Delayed Baggage claims

[albatross710]

We found ourselves at JFK where we found out that our bags missed our FRA connection and won't get here for another 24 hours. This will trigger a claim for both Mrs Albatross with Qantas Comprehensive and me with TID The Works. A late night read of the policies indicates a $500 benefit on each policy.

Just a quick sanity check as I've read this after being awake for 23 hours. So each of us can spend up to $500 on essentials in the morning like jeans, a shirt, toiletries.

Does that sound right? Any specific experiences with either of those insurance polices and delayed bag claims?

 

[dylarr]

Without reading the actual PDS of your insurance your experience is fairly similar to my previous experiences with delayed baggage claims that I've had. I've successfully logged delayed baggage claims through both travel insurance (Amex) and via the airline as a compensation claim (Qantas who will compensate after a 24 hour delay) and in both scenarios I was able submit receipts for clothing and toiletries which have been reimbursed in full.

 

[albatross710]

This sound a little unrealistic...

Lufthansa advise claimable purchases up to EUR1,500 per person. Source : Their USA freecall number, Philippines agent operator referencing our luggage case number.

So we will use that claim first as the insurance policies only payout after the airline.

Might have to head to Macy's for the new pyjama shirt (That's a joke!)

 

[dylarr]

This sound a little unrealistic...

Actually perhaps not... since the trips fall under EU jurisdiction:

Air passenger rights - Your Europe

Travellers' rights - flight delays, cancellations and overbooking (passengers unable to fly on flight they booked)

europa.eu

 

[albatross710]

Actually perhaps not... since the trips fall under EU jurisdiction:

Air passenger rights - Your Europe

Travellers' rights - flight delays, cancellations and overbooking (passengers unable to fly on flight they booked)

europa.eu

excellent link, thank you. our claim for 'essentials' came to ~USD500. We look quite dapper in essential matching "I Love NYC" hats.

 

[Danger]

I've claimed delayed baggage a couple of times. As noted, it depends on the PDS. However, in my experience, two things to be particularly aware of. First, if the luggage is ultimately lost, the cost of whatever you purchase will be deducted from that lost baggage claim. Second, it's important to have a third-party record of when the delayed baggage was actually received by you. In my case, I had a typed note on hotel letterhead saying when the bags were delivered by courier. (Incidentally, on that claim, I took airberlin to court in Australia for failing to pay. Airberlin didn't contest the claim and default judgement was awarded against it. I got my money weeks before it went under.)

 

[Jacques Vert]

I've claimed delayed baggage a couple of times. As noted, it depends on the PDS. However, in my experience, two things to be particularly aware of. First, if the luggage is ultimately lost, the cost of whatever you purchase will be deducted from that lost baggage claim. Second, it's important to have a third-party record of when the delayed baggage was actually received by you. In my case, I had a typed note on hotel letterhead saying when the bags were delivered by courier. (Incidentally, on that claim, I took airberlin to court in Australia for failing to pay. Airberlin didn't contest the claim and default judgement was awarded against it. I got my money weeks before it went under.)

So it was your claim that broke the camel's back!

 

[Danger]

So it was your claim that broke the camel's back!

Ha. Yep. Airberlin was apparently down to its last AUD200-odd.

 

[albatross710]

Well our bags arrived at the hotel 42 hours after our arrival. I sent off all the receipts last night and received a generic acknowledgement. A further email from the airline this morning, claim approved! They asked for bank details and a final ID check.

Acknowledging the risk that purchases would be deducted from a possible future lost claim, I did have the bags tagged with Apple AirTags. When I had arrived in JFK I had my first inkling that they were left behind. By the time we did our local purchasing in the morning, the airline had updated their case to say they had found them and were forwarding them. I then saw the tags ping the location when they arrived on the aircraft schedule about Sunday 2pm local. It took until midnight for them to get handed to the local delivery courier. That courier did not start their delivery run until 9am. They went in a large circuit and eventually delivered to us about Monday 3:30pm. TBH the purchasing of essentials allowed us to continue our adventures on Sunday and Monday thereby not losing 33% of our NYC holiday to an overly zealous airline line manager cutting corners.

The process really confirms why Australia needs airline performance regulation when compared to MrsAlbatrosses experience last year What compensation to expect for Baggage delivered 10 days late and after being back home.