Compensation for luggage delay?
 

On a flight TPE-NRT-ORD-BDL on UA, my connection in ORD was tight (50 mins).

At ORD my luggage was routed to CID instead of BDL, through no fault of my own (no voluntary separation, late checkin, etc.)

So I was in New Haven, CT in freezing weather without most of my winter clothes. The CID-ORD flight the suitcase was supposed to return on was canceled. So I didn't get my suitcase for about 24 hours. I didn't actually "lose" any money, but I was inconvenienced because my clothes and some files I needed were in my suitcase.

Do you guys think that I can/should ask UA for compensation perhaps in the form of a certificate or extra miles? Has anyone successfully made such a request before?

I have search the forum but most of the cases I pulled up involved delays in which people's own mistakes (e.g. very late checkin) were responsible for hte luggage problems.

I think compensation is very unlikely. Perhaps they'll give you a few miles, at most. Airlines will somtimes compensate if you need to buy some personal items until they get your bag to you, but if they paid compensation every time they "mishandled" a bag, they'd be broke. I mean more broke.

AA and US have both misplaced my bags once for about 18-24 hours, and both of them were very good about reimbursement for clothes and personal items. I didn't try to soak them for a $1000 suit or anything - just about $150 each time for a business-casual outfit and toiletries.

Technically, I've heard that the airlines don't owe anything to you unless it's been over 24 hours. However, I imagine they get a lot of people asking for LARGE reimbursements for minor delays. My small requests were approved without hassle.

Welcome to FT CollegeFlyer!

You may want to check the UA forum... where this probably should be.

There are a few threads on luggage problems, and how people went about asking for compensation.

William

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

I am currently dealing with a lost baggage issue with United. It is now three weeks, and one of my two bags that were lost are still MIA. I have not yet submitted my claim, partly because when I do I will psychologically have given up on recovering my stuff.

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