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Consolidated UA Lost/Delayed Baggage Issues {Archive}

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Old Feb 3, 2024, 12:21 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the active thread is Consolidated UA Lost/Delayed Baggage Issues

DoT is proposing increased lost bag compensation -- increased from $3,500 to $3,800 effective 21 April 2021
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Suggested reading is UA's lost bag info on the web: Baggage Info, Checked Bag Issues, checked UA's Baggage tracing and Damaged Bags

Delayed baggage and claim form
Updated prior to June 2023 to removed the $1,500 statement

new statement
Bags that don’t arrive with you at your destination are considered delayed. Customers whose bags were delayed somewhere other than where they live may submit a claim for reimbursement of expenses, along with receipts, for the period during which their bags were delayed. If the bags aren’t found after five days, the customer may also submit a claim for their lost bags. Reimbursed expenses will be deducted from the total we pay you if your bags are permanently lost. You can submit a claim below.

For bags still lost after five days
If we can’t find your bag after five days, we’ll reimburse you for the value of your bag, its contents, and any fees you paid to check the bag. Receipts may be required and certain items might not be eligible for reimbursement. Depending on your trip, maximum claim limits may also apply.

The fastest way to start a claim is online, using the button below.
https://baggageclaimform.united.com/...uagecode=en-us

You can also contact us at the Baggage Recovery Center to file a claim:
old statement

For bags still lost after five days

If we’re unable to find your bag after five days, you may be eligible for $1,500 for the value of your baggage and its contents without requiring any documentation.
If we can’t find your bag after five days, we’ll reimburse you for the value of your bag, its contents, and any fees you paid to check the bag. Receipts may be required and certain items might not be eligible for reimbursement. Depending on your trip, maximum claim limits may also apply.Contact a United Representative at the Baggage Resolution Center by calling:
If the value of your lost bag and its contents is more than $1,500, you can document and claim a higher amount, with receipts. The most you can claim is $3,500 for flights within the U.S. There are different maximums for international flights. Customers whose baggage was delayed in a location other than their place of residence may submit a claim for reimbursement of interim expenses for the period during which the baggage was delayed, providing receipts. If the baggage is not found after five days, the customer may submit a claim for the lost baggage. The interim expenses will be deducted from the legal limit of reimbursement if the bag is permanently lost. Use the link below to submit a claim.
https://www.wheresmysuitcase.com/

When multiple carriers are involved, IATA convention on bag issues is that your claim is to be processed with the last carrier noted on the claim tag. that should have delivered the bags regardless on which carrier may or may not have created the issue.

Montreal Convention - Wikipedia
The Montreal Convention changes and generally increases the maximum liability of airlines for lost baggage to a fixed amount 1,131 SDR per passenger (the amount in the Warsaw Convention is based on weight of the baggage). It requires airlines to fully compensate travelers the cost of replacement items purchased until the baggage is delivered, to a maximum of 1,131 SDR. At 21 days any delayed baggage is considered lost, until the airline finds and delivers it.
Montreal Convention - IATA
Limits on Baggage Liability
Domestic Baggage Liability
  • For DOMESTIC flights, DOT regulation allows airlines to limit their liability for a lost, damaged, or delayed bag. Airlines are free to pay more than the limit, but are not required to do so.
  • The maximum liability amount allowed by the regulation is $3,800 per passenger.
International Baggage Liability
  • For most INTERNATIONAL flights, a treaty called the Montreal Convention applies to the carriage of baggage. The maximum baggage liability for flights covered by the Montreal Convention is currently 1,288 Special Drawing Rights (approximately $1,700.00 US) per passenger. This is the most that airlines must pay a passenger for a lost, damaged, or delayed bag. Airlines are free to pay more than the limit, but are not required to do so.
  • The Montreal Convention’s international baggage liability limit is reviewed for inflationary adjustment every five years by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
  • In the few situations when the Montreal Convention does not apply to travel to and from the United States, an older treaty called the “Warsaw Convention ” may apply.
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Consolidated UA Lost/Delayed Baggage Issues {Archive}

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Old Feb 3, 2019, 9:38 pm
  #436  
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
Originally Posted by onthesam
My only point was 1K status can help get OP's bag back to OP faster.
Based on what?

There's no published benefit for expedited bag recovery for premier members, nor can I imagine why it would behoove UA to create one. (Are you suggesting that they'd put the bag on the next available flight for a premier member, but would hang onto it for a day or two for a general member? Why?). If they did, I wouldn't expect it to work any better than the priority tags, which are only supposed to govern which bags come off of the belt first; (a) they often don't, and (b) there are so many 'premier' tags on many flights that it's borderline pointless.
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Old Feb 3, 2019, 9:45 pm
  #437  
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Chicago IL US
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@jsloan: expedited courier service has been an unpublished benefit for a long time now. Check with a baggage agent next time you are at a baggage claim -- they'll verify. The screen to enter the lost/delayed baggage delivery ticket information includes a dropdown box with passenger's status. When 1K its selected, expedited courier service automatically populates. That is all I know.

