a few weeks ago. The irony is, we had a 4-hour layover in CDG and were La Premiere. In my limited experience, AF sucks at baggage handling.
It sounds like Air France, which did the same thing to me on my recent TLV flight a few weeks ago. The irony is, we had a 4-hour layover in CDG and were La Premiere. In my limited experience, AF sucks at baggage handling.
Mar 13, 2019, 4:51 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,191
like London Elite said, dont understand why customs would not let you pass without your bags?
They have no idea unless they check the passenger info from your flight if you had checked a bag or not.
What you should have done is gone thru customs and immigration, got to your gate and then asked the gate agent to track your bag
They have no idea unless they check the passenger info from your flight if you had checked a bag or not.
What you should have done is gone thru customs and immigration, got to your gate and then asked the gate agent to track your bag
Mar 13, 2019, 5:19 am
#8
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 44
like London Elite said, dont understand why customs would not let you pass without your bags?
They have no idea unless they check the passenger info from your flight if you had checked a bag or not.
What you should have done is gone thru customs and immigration, got to your gate and then asked the gate agent to track your bag
They have no idea unless they check the passenger info from your flight if you had checked a bag or not.
What you should have done is gone thru customs and immigration, got to your gate and then asked the gate agent to track your bag
In my case they were able to attach the proper pictures to my checkin in about 10 minutes and I was on my way to customs.
Mar 13, 2019, 5:24 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,191
My last trip through immigration involved photos of checked luggage having been taken during checkin being compared to the bags in my hands. When the pictures did not match, the immigration officer took my passport and walked me to a waiting area while it was sorted out. Perhaps something similar happened?
In my case they were able to attach the proper pictures to my checkin in about 10 minutes and I was on my way to customs.
you learn something new everyday
Mar 13, 2019, 5:27 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: PIT, BWI, or IPT
Programs: Dividend Miles, WorldPerks
Posts: 1,302
I have seen this in those dumb airports that make you preclear US immigration abroad (looking at you DUB and AUA). Never in any other European airport though?
Mar 13, 2019, 6:04 am
#11
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,393
The OP's TATL flight was CDG-MSP. I've never seen any photo matching thing at MSP, although given the requirement that one's checked bag be walked through customs and then rechecked, it would be prudent to wait for all bags to unload from the inbound flight before attempting to leave the customs area. IIRC there are typically some DL employees there, but no lost bag office. If the bag is "lost" DL would be responsible for delivering it to the OP at the destination, including taking it through customs in abstentia, although I would expect customs to open and search the bag in this case. [IIRC this happened to me once when entering the USA at either DTW or JFK.]
I can't imagine that anyone would have advised the OP to wait in the customs area once it was clear that the bag had not been on the flight, but perhaps someone was trying to be helpful and sent an employee to double check the hold of the AF aircraft. Still, it's hard to imagine how this could have caused someone to miss a legal connection at MSP nor, having done that, why the rebooking didn't make a confirmed reservation for the first available seat with options to standby for any earlier flights.
It would help to know details, but if it really was a three hour bus ride, that would seem to be Duluth or Au Claire. To drive to Des Moines, Madison, Sioux Falls, etc. all would all be at least four hours.
So, one ticket/reservation or two? Destination? Connecting time?
I can't imagine that anyone would have advised the OP to wait in the customs area once it was clear that the bag had not been on the flight, but perhaps someone was trying to be helpful and sent an employee to double check the hold of the AF aircraft. Still, it's hard to imagine how this could have caused someone to miss a legal connection at MSP nor, having done that, why the rebooking didn't make a confirmed reservation for the first available seat with options to standby for any earlier flights.
It would help to know details, but if it really was a three hour bus ride, that would seem to be Duluth or Au Claire. To drive to Des Moines, Madison, Sioux Falls, etc. all would all be at least four hours.
So, one ticket/reservation or two? Destination? Connecting time?
Mar 13, 2019, 6:11 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
Wouldn't the missing bag be Delta's responsibility and customs is based on delta's problem. If the bag hand't been missing, customs wouldn't have been an issue. I know that isn't how Delta is going to frame it, but cest la vie. File EU261 and if that doesn't work, file dot complaint.
Mar 13, 2019, 6:15 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,189
During preclearance the CBP process they show you a picture of your bag - taken during the check-in process - rather than present them physically and you have to confirm it is yours vis the picture.
Mar 13, 2019, 6:24 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Pagus Bracbatensis, Kingdom of the Netherlands
Programs: DL SPlat, KLM Bump, Privium Plus, GOES
Posts: 2,066
Am i missing something here?
1. Log in the Delta app and check baggage status, show your baggage status/location if customs is giving you a hard time, or point them to the baggage band signs (all baggage unloaded) make your connection & let Delta make a PIR for your delayed baggage.
2. When missing a connection and there are still xx open seats, i always get a new BP with a confirmed seat...never placed on standby??
1. Log in the Delta app and check baggage status, show your baggage status/location if customs is giving you a hard time, or point them to the baggage band signs (all baggage unloaded) make your connection & let Delta make a PIR for your delayed baggage.
2. When missing a connection and there are still xx open seats, i always get a new BP with a confirmed seat...never placed on standby??
Last edited by Grouchy; Mar 13, 2019 at 6:42 am
Mar 13, 2019, 6:28 am
#15
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,393
Part of the problem seems to be that if the bag is checked in at CDG for an AF flight, you can't use the DL bag tracker on the app (which you're really not supposed to use in the immigration and customs area, although I sometimes take a look at flight status, upgrade lists, etc. on the app after the plane lands or when I'm walking in through the jetway).