I recently returned from a trip to Italy in June. Flew out of Venice to Amsterdam then to Detroit via KLM/NORTHWEST. None of our luggage arrived in Detroit.3 of the 5 bags were delivered 5 days later. 2 are still missing and considered lost. Both were large hardshell cases with our names ingraved. We filed claims and recieved a check this past week for $640. Our total value for the 2 bags were around $5000. Any constructive ideas how to get more out of NORTHWEST ?

Ed, <BR> <BR>I'm no expert in this area, but I would try two things, if you haven't already. First get a copy of their policy regarding lost luggage, and understand what they consider their responsibility to be. This is just to prepare for whatever argument you may get. Secondly, gather any supporting evidence for the value of your luggage and its contents, the more objective (receipts) the better. Then I would write a polite letter that still makes clear that you will not let this drop. <BR> <BR>Others on this forum have mentioned the Conde Nast Travel Ombudsman (a column in the magazine). This seems like a good case for them. <BR> <BR>Finally, it still seems possible that the luggage will turn up. That should probably also be part of your demands of the airline-- that they demonstrate to you that they have done a serious search for the bags. <BR> <BR>What an awful story. Good luck!

We also lost our luggages last year on a flight from Rome to Amsterdam and then to Chicago via KLM/NORTHWEST.Our final stop was St. Louis on a TWA. Our port of entry here in the US is Chicago and the KLM/NORTHWEST rep there told us we have to file a claim with TWA since that was the airline carrying us on our final stop. We did and I followed it up for a few days. Nothing was happening, so we called KLM/NORTHWEST (even though they insisted we have to follow it up with TWA and not with them), talked to one rep after another, got phone numbers after phone numbers, until we finally were able to get in touch with the terminal desk of KLM in Amsterdam airport and Voila!! while we were explaining it to them, a nice lady told us the flight where our luggages will be and the next day we finally saw them sitting in the NORTHWEST office in St. Louis airport. The lesson here: one must really follow it up persistently and start from the source. We never heard from TWA for a week until we got a phone call from them asking us if we were able to locate our luggage!!!???

Oopps! sorry, I meant the terminal desk of KLM at Rome/Fumiciano airport.

Anyone know a good attorney?

Make sure you find out what the airline ultimately does with unclaimed items. I have heard stories of other people going to "unclaimed luggage" warehouses in Georgia or someplace (? -- can't remember exact location, but there have been features on this on network news shows, in newspapers, etc.) and getting their things back if they could prove ownership; otherwise things are sold at low rates to the public.

Forgot to mention -- also, if you intend to pursue a remedy, I would advise you NOT to cash/deposit the check they sent you. In some situations cashing or depositing a check that is offered as settlement is considered to be acceptance of their offer and therefore settlement of the claim in full. I would hold on to the check for now while you continue to pursue your claim.

Hi Ed, Sorry to hear about what happened to you. I've lurked in rec.travel.air for 3yrs and these posts have come up quite a few times and I'm afraid it's usually not what poster wanted to hear. Now this is just 2nd hand info from my fading memory. It seems that on the back of airline tickets there is "Terms of Something or Other". Which states the airlines liabilty for lost luggage, it might be so much per pound but it's a *set* dollar amount. So by purchasing a ticket and checking-in your luggage you legally agree to those terms for loss payment. From the airline's POV how can they know if everyone's lost bag contained just old clothes or thousands of dollars in electronics,jewelry, antiques etc? I wouldn't give though and I'd follow the other posters advice. Good-Luck Regards, Walter

Ed, I don't like your chances here. As someone already mentioned, I believe the airlines have pretty airtight protection that limits their liability to a particular amount per bag. Besides, even if you had a good claim, would you really want to pay me $$$ to handle what you can handle just as well on your own? Also, I suspect that you would be entitled to the fair market value of your items, not their replacement value. So what is a used pair of shoes worth, anyway? Not so much, frankly. <BR> <BR>The advice you have received so far is pretty darn good -- try to track down the luggage and negotiate up to the limit of the airline's liability. <BR> <BR>Also, I'd check your homeowner's policy to see if that can help you out. And if you bought travel insurance, you might read the fine print there as well. <BR> <BR>Sorry, and good luck.

Ed <BR>Airlines have very limited liability on luggage, don't know what the current amount is but it's low, might be printed somewhere on the back of the ticket as Walter said. <BR>Your own homeowners/renters insurance should cover some of this, unless excluded for some reason.

2 bags worth $5000.00?

The place that Lisa is talking about is the "Unclaimed Baggage Center" in Scottsboro, Alabama. Here's the website if you think your luggage might end up there (no, this is not an advertisement!!): <BR> <BR>http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/ <BR> <BR> <BR>Good Luck - hope you find your luggage!!

Lawyer, Please clarify for me. Somewhere a long time ago someone told me that if you didn't read the disclaimer on your ticket or receipt you were not bound by it. It was in reference to a valet parking claim in which a car was damaged by the garage attendants and the only term I can remember is chattel, which I understand means personal possessions that can be moved as opposed to real estate etc.--can you make any sense of what I've said? I'd love to know. One would think with those little bar coded stickers that they use nowadays, they would be able to return luggage. Especially as the airlines are making it more and more difficult to carry on.

Kam, here's a novel answer for you: I don't know. <BR> <BR>I have heard the idea that if you didn't read your parking valet ticket, you're not bound by its disclaimer. I suspect that this varies by state, and even if you were successful with this argument, you'd still have to explain away all of the signs in the garage absolving the proprietor of liability. <BR> <BR>I think airline tickets might be different because I always understood the limitation of liability was based on either statute or treaty. So unless the statute or treaty says you have to read the back of the ticket to be bound by the limit (fat chance), you are probably bound, even if you are Stevie Wonder and could not possibly have read it. <BR> <BR>And if I am recalling my first year property class correctly, you are correct that chattel generally refers to personal property. Thus, referring to a woman as your "chattel" would be a high insult. <BR>

What the "Notice of Baggage Liability Limitations" on my ticket for my next trip to Europe says is, for international journeys, liabilty for checked baggage is $20 per kilo and, in the absence of any weight recorded on the baggage claim ticket, each piece is deemed to weigh 32 kilos, which is how $640 per piece is reached. Sounds like they have only paid Ed for one of the two lost bags.

This probably won't make you feel any better but recently I read an article about Northwest and checked luggage in Amsterdam and basically it said, DON'T DO IT! Apparently there have been many, many problems. <BR>Here's a site that sells unclaimed luggage: <BR>http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/ <BR>Good luck!!

So sorry to hear about your dilemma-being from Detroit I am obviously familar with NW and the horror stories. My sister's luggage has been lost several times coming from Amsterdam and once they caught the airline employee writing DFW (Dallas Fort Worth) instead of DTW (Detroit Wayne) and corrected him. It made her wonder if this is what happened the other times. Just a thought I don't know if it will help- good luck.

Ed: the curiosity is killing me. What was in those bags????? <BR>

Check with your credit card company---often if your air is charged-- some of the benefits offer loss luggage protection...it is worth your time to check

Since I'm going to Spain/Portugal in 4 weeks, I thought that I'd check with my home owners insurance. Both my camaras and my luggage as is all my personal property are covered by my home owners policy whether I'm here or half way around the world. If you rent and have renters insurance, I believe the same is true. Hope this helps. <BR>Art <BR>