Strategy for Baggage Complaint?
 

My bag did not arrive with me yesterday evening on a flight home, and was told when I filed the report that they were on the next flight, which arrives at 10:10pm, and that a late night delivery was possible. That's great, as my plate is full the next morning, I request a late night delivery. I was told to leave the porch light on and a note for them to leave the bag.

I returned home, put a note on the door, and waited until 1am. No bag. Got up this morning about 630 and peeked outside. No bag. Called the Baggage Service line at 7:30, went through the computerized voice prompts and then was connected to the call center in India. All she did was call the delivery company who wasn't answering the phone. (I asked for a local number and was told that was not possible because Seattle is a large airport and there are many misdirected bags. I can understand not wanting to have your front lined reps harrassed by angry passengers, but still it seemed ludicrous to have me essentially call India to have them make what for me is a local call.) Called back at 11:00 with the same query. Still no answer at the courier company.

Luggage is finally delivered at 11:30am. I asked the courier guy why it wasn't delivered last night as promised. His response, "I don't know. I'm not on the night shift."
"Where do I call to find out why?"
"The airline."

Yes, I'm glad I have my dirty clothes to clean. But I'm ticked that the bag wasn't delivered as promised, first for not arriving with me, which I can overlooked if it was delivered in a timely fashion, which it was not. Was it a failure on UA's part to get the bag to the courier service last night? Did the courier service sit on it overnight until they had enough to be delivered?

I want to let United know that I'm not happy with their performance. I suspect I'll get a form response, but what if I want specific answers? This isn't a typical occurrence for me. In 20 years of flying I can count on one hand the number of misdirected bags. 3 of 5 times things were resolved without further prompting on my part, so the track record is good.

...and please don't suggest that I use a carry on. I don't like schleeping bags through hub airports during connections, and I dislike even more, the race for the overhead bin space with people who are carrying on more than they're entitled to.

98103,

Welcome to FT (and to UA!).

The last thing I want to do is be inflammatory - believe me I hate it when this happens. But I don't go searching for compensation when my bags arrive within 24 hours of my arrival (especially when it is to my home airport).

Surely, this is just one of those unfortunate aspects of flying. If you fly enough - it happens: your bags arrive after you do. And it happened to you this time - fortunately on your return; not outbound flights. I guess I would ask; how often has it not happened to you? (In other words, what are you currently "batting"?)

Again, please do not get me wrong. I am not supporting UA here. They should have ensured your bags were on your flight. But isn't this one of those things that you are better to put down to frequent flying and let it wash over you? How much additional anguish are you causing yourself by writing on FT and to the airline about a minor incident that has passed?

Preserve your gastric mucosa!:D

Again, I am sorry that this happened to you.


Lurker :)

Thanks for the comments Lurker, all ones I'm cognizant of.

I'm truly not looking for compensation whatsoever, not even in the form of miles (this from a person who didn't take a bump opportunity because it was a free ticket on UA - - I know that's Blasphemy around here.)

I would like to know why it happened, and I think if it were the case that the vendor who does the delivery dropped the ball (which I suspect that this is the case) they'd want to know. Or even that the baggage agent was making unrealistic promises.

Perhaps its a need to just vent. I did want to point out the absurdity of having to call an automated system to talk to someone in India who makes a call halfway around the world to a number that is a local call for me. In the end, I'm guessing I'll just submit a comment on line.

Overall, my batting average is high, but for some reason I have an excellent track record of things going wrong when I fly Untied. I hope they don't get the gov't contract for SEA-DCA next fiscal year. I love the nonstop DCA-SEA flights (also blasphemy around here with some, I think).

missing bag
 

Returning from AKL via SYD to SFO... my dirt laundry showed up but my bag with goodies didn't... it didn't arrive for 5 days... NZ air didn't put a bag tag on it, luckily Hawaiian Air took care of the bag when it arrived in HNL via Quantas because I had my HA preimer club ID on it... go figure...

The bag had been on 2 airlines I didn't even fly on... I was intouch with UA in India as you were 4 days in a row in and around working 12 hours shifts, it went thru ag inspection and Homeland Security in HNL and Hawaiian Air contacted me and UA for transport of bag from HNL to SFO UA then to my residence via Fedex, I live 160 miles from SFO...

Luckily with as many hands that touched my bag, unlocked in HNL, nothing was missing and I was just releaved to get everything... my lambskin slippers and all...

