screwing Delta for lost baggage

shotgun

both of my bags in a us-domestic flight disappeared. one was eventually found, the other declared lost. it had all my artwork volumes since over 4 years ago... priceless to me.

on their website they declare they are not liable for pretty much anything except clothes, and then i am required to attach receipts for anything over $250. fuckers.

has anyone been in this situation before? im not sure i really wonna screw them, that's not nice, but i'd still like to know anyway what i could do.

Illusions

We stopped using Delta after one incident in which all of our checked in luggage was lost for 3 days of a 7 day vacation. This included a bag of spoilable food that we were bringing from NY to California for my cousins. When the bags finally turned up they were both reluctant to drop them off at the hotel we were staying at, and wanted us to pick them up in Las Vegas were we originally landed. They were also extremely reluctant to tell us where the duffle bag of food had gone (the bags had been split and gone to two seperate locations). They eventually caved and told us the bag had been sent to somewhere in South America. Spoilable food spent three days, in South America, during the summer, and they didn't want to admit their error.

In instances like this the Better Business Bureau can be your friend, as is writing a letter of complaint to Delta itself outlining your grievances. Sometimes you can get something out of it like free or discounted tickets.

aesir

Yea, I bet if you complain enough and keep trying to take it higher in the chain of authority, you'll eventually find someone who will compensate you in some way.

Jesse Moody

[ QUOTE ]
Yea, I bet if you complain enough and keep trying to take it higher in the chain of authority, you'll eventually find someone who will compensate you in some way.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly. While 1 person might say no don't give up there. Just keep calling, writing, emailing or whatever and you will eventually get someone that will listen.

I also don't fly delta any longer.

A few years ago I was flying from San Diego to Portland, Maine and my layover was in D.C. I get to D.C. and have some dinner at the airport and find out my flights delayed 30 minutes. OK cool no problem. I'm hanging out playing on my laptop, called my wife on my cell phone to let her know what was up. 2 hours go by still waiting, 4 hours I ask at the booth and they say it should be leaving in 20 minutes. Now boarding flight blah blah blah to Portland Maine. Go line up and told sorry sir you are on the next flight. This is flight blah blah blah. That will be boarding shortly.

Getting close to the point where I am just ready to blow up another hour goes by. No flight. Another hour and now it's close to midnight and I have been in the airport waiting for like 6 or 7 hours by now. Then it comes over. Flight blah blah blah passengers please come to the boarding desk.

Get up there and the girl tells me the flights been canceled. Ok fine I say. Where are we staying tonight. On past occasions when this has happened the air line put me up in a hotel for free and gave meal vouchers. Oh sorry sir we don't do that. It isn't our policy. You will have to pay for your own hotel or sleep here in the airport. Ok fine. What time does my flight leave tomorrow?

Pause. Messing around on keyboard. Oh I'm sorry sir it looks like all flights are booked solid for tomorrow and we can't schedule an extra flight. We will fly you into Boston tomorrow and that flight leaves at 4 pm. Boston? What I paid extra to fly all the way to maine. How am I supposed to go from Boston to Maine?

Oh I don't know sir. Maybe you could rent a car. So I'm at the point where I am ready to punch this lady in the face and she knows it and tells me maybe I should just sleep on it and find another flight the next day. So I say fine. Put me on the one to Boston. Hopefully I can find something in the morning or at least talk to someone that isn't completely retarded.

She gives me some tags to go pick up my checked luggage so I can switch it to the next flight. Go down waiting for my bags. It's almost 2 am now and my bags never show up. My cell phones dead now and the charger is in my checked luggage. Give my ticket to the guy at the counter. He runs it through the computer. "Oh no. Oh that can't be right. Ummm Sir. Your bags are in Portland, Maine right now."

WHAT!!! Are you fucking kidding me. I can't even believe it at this point. How the hell did that happen.

Well it looks like they got put on the wrong flight and now they are in portland.

Well that's great. I'm flying into Boston have to pay for a rental car, my bags are at the airport in Portland so thats an extra stop and I don't have a charger for my cell phone.

AMAZING!!!

So I ended up sleeping on the floor underneath some stupid table in a lounge because it was like the only place I wouldn't be bothered.

I wake up just wondering what the hell was in store for me next. Talk to a girl at the Delta counter and explain to her what had happened. She tells me I should have been put up in a hotel and had a meal voucher. I almost fucking shit my pants and told her I would like to file a complaint against the other girl. Well apparantly I wasn't the only one that did that morning. So this new girl tells me there is 1 seat on a flight leaving in 40 minutes and she just put me on it and it's to Portland.

AWESOME. Thank you so much. I give my parents a quick call to let them know I'm on my way to Portland again and they are gonna meet me there.

I got to Portland and picked up my bags. Called Delta a day later and just went on and on about my experience and I had a voucher for a free flight but I never used it because it expired.

So that is why I don't fly Delta any longer.

Sorry it was so long winded and seriously good luck with your stuff. I couldn't imagine losing something like that.

Rick Stirling

Complain. Complain again.

I'm a moaning old fuck these days, but if I get bad service, I complain. Bypass all the lower levels of minimum wage telephone people, they can do nothing - they have neither the authority nor inclination to help. Ask to speak to a manager right away. Take names. Document it.

My current one - my credit card company was bought out, they replaced all the online banking, so I could no longer pay online. They wouldn't accept telephone payments. I set up a direct for the FULL amount (paying off my wedding) and they never took the money. Now they tell me I have missed a payment.

It's calm at the moment, but I'll have no hesitation in slapping on the green bodypaint.