Kaffy Mintcake

Has anyone had an experience with being reimbursed for items purchased as a result of a baggage delay?

When we recently flew to Edinburgh our bags were left in JFK for a day. (delivered just over 24 hours later) I'm guessing this was due to a tight connection time, though we didn't have any control over this. (Our tickets showed one flight number with a 'change of equipment' reference ... no information about the details of the transfer.)

I actually purchased travel insurance for this flight, but they are claiming we were only covered for lost baggage, not delayed baggage. The policy is very confusing and I'm going to have to sit down with it and my highlighter to work out exactly how they arrived at this. It was the option that was offered by Delta when I originally bought my tickets.

Anyway, the delay in baggage was entirely out of our control as we didn't even schedule the connecting flight. We incurred some expenses purchasing toiletries, a change of clothes, etc. Nothing over the top and we have kept our receipts.

Has anyone dealt with this before? I'm afraid I'm not optimistic that I'll talk to someone with a brain cell at Delta, and have already been turned down by the travel insurance company though I may try them again as well.

Michelmas

The travel innsurance is your best bet. The airlines will only compensate you for lost baggage and even then, not the full ammount.

Think of it this way in an objective manner as well. Your bags were delayed, not lost, so you still have you original belongings with no loss of value.
You have the replacement clothes that you bought and will continue to wear / use, so again, no loss of value there.
If you were [big if btw] to get the money back, you would have the cash, and the clothes / toiletries which would be considered to be gaining from the experience.

I know it sucks, but it's part and parcel [pun intended] of doing business with the airlines.

Deedee13

this one always confusing me.

A few years ago, I got my bags late on 5 flights. I always got reimbursed. The first day it is for essentiails, tooth brush, toiletries etc - And obviously the change of knickers.. i think it was 50$ a person with receipts. I then had to call the airline the next day and they gave me a confirmation number for further claims.

Now i know this isnt well publisiced but even be reimburse for delayed baggage and up to 1500 for lost bagage without insurance. Guess if thee dont ask thee dont get. My kids used to pray that the bags would get delayed because they always got an outfit or two out of it..

Kaffy Mintcake

I did some online reading and it was very confusing. Delta's website doesn't really tell me anything either. When we spoke with the woman about our baggage at the terminal noone said anything to us about reimbursement, and I thought my travel insurance would cover it, but conveniently they do not.

Do you know, am I out of luck as I didn't know to ask for this at the time the report was filed? We were told right away that our bags would arrive on the same flight the next day (so 24 hours later).

I should probably just call, but it's so frustrating to call Delta. I always end up talking to someone in a call center whose English just isn't up to snuff and it's a very frustrating experience.

This is why we should have used Cindy!

Elvira

My advice - don't sweat the small stuff! Presumably you still have the clothes and toiletries you bought, so you haven't really lost any monetary value.

What I would do is write a polite/friendly letter to the Customer Service bods at the airline and tell them in some (but not excessive) detail how you were inconvenienced by (a) having to spend your precious vacation time shopping for replacement items, and (b) having to hang around waiting to have the bags delivered the next day.

If you're lucky, you'll get a voucher for $$$ of your next ticket. (Has worked for me...)

Kaffy Mintcake

That's probably a good idea, and you're right, we still have the things we bought.

Heck, if it's worked for you, why not try? I think I'm mainly annoyed because I thought my travel insurance would cover this, and it does not. Lesson - skip Delta's travel insurance in the future!

Jerseygirl

It's always I good idea to carry essentials in your hand luggage...which includes a change of underwear if nothing else. Then at least you can get by for 24 hrs and not have to go out and buy new clothes.

As Elvira suggested I would write a polite letter out lining the points she raised...I would also add how much distress this as caused.

Kaffy Mintcake

That's true. I can't say we're horribly distressed, but it was an inconvenience. I'm mainly annoyed due to the fine print in our travel insurance policy ... it was very misleading and I believed we had coverage for this. (The write-up included information for several different policies and didn't do a good job of making it clear what was/wasn't covered by each.)

Sally Redux

Yes I think the travel insurance is a con.

Elvira's is a good suggestion.

cindyabs

Contract of carriage is what spells it out. Delta says it has the right to amend it at any time-

"
Advice to International Passengers on Limitations of Liability
Passengers on a journey involving an ultimate destination or a stop in a country other than the country of departure are advised that international treaties known as the Montreal Convention, or its predecessor, the Warsaw Convention, including its amendments, may apply to the entire journey, including any portion thereof within a country. For such passengers, the treaty, including special contracts of carriage embodied in applicable tariffs, governs and may limit the liability of the Carrier in respect of death or injury to passengers, and for destruction or loss of, or damage to, baggage, and for delay of passengers and baggage. "

The applicable limits of liability for your international journey on a flight ticketed by this carrier are:

In the case of destruction, loss of, or damage or delay to baggage, 1,000 Special Drawing Rights per passenger and, if the value of your baggage is greater than this limit, you should inform the carrier at check-in or ensure that it is fully insured prior to travel;
In the case of delay to your journey, 4,150 Special Drawing Rights per passenger.
If your journey also involves carriage by other airlines, you should contact them for information on their limits of liability."

Rete

When my luggage was delayed by Continental several years back, they supplied me with a toiletry kit of the essentials and I was reimbursed for a nightgown and one change of underclothes for the second day that the luggage was delayed. I had to provide the receipts and a copy of the paperwork on the luggage provided by the airlines.

Jerseygirl

Insurance policies are always the same...you never know what you are entitled to until you come to make a claim and if they can possibly find some way of wriggling out of paying they will. Especially if the company can change the rules at any time.

Jerseygirl

That's sounds reasonable...unless there was a drastic change of climate and your travel clothes were unsuitable.

Kaffy Mintcake

That's what's annoying. Even after reviewing the policy carefully I don't know how I could have known that lost, but not delayed, baggage was covered. It simply says Baggage = $300, and later on details how to claim for lost or delayed.

Kaffy Mintcake

That's the thing. Scotland was much colder than where we'd come from so I bought a coat. At least I now have a nice coat!