bgriff

How did you buy the ticket? Tons--probably even most--of credit cards have some sort of checked baggage insurance, usually up to $5,000 or so. Since you appear to be rather together and have receipts and so forth, that might be a route worth pursuing. (The card insurance typically is intended to be supplemental to what the airline pays, so you're in a perfect position to get your remaining $1,000.)

ymsbel

Yes, my platinum delta amex has insurance and I am using it to collect the rest of the funds. hope it will all go through.

Now, after some consideration, I think I will write a letter asking for 15K as a form of compensation for all the inconvenience that this caused. That sounds like a reasonable amount to grant for all the hassle.

KyRoamer

Recently Delta caused 5 of us a lot of stress. We all made it to and from our destination on time but because of Delta computer glitches three of us almost missed one flight, one another and one flew one leg not knowing whether she would be allowed to board the next. We were offered a $25 certificate each.

I wrote and said no way that we deserved (not were owed) more and asked to be referred to a higher level supervisor. The same person wrote back saying she had discusse our situation with others and that where Delta did not feel responsible as the tickets were not bought through them (the locators were in their system, we changed seats using their site, we get to the airport and suddenly are not in their computer and it is not their fault). Anyway, she offered a $100 certificate or 5,000 points each. Since several of us do not fly delta often and last time I had a certiuficate I had to go to the airport to redeem it, we took the points on January 18.

They posted today!!!

andymo99

I couldn't fathom checking a bag with $2500 worth of goods. You learned an expensive lesson.

sulsk

why are the standards for air travel so low nowadays. we don't even pack thing of value inour checked luggage because it's so routine for it to be lost? How hard can it be for a bag, once put on the belt by an agent, to be placed on the proper plane?

DiverDave

The system depends on the bag tag. If something happens to the tag (say the handle gets ripped off), adios amigos.

I always stick a business card inside my checked and unchecked luggage to improve its chances of finding its way back home....

DD

drbond

It is really harder than you think. The reason is that people show up 20 minutes before a flight to check their luggage. If you wait till the last moment that it takes for a baggage handler to load and drive the baggage cart to the airplane and then load the plane turn in the paperwork on the w/b and still get an ontime departure, 20 minutes might not cut it at some airports. Now add that there is not a baggage handler dedicated to every flight and the belt that carries the bags are tagged with destinations to many different places, some with a departure hours from now and some with departures that are minutes from now. The baggage handler at the end can not just stand there trying to figure out which ones are late and which ones are early, so he just loads them on the cart and carries them to the sorter. The sorter then sorts them according to flight and another tug comes and picks up the cart for their flight and then carries them to the airplane. Once the cart is picked up any late bags are, guess where? still at the sorter. Now lets throw in the connections and the late flights and the weather and the absent employees and maybe then you can see why there could be a problem. I used to work at a small station with 6 flights a day and 50 people would line up at 20 minutes before the flight and need changes and other things and at 20 minutes till they should have been on the plane. Needless to say most missed their flight. Always allow TWO HOURS and things will be smoother.

drbond

You got treated very well. United sent an apology letter and a $25.00 certificate that was good thru December and said it was TSA's fault. Try getting money out of TSA. Two years ago United lost baggage and said their limit was $1000.00 and that they depreciate the amount and base it on weight. So therefore I got about $200.00. So I would have been elated to get anything over $1000.00 and considering the weight you would have had to pay a LOT of overage on your weight to be eligible for $1000.00 since the standard weight is 50lbs. Count your blessings, you were really treated well. Make a claim on your homeowners policy or try a claim on TSA and your credit card. Remember the most important part, "DON"T PACK VALUABLES" "INSURE BAGGAGE" "PACK LIGHT" Then you won't have these problems in the first place.

deltajfk

I am sorry for your bag being lost on one of our flights. I know you may not be so satisfied with the check a thosuand dollars less then what your claim your bag to be worth, and only 3.000 skymiles. But like that excellent point that one of the posters made, you should of told them I feel that I am entiltle to XX,XXX miles. On behalf of Delta Airlines I would once again like to apologize about your bag being lost, and the compensation not being what you expected.

