davidjac

Just returned from a great trip only to have it spoiled by the loss of all of our luggage including our purchases.

The Air France agent in Paris mistakenly placed tags on our 4 pieces indicating that we had to get our bags in Milan and recheck it for ouf flight to Boston. He told us that we would have to retireve it in Milan only after the bags had gone down the chute. After speaking to Alitalia (for our Milan to Boston flight) he admitted that it should have been checked through to US. He then prepared correct tags and sent them in a small bag to the baggage handling dept.Great idea!

Apparently this message to change the tags it never got there and our luggage was sent to Milan and retained there. No one can now find them.

It was new luggage and lots of items that whose value cannot be recovered from the airline. All because an agent made a mistake. Just venting to people who can understand. Thanks.

I will write a report of our trip to Italy/Switz/Franca when I recover from this disaster.

kerouac

"Lost" or "delayed"? How long have you been back? One of my colleagues received her baggage after three weeks, returning from the Maldives. The bags spent the time in Bahrain, which was nowhere near anywhere the family went physically. Everything arrived safely (naturally, she had already given up).

djkbooks

I always check the destination on the tags before they attach them to the bags. And, I always ask to make sure they will be checked through.

Lots of reports such as yours.

So sorry!

Here's hoping everything is safely recovered.

robjame

If it is any consolation - at least it happened on the way home!
... or as my mother would say, "As long as no one got hurt..."
- looking forward to your trip report

davidjac

Just wanted to follow up on the lost bags problem with air france and the last carrier alitalia. filed a claim with alitalia. still have not located the bags. worse they are posting on their tracking system the wrong baggage tag numbers. tried to call customer service at 9 AM when they opened and got placed on hold for 20 minutes before hanging up. the number is not an 800 number and is in NY therefore long distance.

sounds like they purposely do not want calls. will try later and re-post with an update.

david

davidjac

just an update. After 47 calls to Alitalia baggage line at Boston's airport, I went down to the aiport and got a human. She tried to help but said they had no idea where the luggage was and she showed me on her computer that it is lost somewhere.

I have also been calling Alitalia's customer service. I got an 800 numbre on their Italian website. It does not appear on their US website. Called about 8 times in the last 3 days and got them once. They are of no help. Average wait time on each call we 35 minutes and then cut-off.

Alitalia apparently wants to discourage people from contacting them. There is no othet explanation for the lack of communications or contact.

kerouac

Sounding pretty bad. CDG had a baggage theft problem that was pretty much solved after they arrested about 80 baggage handlers caught on video (I remember seeing a similar American report at JFK a few years ago). Probably every airport needs to arrest 80 baggage handlers to show that they mean business.

davidjac

Just got my first piece of luggage after 7 days. Hopefully the other 3 will also follow.

robjame

I suspect that you are legally entitled to go out and buy certain items of clothing, toiletries, etc. One would expect that the airline would reimburse you for these.
Have you checked?

kerouac

I think you are entitled to that only on outward bound flights, not for flights to one's home.

Anyway, hurray for the first suitcase!

job816_2

Hang in there. On my husband's last trip, it was over 3 weeks before he got his bikes back. In the meantime, find out how and when you need to file a claim report.