EDIT: As I think about it, I believe it populates an 'expedited service' box and not just expedited courier service.
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Old Feb 4, 2019, 8:45 am
  #438  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: CLE, DCA, and 30k feet
Programs: Honors LT Diamond; United 1K; Hertz PC
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Originally Posted by onthesam
@jsloan: expedited courier service has been an unpublished benefit for a long time now. Check with a baggage agent next time you are at a baggage claim -- they'll verify. The screen to enter the lost/delayed baggage delivery ticket information includes a dropdown box with passenger's status. When 1K its selected, expedited courier service automatically populates. That is all I know.

EDIT: As I think about it, I believe it populates an 'expedited service' box and not just expedited courier service.
My informal understanding is true expedited delivery is only a GS benefit, as in they'll have the courier service make a special trip as soon as the bag arrives for delivery.

All of my (1K for the past 4 years, Plat, Gold, CO Silver before that) delayed baggage recovery experiences the bag has just wound up on the next scheduled run for the courier service after the bag has arrived and it has been delivered in due course. Then again, I've never been in that much of a hurry where I've felt the need to inquire aboutrequest any kind of expedited service.
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Old Feb 4, 2019, 8:56 am
  #439  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, CM Plat, Amex Plat, Hertz CP, Hyatt Globalist, SPG Gold, Vons Club
Posts: 6,852
Originally Posted by onthesam
@jsloan: expedited courier service has been an unpublished benefit for a long time now. Check with a baggage agent next time you are at a baggage claim -- they'll verify. The screen to enter the lost/delayed baggage delivery ticket information includes a dropdown box with passenger's status. When 1K its selected, expedited courier service automatically populates. That is all I know.

EDIT: As I think about it, I believe it populates an 'expedited service' box and not just expedited courier service.
When I was a 1K a few years back, I had a lost bag on arrival in Buenos Aires (in fact it never left my transfer point of IAD) I filled out the lost report at the counter in EZE and gave my manager’s cell phone number as my contact number. Later that day a woman from 1K baggage support called and let us know the situation of the bag, she followed up the next day to advise what flight it was on because I was now in Mendoza and not in Buenos Aires, they placed the bag on an interline flight which arrived in Mendoza the following evening. Once I got back to my hotel after retrieving the bag, the Chicago 1K baggage support person called again to see if I successfully retrieved my bag. She was so nice, and even sent me a $600 ECERT, Without me asking for anything. I have been platinum the last few years and haven’t lost a bag since so I’m unsure if that desk is still operating. I was blown away by the service I had received
Flying Machine is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2019, 12:24 pm
  #440  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 5
Unhappy United loss bagagge

I flew United with the following route FLL-EWR-TLV on Feb-17, checked 2 baggage but only 1 arrived. the other one does not have any scan information beyond "Checked at FLL", received at 09:30 am" . it has been 4 days now and United is unable to supply any additional information about the missing bag. they say they looked all over FLL locations but could not find it.
my question
do i qualify for the 1500$ compensation policy published on United website as the bag was lost on a domestic flight although my final destination was international ?
if yes, how can i claim it ?
.i have to say i am very disappointed by united, they dont see to care nor do anything to try and locate my loss bag.
Moshebarak is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2019, 12:30 pm
  #441  
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 223
For the compensation, the Baggage Resolution Center should contact you, but if they have not, here is their contact info: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...t/baggage.html
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 12:33 pm
  #442  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 5
noone contacted me, i keep contacting them......they asked me to file a a baggage claim which i just did
as i said, they dont seem to care, im the only one contacting them
do you think i will get the 1500 or not ?
Moshebarak is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2019, 12:35 pm
  #443  
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Originally Posted by Moshebarak
do i qualify for the 1500$ compensation policy published on United website as the bag was lost on a domestic flight although my final destination was international ?
Welcome to FlyerTalk!

Because it was an international flight, your baggage loss is covered under the Montreal Convention. The limit for those flight is 1,131 Special Drawing Rights, which is currently about US$1575 (about 5700 shekel). United will pay the US$1500 with no documentation. If you want to go for the full amount, you'd need to follow up with United and document the value of the contents.