Happy Flying :-)

(Next time claim your bag being worth X amount of dollars, and pay the insurance therefor if your bag is lost, you will be compensated for the full amount.)

MCMAHONSMR

From experience I can tell you that telling them exactly what you want really works!!! Last year I did LGA-DCA-LGA on AA and the return leg was 2.5 hours delayed from DCA. In fairness the GA did send us over to US but there was some miscommunication and we ended up on a later flight than planned - still a savings of about an hour. BUT the staff at the US counter, gate and on board were just surly. Anyways, this was during a promotion AA were running (double miles I think or perhaps a 1,000 mile bonus on top of the AA.com one) and I requested 2,500 miles as compensation. The initial delay was mechanical and I received an e-mail saying that although they do not award miles for non AA flights as a gesture of "good will" they deposited the miles. I was thrilled!

A friend of mine has a pre-formatted form letter he submits to one airline every time a flight of his is delayed from MIA due to "maintenance." His most recent delay caused him to miss a BA connection to LHR, caused lost baggage, and a reroute through JFK. As a "gesture of good will" 10,000 miles were deposited to his account. Of course, he specifically requested that amount.

Airlines might not be flexible in providing monetary compensation but are quite liberal in awarding mileage. Next time, have a specific number in mind. Remember, 25,000 miles is a free domestic (approximate value $400) so just keep that in mind!!!

skyguiles

Where would I write to request compensation in the form of miles from delta?

I have had my luggage lost (CVG - ATL) been almost 24 hours and still nothing yet... talked to 2 supervisors and numerous CSRs but they do not seem to interested nor empathetic at all.

I was offered and credited 500 miles last night (when I first found out that my luggage was "delayed" - but now that I have missed a HUGE business meeting and am still sitting in the Hilton in the capris I was forced to sleep in I want to request at least 25,000 in miles. Does that seem realistic?

In addition, 2 weeks ago, my red luggage sat in the rain and was returned SOAKED - my white clothing and tan business suits were ruined - I called and spoke with them and will take the clothes to the airport for comp - but in less than 2 months I had these experiences plus 2 flights delayed more than 2 hours. (SIGH...)

Please advise!
Thanks!

DiverDave

On my return from HNL, I had two checked bags - one hard case and one soft case. It was raining like you know what in HNL, and guess what, the soft bag was full of damp stuff. A lot of folks recommend hard luggage for this reason.....

DD

DeltaFlyingProf

I think the OP got more money than she could have hoped for because her flights involve an internation segment.. I've had once a baggage lost by Virgin (it did not even leave the starting airport... long story) and I got the Warsaw convention rate, which is 20$/kg and to my knowledge has not been updated (unless it is relatively recent). So for a max weight of 32kg/luggage she could not hope more than 640$.
Have the numbers or rules changed?

Frodosan

From the Contract of Carriage (Domestic):
I. Baggage Liability
1. General Limitation of Liability For Loss of, Damage to, or Delay in Delivery of
Baggage
Delta’s liability for the loss of, damage to, or delay in the delivery of a fare-paying passenger's personal
property delivered into Delta’s custody, including checked baggage and carry-on baggage tendered to
Delta's in-flight personnel for storage during flight or otherwise delivered into the custody of Delta, shall be
limited to proven damage or loss. Actual value for reimbursement of lost or damaged property shall be
determined by the documented original purchase price less any applicable depreciation for prior usage.
Under no circumstances shall the liability for loss of, damage to, or delay in the delivery of baggage exceed
$2800.00 per fare-paying passenger unless the passenger elects to declare a higher value in advance and
pay for excess valuation as provided below. These limitations shall also apply to baggage or personal
property accepted by Delta for temporary storage at a city or airport ticket office or elsewhere before or after
the passenger's trip.
2. Option to Declare A Higher Value
At the time baggage is checked, the passenger may declare a value in excess of the maximum liability limit
set forth above, subject to payment of the additional fees set forth below. If a higher value is declared and
the applicable excess valuation fee is paid, Delta's liability shall not exceed such higher declared value.
Declared value for personal property, including baggage, shall not exceed $5,000.00. When a passenger
holds connecting space from Delta to another carrier and declares excess valuation, baggage will be
checked to the final Delta destination only.
Total Amount Of Declared Value Excess Valuation Fee
$2800.01 to 3000.00 $30
$3000.01 to 4000.00 $40
$4000.01 to 5000.00 $50
3. Damage From Protruding Parts
Delta shall not be liable for loss or damage to articles due to protruding parts, including but not limited to
feet, wheels, pull straps and pull handles.
4. No Waiver
Failure by Delta to enforce the maximum limitations of liability at $2800.00 shall not be construed as a
waiver of the right to limit liability at some higher amount

