Stuck in bag hell - what to do?
 

So, I was travelling BER - AMS - WAW with three bags this past Saturday. I missed my connection, got rebooked and asked the lounge staff to update the baggage in the system accordingly. They did, bags still didn't arrive.
Filed a report, bags were located the next morning and two of them were sent to WAW two flights later. The third bag is still in AMS and this is where the mess begins.

Upon every call to the PSL I'm told their system indicates the bag made it to WAW together with the other ones. I then implore them to check the file again, they realize it's still in AMS and tell me that they will send a message to the ground staff. Nine flights have left from AMS to WAW, bag with airtag in it hasn't moved.

What are my options? This bag has everything in it, my equipment for the job I'm working in WAW and all my clothes. I can shop for clothes and toiletries, but cannot do my job without this bag.

PSL is of zero help, they say they can do nothing but send a note to the ground staff.

@Ben Lipsey, can you help?

These things happen, "eventually" the bag will likely be found by the ground crew and placed on a flight to WAW.

Well, it has moved from terminal to terminal a few times over the last days, so I‘m wondering what finding it will look like.

I had bags delayed recently and the PSL were amazing, but had to be nudged at each step - they were already booked on next flight, but I chased asking them to forward to next airport as i had moved on the next morning to an airport they don't serve, then to get them delivered to hotel. They really snapped to it at each stage. I would keep calling and asking where it is and telling them what you want.

A Tile tracker in each bag really helped, as saying I can see they are at JFK now please get them on this flight number obviously helped clarify things. And indeed seeing they were still in AMS saved waiting for the last bags to arrive on the belt.

They were very quick processing claim for some essentials bought at inflated airport prices without quibble.

Lost bags are a total headache. With sympathy!

To be fair, this is my fifth time this year having delayed bags and all the other times the system reflected their actual location and the process was fairly seamless. That‘s why I‘m so shocked by how little is done when there‘s an apparent error between location and their file.
I‘ve shared my Airtag link while filing the report and with the PSL, but no one has opened it so far.
I still have to insist every time I call that the bag is still in AMS, not in WAW.

It will disappear from AMS and suddenly show in WAW ;)
Keep in mind that if your bag is somewhere below Schiphol in their luggage handling system then GPS location might not be very accurate, it might or might not have actually moved.

It definitely has moved, airtags are pretty reliable in AMS in my experience.

It‘s wild, every time I call they insist my third bag is in Warsaw and they‘re trying to blame it on the WAW airport.

Would contact the baggage handler (Dnata/Aviapartners/Swissport, the relevant one on your flight to WAW).
Recently had a very good experience with that while using 2 different airlines/alliances. Same day delivery even.
Still problematic that you need to keep insisting on what's going on.
In my experience they put notes in files etc in such cases or deep dive on these things.

After another round of emails saying that my bag is in WAW I now seem to have a capable person working the emails at the PSL on the case.

Apparently she has written the ground staff several times with no reply and their phone is offline since September 15th due to a technical issue. Mind you, this is Schiphol we’re talking about.
Bag‘s still in AMS and I‘m looking several thousand € of equipment rental costs plus clothes and toiletries.

PS: ground staff in WAW have been great, called me immediately when two of my three bags arrived, were ready to deliver within the hour and followed up on my third bag.

And AMS ground staff?

Nothing. The PSL has been trying to get a hold of them for five days now apparently. This is wild.

You should be able to contact them directly.
Super weird that there's so much confusion though

Just got off the phone with the PSL again, it‘s KLM doing their baggage handling at AMS. But apparently they‘ve been unable to reach their own company in six full days to get this bag on its way.

I‘m now out almost 3000 € for rental equipment in that luggage, adding almost 500 € for every day it‘s not returned. Getting this covered by KLM will be a fight and I‘m at my wit‘s end.