They will still deliver the bag to you if they find it.
jsloan is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2019, 12:36 pm
  #444  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 4,126
Originally Posted by Moshebarak
I flew United with the following route FLL-EWR-TLV on Feb-17, checked 2 baggage but only 1 arrived. the other one does not have any scan information beyond "Checked at FLL", received at 09:30 am" . it has been 4 days now and United is unable to supply any additional information about the missing bag. they say they looked all over FLL locations but could not find it.
my question
do i qualify for the 1500$ compensation policy published on United website as the bag was lost on a domestic flight although my final destination was international ?
if yes, how can i claim it ?
.i have to say i am very disappointed by united, they dont see to care nor do anything to try and locate my loss bag.
I'm sorry to hear of your misfortune... it stinks. I'm not sure what you mean by "they don't seem to care nor do anything to try and locate my lost bag". Didn't you say they claim they've looked all over FLL for it? If I had to guess, it was stolen.
JimInOhio is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2019, 12:36 pm
  #445  
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 223
Originally Posted by Moshebarak
noone contacted me, i keep contacting them......they asked me to file a a baggage claim which i just did
as i said, they dont seem to care, im the only one contacting them
do you think i will get the 1500 or not ?
Yes, they may not always be the most proactive in communicating, but I do not see why not you would not get the $1500.

UA has not lost my bag (yet), but I got my compensation via check for delayed baggage in under a month after filing a claim online.
bman1002 is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2019, 12:42 pm
  #446  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 5
but it was lost on the domestic leg, the bag did not go on the international flight from newark to tel aviv
the latest scan info is at FLL
Moshebarak is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2019, 12:45 pm
  #447  
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Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,412
Originally Posted by Moshebarak
but it was lost on the domestic leg, the bag did not go on the international flight from newark to tel aviv
the latest scan info is at FLL
The $1500 policy applies either way.

If you want to try to claim up to the DOT compensation limit (about $3400, I think), you can try and see if they agree, but it doesn't apply to your flight. The Montreal Convention covers domestic legs connecting to international flights as well as the international flights themselves. You'd need to be able to document the costs of the lost items.

BTW: just because it was last scanned at FLL doesn't mean that it never left. It's entirely possible that it got to EWR and got lost before it got scanned there.
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 12:46 pm
  #448  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by JimInOhio
I'm sorry to hear of your misfortune... it stinks. I'm not sure what you mean by "they don't seem to care nor do anything to try and locate my lost bag". Didn't you say they claim they've looked all over FLL for it? If I had to guess, it was stolen.
i did not want to write it but i suspect too that it was stolen as the luggage was completely new, i bought it one day before my trip
the bag was full of new clothes, shoes and merchandise for kids that i have bought at the mall a day before.
it is shameful, i am sure airport authorities can trace what happened with all the cameras they have there......
Moshebarak is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2019, 10:06 pm
  #449  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Programs: UA 1K, UA .53 MM, Marriott Gold, Nexus, GE, TSA Pre, Hertz PC
Posts: 581
Originally Posted by onthesam
Mere (perhaps silly) speculation on the part of the agent. Nobody established that the bag was 'pulled' vs left on wrong cart, stuck in TSA, etc. My only point was 1K status can help get OP's bag back to OP faster.

OP: good look recovering . Since nobody seems to know what position UA will take, please let us know what they say regarding reimbursement.
Update: My claim status is still in the "Received" state. When I filed the claim, and subsequently emailed 1KVoice, I was told that the claim may take 8-10 weeks to process. I did receive a $250 ETC from United, which was a gesture of goodwill from 1KVoice. Still waiting to see if they will reimburse me for the ~$800 that I spent out of pocket.
SFOrunner is offline  
Old Feb 23, 2019, 1:26 pm
  #450  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA (SFO)
Programs: UA 1K, UA .53 MM, Marriott Gold, Nexus, GE, TSA Pre, Hertz PC
Posts: 581
Originally Posted by LRMErnst
Update: My claim status is still in the "Received" state. When I filed the claim, and subsequently emailed 1KVoice, I was told that the claim may take 8-10 weeks to process. I did receive a $250 ETC from United, which was a gesture of goodwill from 1KVoice. Still waiting to see if they will reimburse me for the ~$800 that I spent out of pocket.
Update 2: I received a letter and a check from United, reimbursing me for my entire claim of $839.58 Overall, I'm very satisfied with how everything was handled. It would have been nice to know that the claim was approved prior to opening the mailbox...but it was a nice surprise nonetheless.

2/2/19 - I fly SFO-JAC
2/3/19 - My ski bag arrives in JAC
2/10/19 - I submit a claim to UA for the interim expenses I incurred as a result of the delayed bag
2/12/19 - Letter from United is drafted
2/15/19 - Letter is postmarked
2/22/19 - Letter and check arrive via USPS
SFOrunner is offline  


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