wardoma

We were recently traveling to Austin via Frankfurt and none of the bags arrived at the destination. We are visiting for a short time and it was incredibly inconvenient not to have any bags. On top of that they made us checkin our carryon bags since the flight was full. We arrived with just our passports and few documents.

Ground staff refused any compensation and asked us to email lufhansa customer relations. We had to buy several things for the next 4 days after which we received our bags. We filed compensation claim with receipts but its been more than 2 weeks and haven't heard anything from Lufthansa. Is this normal ? Any suggestions to get Lufthansa to pay or get a response from them?

SK AAR

Welcome to FT!

Sorry to hear about the problems. I would hate to arrive at destination without any bags - I'm surprised that LH made you check-in your hand luggage? They were excessive in size or weight?

Anyway, first of all the response time from LH is much longer than 2 weeks. 6-8 weeks are not unheard of in matters like this. If you have not heard from LH in 3-4 weeks from now call or trying email again - did you receive an email from LH with the case/reference No?

Secondly, if you have original receipts for necessary purchases of clothes, toiletries etc, LH will most likely refund the expenses. I don't expect any issues there (unless of course if the nature of the purchases made or the total amount per pax give rise to objections). However, if you have travel insurance coverage these expenses will often be covered and paid out much more quickly than by the airline so check with your travel insurance also.

Often1

Your question asks about compensation. I would not expect any.

However, LH is responsible for refunding your reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. It may simply take time.

As others note, it is much easier to deal with travel insurance. Typically smaller reasonable claims with receipts are paid without question in a few days.

Msafiritx

You will get your money, don't worry. If you claimed no more than about 300 euros per passenger, the refund will likely be hassle free. The wait is usually 6 - 8 weeks.

One time an airline responded after 11 weeks, with the refund, an apology, and an extra USD 1000 travel voucher for the inconvenience. And I said, you are forgiven, Mr Airline!

mvillanu

I too experienced delayed baggage on a recent LH flight from FRA-BUD. In fact, the flight took off from FRA with no bags except those of the crew! The crew said nothing about the problem and all the passengers were left to fend for themselves at baggage claim in BUD. It took several hours to reach the lost baggage desk in order to submit our claim. We were then left without our bags in Budapest for two days before they were finally delivered. Now Lufthansa is throwing road blocks and refusing to compensate us for our purchases until I submit a Power of Attorney form (my friend bought the tickets). They ignore her direct attempts to request reimbursement. Any suggestions?

SK AAR

You friend can't request comp.on your behalf - you will need to issue a power of attorney (POA) to authorize her to claim your reimbursement. Claim the reimbursement yourself - in your own name - or issue a POA to let someone else do it on your behalf. Nothing new there.

lamphs

Hello fellow FTers.

IAD->LHR (UA)->VIE (OS)->TGD (OS), business, *S, if it matters. This is an award ticket with taxes paid with my Chase UC Visa.

Arrived in TGD. Checked luggage did not arrive. 'World Tracer' has it arriving Thursday (13 May) at TGD, sometime after 5 PM. (World Tracer has confirmed that the bag is traveling from LHR->VIE tomorrow.

I had only planned to stay in Budva tonight (10 May) and then travel south to Albania. It is my understanding that I could contact OS tomorrow and ask to have the bag delivered to TIR instead (there is a daily flight) and I can pick it up at the TIR airport. Is this correct?

What are my options in the meantime? What can I purchase and will OS reimburse reasonable expenses? Basic toiletries, a t-shirt or two, a pair of shorts, briefs, and socks are needed.

Thank you all!

SK AAR

Both assumptions are correct. You need to contact OS at the destination and agree that the bag is forwarded to you in Tirana. Usually it is not an issue. Did you tell them from the beginning that you would travel onwards to Tirana ? If yes, it should already be in the records and the bag will be forwarded. If not you have to persuade the guys to deliver it at TIR instead

Keep your receipts and forward to OS for reimbursement when you are back home. Or forward to your travel insurers

lamphs

Back again. This remains unresolved. The TGD agent, without my prompting, can see that three URGENT messages were sent to VIE over the past two days requesting to have my bag rerouted to TIR (daily flight). She stated that one message was acknowledged, but the bag is still scheduled for TGD late tomorrow afternoon. The TGD agent also acknowledged that the bag would have to get to me from TGD to an address in Tirana, but she has no idea how that will happen nor when it will happen.

I sent an e-mail to [email protected], an address for lost/long-delayed baggage, with no response. I cannot find any phone number of someone to speak to in-person. I am trying to keep expenses to a minimum (a few toiletries and two shirts), but I am going to need more.

Finally, is the only method of expense reimbursement from Austrian is to mail (as in post office) ORIGINALS to a PO box in Vienna?

Thanks in advance for any additional assistance.

SK AAR

Yes, one have to be patient with these things - it def. complicated matters that you are no longer in TGD but moved on to Tirana.

Try forwarding receipts by email first; OS will tell you if original receipts are required. Lately - as in the last couple of years - I hasn't been necessary for me to provide original receipt with airlines like BA, LH or ET - by email sufficed.

nufnuf77

I had lost luggage about 10 times including Lhr mad bcn, with next day trip Bcn Doh Han. Luggage ended up in hanoi about week later.
the best thing is to go to aero or worldtracer with your PIR (property irregularity report) and update the forwarding address there!

lamphs

Surprise, surprise. Received an e-mail from "lost and found" at TIR this morning. 'Your baggage arrived yesterday; please pick up at your convenience.' No update on the tracer until after the e-mail. Picked up the bag this afternoon.

I find it interesting, and I think this is the 3rd time, I've been allowed back to the sterile area and bypassing customs, with only a passport check, to pickup luggage - once US (I think IAH), once MLA, and now TIA. In MLA I was escorted part of the time; today I went through the 'airport personnel only door' and was pointed to lost and found without an escort. I identified my bag, signed for it, and walked out a side door.

Does anyone have a valid e-mail address for Austrian to submit a claim? I may just file a DOT compliant because I think it is an onerous requirement for a non-Austrian resident to have to mail original receipts from the country of residence.

Thanks again for everyone's input!

SK AAR

Did you check the OS webpage?

https://www.austrian.com/dk/en/help-...delay/personal

Maybe you should wait filing a DOT complaint until it is clear if OS will reimburse or not? Contemplating a DOT complaint without even researching how to submit receipts for reimbursement or actually requesting OS to reimburse first, is far-stretched IMO.

oliver2002

The baggage area is not 'sterile' so no security required.

lamphs

I should have been more clear - I essentially skipped customs in each of those countries as I was taken to the international baggage area.