Curious, when they check you in at the premium counter in AKL (not out in the lobby) they tag the bag before giving you the bag sticker (at least that's how they handled my check-in), so, I'm assuming the tag came off at some point. Did you have your NZ claim sticker?

Glad to hear the story ended well for you, and it underscores the benefit of having a properly addressed baggage tag on the bag, as well as one's itinerary enclosed within.

For the OP, the only times I've been successful with a late night delivery is when it was directed to a hotel I've been staying at. Otherwise, home deliveries have always been during broad daylight and never when they said. But at least it made it home :)

Pat

Similar Experience
 

I just experienced the same. DEN-SJC 11pm arrivial. They say the bag will be on the first flight from DEN in the morning (10am). I'm OK with that. Here comes 2pm and no bag. I call the UA Baggage number. I'm assured that the bag was on the 10am flight. No will pick up the phone in SJC so they leave an urgent message to call me with its status. Now its 3:30pm no call. I call the 1K desk they get in touch with SJC and they are trying to find my bag and will call me in 15 min. Now its 5pm., no call. I call 1K again (and get someone in Chicago). After they call a few people (in SJ), my bag will be delivered in 4 hours. Not good enough for me since they screwed around all day with my bag. I push the issue and I get my bag in 1 hour.

The best way to complain is the UA website. Go to Customer Service and email a complaint. I'm not looking for compensation but when you complain through this process, I usually get some mile deposited in my MP account. They never tell me they are given me miles, its usually just a suprise.

To me this reads that it's possible that you'll get your bag late that night, but far from guaranteed.

Generally UA has been great about getting me my bags on a timely basis after they misconnect. I don't want to minimize your issue, but before noon the next day is really not that bad.

I had an issue with DL at SMF a couple of years ago where the bag had made it to the airport but it took the contractor 3 days to deliver it to me. When I asked if I could go to pick it up myself the airline told me that it was up to the contractor but wouldn't give me their contact information. The bag finally made it 5 hours before my return flight - just in time to take it back to the airport and re-check it :D. I say this to point out that it's not just United - it's everywhere.

If you are already distressed at UA losing a bag, calling and reaching only the ICC is enough to drive you raging mad.

And the ICC was unable to help. Unfortunately, that doesn't make news.

And if you call UA to complain, guess where your call will be directed?

It's all frustrating. Last year our son flew SEA-YYZ on CO with a tight connection for a long weekend. He was forced to gate-check his rollaboard as he boarded because the overheads were allegedly already full. When he mentioned the tight connection he was told "Don't worry sir. If you make it, your bag will."

Except it didn't and he eventually had it delivered 27 hours after his arrival in Toronto. The form response he received to his complaint letter leads me to agree with Lurker's advice to you earlier, but I do understand your frustration.

Cheers,
Fredd

OP - you don't have any chance of ever finding out the reality of what happened with your bags, IMO. If you still want to send the letter just to vent, by all means go for it. I would guess you'll get a form letter and $50 voucher out of it (I know you don't want compensation but it's kind of a default mechanism by UA these days). Of course, it will take UA a couple of months to respond to you at all, if they ever do.

I wish there was more transparency with how lost baggage is handled, but then again it'd likely really upset me to have that information and see even more clearly how the bags (and owners) are abused by the process.

might actually get more than a $50 voucher......goalie-parents (both 3p's) flew u/g'd first (good goalie-son but i digress) sfo-iad and had to wait almost 2 1/2 hrs for their bags at iad. i called on their behalf just to say that on a n/s flight from a ua hub to a u/a hub, this was truly an embarrassment and they each got a $75 voucher and goalie-parents' baggage delay is far less than what happened to the op.

Yes, except the OP said in his/her second post "I'm truly not looking for compensation whatsoever, not even in the form of miles (this from a person who didn't take a bump opportunity because it was a free ticket on UA - - I know that's Blasphemy around here.)"

He/she seems more interested in trying to effect some improvement or at least figuring out what went wrong.

And welcome to FT 98103. And yes, it is Blasphemy around here but I still applaud your efforts. :)

You could always file a complaint with the DOT. :eek:

yes, as did i-the cert came unsolicited as i didn't call asking for it but rather to voice a concern over poor service and yes, welcome to flyertalk 98103 :).

What should one expect for a bag that has been delayed for 5 days and then picked up by the pax instead of being delievered?