From the Contract of Carriage (International):


Rule 125 EXCESS VALUE CHARGES FOR BAGGAGE
A) EXCESS VALUE CHARGES
1) Under the Warsaw Convention a passenger may declare a value for baggage in excess of USD
20.00/CAD 28.00 or its equivalent per kilogram in the case of checked baggage and USD
400.00/CAD 560.00 or its equivalent per passenger in the case of unchecked baggage or other
property.
2) Under the Montreal Convention a passenger may declare a value in excess of 1,000 SDR per
passenger for checked or unchecked baggage.
3) A passenger may, when checking in for a flight and presenting property for transportation, pay
an additional charge as indicated below and declare a value higher than the maximum amounts
specified in paragraph (A)(1) or (A) (2) above, up to the maximum specified in (B) below, in
which event DL's liability shall not exceed such higher declared value. When a passenger holds
connecting space from DL to another carrier and declares excess valuation, baggage will be
checked to the final DL destination only.
CHARGE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DECLARED VALUE
USD 10.00/CAD 14.00 Declared value up to and including USD 1000.00/CAD 1400
USD 20.00/CAD 28.00 Declared value up to and including USD 2000.00/CAD 2800
USD 30.00/CAD 42.00 Declared value up to and including USD 3000.00/CAD 4200
USD 40.00/CAD 56.00 Declared value up to and including USD 4000.00/CAD 5600
USD 50.00/CAD 70.00 Declared value up to and including USD 5000.00/CAD 7000
B) VALUATION LIMIT OF BAGGAGE- The declared value for personal property, including baggage, shall
not exceed USD 5000.00/CAD 7000.00.
C) COLLECTION OF EXCESS VALUE CHARGES- Excess value charges will be payable at the point of
origin for the entire journey to final destination; provided, that, if at a stopover en route, a passenger
declares a higher excess value than that originally declared, additional value charges for the increased
value from the stopover at which the higher excess value was declared to final destination will be
payable.
EXCEPTION: Excess value charges will be payable only to the point to which the baggage is checked
or to the point of transfer to another carrier if such point precedes the point to which
baggage is checked.
D) EXCESS VALUE CHARGES ON REROUTINGS OR CANCELLATIONS- When a passenger is rerouted
or his carriage canceled, the provisions which govern with respect to the payment of additional fares or
the refunding of fares shall likewise govern the payment of excess value charges. No refund of value
charges will be made when a portion of the carriage has been completed.

tkey75

I'd say the key phrase in that whole speech about baggage is "limited to proven damage or loss". So, the burden of proof is on the passenger, but it provides no guidance for what is to be considered the proof, for either the passenger, or Delta. So I can say whatever I want is in my bag if (and likely when) a checked bag of mine is ever lost, but a receipt is potentially not enough proof in order to get reimbursed. Hmm. Have I missed something? Do I need to have a video tape of me packing my bag then follow me all the way to check-in to be sure it was never opened? From what I've read here and from personal experiences I've heard, it seems that's what it is coming down to. I've had friends receive absolutely no compensation for lost luggage even when they produced a receipt (for a nice guitar, in one case). And, of course that assumes you have found an agent even interested enough in your lost luggage to care about what proof you have, or even care that Delta lost your luggage in the first place.

That's why I have not checked a bag in the last two years.