Baggage Blues - how to handle lost luggage - Brief Article

Cruise Travel, Nov, 2000 by Lorraine Shapiro, Phil Shapiro

What happens when you get home but your luggage doesn't?

"Your bags probably won't make it to Los Angeles with you," exclaimed the America Airlines agent as she viewed our passports and issued boarding passes for our nonstop flight from Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) to Los Angeles (LAX).

Returning from a Mediterranean cruise, the problem arose when our connecting Air France flight from Lisbon to CDG was delayed one hour by Air Traffic Control. Our suitcases would have to be transferred from one plane to another in less than 40 minutes. A near impossibility--it was hard enough for us to make it.

We had to hustle along narrow hallways with our heavy carry-on bags, ride a shuttle from one terminal to another, getting to the American Airlines counter with only 10 minutes to spare. We were happy to be onboard, but remained uncertain about our bags.

At the international baggage claim at LAX, we hopefully watched an empty baggage carousel go round--and round. A helpful American Airlines representative called the baggage crew to check further, to no avail. How can you go through Customs without bags? No problem passing through U.S. Immigration with our U.S. passports and Customs Declaration form completed. Last to arrive at U.S. Customs, sans bags, but with our declaration form listing purchases exceeding the exemption of $400 each, considerate Customs officers offered advice.

Because the purchased goods (in the suitcases) were not entering the country with us, no tax would be levied. When the bags show up, American Airlines would go through them, not Customs, checking for illegal substances. We wouldn't have to return to the airport, as the bags would be sent to our home, and we probably wouldn't have to pay Customs tax.

Exiting Customs empty handed, we filed a Baggage Report at the American Airlines baggage desk. The report--which included bag tag numbers, bag style, contents, home address, etc.--determines reimbursement, if any. Compensation for lost, checked luggage on international flights is about $9 per pound. (On domestic flights, the U.S. Department of Transportation recently doubled the compensation limit to $2,500.) Homeowner's insurance may cover some loss.

Were our bags truly lost or just delayed in transit? Arriving home, we called American Airlines' Baggage Department at 800-535-5225 (see sidebar box for airlines' lost baggage department telephone numbers), where we found our Baggage Report already had been logged. We were given a file locator (jot down the file locator or record locator, which will be helpful if further calls are necessary). Told that our bags would arrive on the next day's flight at 4 p.m., they would be checked by American Airlines and delivered to our home about six hours later.

We learned much from this mishap. Using some good judgment, we hand-carried medication, toiletries, cameras, even some underwear. Clothes were divided between suitcases for the cruise with some of his and hers in each, in case one bag was lost. Packing nice clothes, but not our newest or most prized, we coordinated outfits to minimize shoes and accessories. No jewelry, valuables, or liquor were packed in the checked bags. The bags were well labeled inside and out.

In retrospect, the 40 rolls of exposed film should have been placed in lead-laminated pouches (available in photo-supply stores) and hand-carried. We should have kept our interview notes in the carry-on bags as well. These real valuables from the trip should have stayed with us!

As far as the airlines are concerned, neither Air France nor American Airlines can be faulted for not getting our luggage to Los Angeles on time. Actually, they did well, delivering the bags to our home the following evening at about 9 p.m.

While travelers found an overall decline in airline quality in 1999, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's annual report, they did find a slight improvement in baggage handling. Consumer complaints against airlines more than doubled in 1999, compared to 1998, but those related to baggage mishandling declined slightly, from 5.16 bags in 1998 to 5.08 in 1999 (per 1,000 passengers).

Our biggest mistake was booking flights with just an hour-and-a-half between connections--too tight for international travel. This has also become a concern for domestic flights, especially at major airports, where recommended check-in now is at least an hour before departure. Our arrangements on overseas connecting flights should have allowed about three hours between arrival and departure. If that were unavailable, we should have flown to Paris, stayed overnight, and started fresh the next day.

On our next trip, we'll definitely allow more time for transfers.

LOST LUGGAGE HOTLINES

The following airlines have dedicated toll-free phone numbers for their lost baggage departments, which will help you track down your missing luggage.

Air Canada                  888-689-2247
Air France                  800-873-2247
Alitalia Airlines           800-905-9992
American Airlines/
  American Eagle            800-535-5225
British Airways             800-828-8144
Continental Airlines        800-335-2247
Delta Air Lines             800-325-8224
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines    888-421-6681
Lufthansa German Airlines   877-234-3449
Mexicana Airlines           800-631-6090
United Airlines             800-221-6903
US Airways/
  US Airways Express        800-371-4771