Lost/delayed Baggage Query (QF/JQ)

[mbeder]

We recently flew SYD-BNE-DPS on QF and then JQ. Due to a late departure from SYD and a delayed landing in BNE, our luggage never made it from the DOM to INT terminals and subsequently did not get loaded onto the JQ flight (we managed to make teh flight, but it was a tight changeover). After a frustrating couple of days, the bags (2 cases) eventually arrived at our hotel (delays of 50 hours plus for each) - a claim for expenses (clothing, toiletries, etc) has been lodged with JQ and I'm pretty confident that they will come through, as it's not an excessive claim.

When we opened the bags we realized that items were stolen from our luggage - I'm assuming that this occurred while the bags where in a holding area somewhere - despite being locked, they were soft cases with exposed zippers and we all know how easy it is to open & re-zip bags even when the zipper tags are secured with a padlock. Firstly, I always travel with a Leatherman (which goes into checked baggage for obvious reasons) - it was gone, while my wife lost some perfume she had brought along for the trip. My question for fellow members is as follows...do I simply put this down to bad luck and let it go, or is there some way of attempting to receive compensation for these items? We obviously have no proof that these items were packed and cannot prove when/where they went missing.

To add insult to injury, both bags were damaged on the return flights, so claims have also been lodged for that aspect as well. I'm not one to get too stressed or angry when these things happen (i.e. the delayed & damaged bags) as they're part & parcel of travelling, however the stolen items, particularly the Leatherman, is very irritating and an expensive item to replace at my own expense.

Any thoughts/feedback?

 

[Sprucegoose]

Do you have insurance ?

 

[RooFlyer]

Do you have insurance ?

I agree that insurance hopefully is in place but if not, put a claim to the airline. I'm not sure even JQ, as LCC can disavow claims for theft. Put it in writing and keep a record of all calls and correspondence. They WILL try and fob you off / ignore you. For everyone's sake, be persistent. I'm not sure if JQ does its own baggage handling, or if they use an agent. If its an agent, you may find your airline claim ends up with the agent. This happened to me when things were nicked out of my bags HKG-MEL on Cathay ... all of a sudden I was dealing with some other company.

You will have zero chance of a successful claim on either insurance or airline if you don't have original receipts.

Feedback? In future, use your phone to take photographs of successive layers as you pack your bag, with close-ups of special items, and with the day's newspaper beside the bag. Photos of outside too of course. It won't be 'proof' that something was taken (you'll still need original receipts) but it will help you remember things that were taken - in the theft above, I didn't have pics and some items of clothing I only remembered later and couldn't claim for.

ps Cathay tried to make me claim on my insurance; my insurance wanted me to first claim on the airline. I told Cathay firmly that I was claiming on them, and they could figure it out later.

 

[Deleted member]

I'm planning a similar trip. However I have already decided to use the cling wrap service at BNE to reduce the chance of my case being tampered with. I won't take anything worth stealing in my case. Maybe I'm being a wee bit paranoid, but after the story of the Aussies in Thailand having drugs planted in their cases ( I think it was commented on here) I am more cautious about these things.

 

[mbeder]

Thanks for the advice guys...have reconciled myself with the fact that the burden of proof will probably be too much in this instance.
The Leatherman is older than 5 years and am similarly unlikely to find a receipt for the perfume despite by fastidiousness with reconciling cc statements.
I do have Travel Insurance, however there is a $250 excess, so either way the effort doesn't seem worth it.
My only 'proof' is that the luggage was 'missing' for ~48 hours, which means that there are so many possibilities for the theft to have occurred.