Delayed baggage/ possibly lost - HELP!!

[Worldgonecrazy]

seeking Mumsnetters wisdom and advice.

Our airline was begging people to put hand luggage in the hold, being a helpful person I did so. My baggage didn’t make it to the flight, though my OH’s which was dropped at the same time did. Several phone calls later the airline promised to fly my bag, and courier my bag to the hotel. A bag arrived, not mine and from a completely different destination and definitely not matching my bag description.

Dies anyone have any experience or wisdom on making both a delayed baggage claim and lost luggage claim? What qualifies as ‘reasonable expense’, a basic set of make up at even the cheapest brands works out around E50, and I was dressed for British weather, not 30 degree beach heat.

For lost luggage my policy says ‘wear and tear’ will. Be taken into account? How do the claims adjusters work out wear and tear on stuff like underwear? I have some proof of purchase for some of the lost items but much of it was everyday clothing I have no receipt for, and no idea what it cost. My credit card statements also don’t help much in trying to work it out.

Has anyone made a successful claim?? Any tips??

I believe the airline are entirely responsible for everything.
Try to find their policy for this & read the small print thoroughly.
I don’t think it’s entirely down to your insurance I believe there are regulations for the airline. Try that route.
My luggage was lost by Delta Airlines years ago, New York to Heathrow, it was couriered 2 days later.
It is the airline’s responsibility to sort this out!

Well, what does your travel insurance policy say? The airline won’t be helping you any time soon, so I’d go straight to my insurers. My company will reimburse up to €200 without receipts, or €300 with receipts, after a delay of 24 hours or more. Check the writing on your policy.

The airline is responsible for finding your suitcase and delivering it ASAP. They won’t be giving the OP cash so she can replace some items in the meantime though. That’s what travel insurance is for.

The airlines do give you cash to buy clothes! They give you an amount and then reimburse you.

citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/get-airline-compensation-for-lost-or-delayed-luggage/

You can only imagine how long it would take for them to give you this money if they legally have up to 21 days to find and return your luggage.

It will be much, much easier going through the insurance company. Airlines will pay out for ‘basics’ eg toiletries (no make up kits), basic underwear and top + jeans or similar. Whereas a decent insurance policy will just give you an allowance of up to X and they don’t care what you spend it on.

The OP can claim with the airline, and wait weeks/months for them to reimburse the cost of deodorant, toothpaste and some knickers. Or she can give her insurers a call, and have a decent amount of money in her bank account by the end of Tuesday, if she’s with a good company.

Thank you. The airline are very unhelpful. Luckily I took out insurance which covers baggage delays. It may turn out to be the best £12 I have ever spent!

If it's a low cost airline like easyJet keep all receipts and they will pay eventually, but it won't be quick as others have said. Keep all receipts.

When it happened to someone i was travelling with they gave them am allowance (Air France) of I believe $300 in local currency and told them to keep receipts. They bought shorts and t shirt, underwear, sun tan cream, deodorant, a swimming costume, flip flops etc and submitted the receipts and had the money reimbursed before they got home.

Our luggage arrived on day 8 of our holiday at the end of May. Tui offered us €25 per day, for up to 3 days which was supposed to be transferred into our bank account within 7 days. We still haven’t received it.

Our insurance company compensates delayed luggage at a rate of £50 per 12 hours but they want a letter from Tui stating the exact time the luggage was returned to the hotel. Tui have yet to give us this information. I launched a complaint but have heard nothing from them.

Quick update. Airline update says they have found my bag, but still showing it as to be delivered to our holiday destination rather than my home.

Insurance (Coverwise /AXA) have not yet responded to my claim for delayed baggage.

so no news and thinking both the insurers and the airline are rubbish!

Another update. After my bag flew back and forth between Heathrow and destination airport several times, one of the lost baggage handlers abroad phoned in exasperation and asked why my bag had been on 8 flights back and forth. We arranged for my bag to be sent to an alternative airport and it arrived at my home the following day, slightly dirty but everything inside was okay.

My insurers would not settle the claim unless the airline would not do so and put this in writing. However after several non responded to emails and tweets my insurance said they would settle if I could prove I had given the airline opportunity to make reparation. I was just about to compile the email when I finally got a response from the airline, four months after the initial claim and payment was then made very quickly.

lesson learned - don’t try and be nice and put your hand luggage in the hold!

….and I made a profit of £4.00 due to a better exchange rate today 🤔