Thingorjus needs help w/lost luggage
 

Thingorjus' plane (USAIR 618 Las Vegas to Philly) was diverted to Pittsburg because of the blizzard on Saturday. USAIR never took the baggage off of the plane when it landed in Pittsburg. Hence, I have lost luggage. In all my world travels, I have never had a lost bag. I filed a claim at Philly Airport, and filled out a form at USAIR.COM/Baggage.

What are my rights regarding this matter?? What happens if USAIR can't find my bag?? Don't they have to compensate me??

Please help me if you have gone through this before.

Cheers,
John G.

Who did this happen to, you or to John G? I am sorry to hear about whoever lost the luggage. What a pain! It has happened to me a few times. Eventually it will ve returned. See if you can get any extra miles from it.

You were returning home, right? Regard that as a good thing. In my travels, I can recall airlines losing my bags five times. But in every case they found them within two days -- usually within 24 hours and delivered them to me. Relax. I think with all the travel chaos this weekend, you were lucky YOU could get where you were going -- never mind the bag for now.

Yes, you are entitled to be compensated if they don't find it, but I'll bet they will.

John, statistically if you do not receive your bags within 72 hours after your return home, it doesn't look good for them ever getting to you. The good news is that you will be eligible for reimbursement, but the bad news is that the airline will want an itemized list of everything in your bag, and a corresponding dollar value for each item. I think now would be a good time to claim that you had packed a $300 cashmere pashmina as a present for Linda! (Barring that, perhaps some nice Thomas Pink shirts for Keith!)

Good luck, sweetie!

BC

How funny, Bookchick. Thomas Pink was having a sale at their store at the Forum at Caesar's. Unfortunately, I didn't buy any shirts. I did buy fabulous Gucci sunglasses, but I wore them on the plane. (I didn't want anyone to ask me for my autograph!)

The thing that made me mad was that I always bring one carry-on and one suitcase that I check. This time, I did not bring a carry-on because I was only in Vegas for 3 days. I put the pants to my suit in the checked luggage, wore the jacket on the plane with jeans. Now, I am kicking myself because what good is a suit without the pants???? That is the only thing that I am angry about.

I thought I had read somewhere that in the US, a carrier (by law) has to pay a flat rate of $1,200 for every piece of lost luggage. In Europe, you are paid by the weight of your lost luggage.

Chevrefeuilee, I am Thingorjus. All the regs on Fodors know me.

There are rather severe limitations on their liability (not for me, but maybe some other people). The terms should be on their web site. I thought it was around $1200.

Oh poor darlin!
How annoying ! I temporarily lost a piece of luggage a while back, it finally made its way home with all my clothing intact ( don't think any strangers tried anything on ) ... it was delivered to my door by the airlines.
Same thing happened to my son a year or so ago- he accidentally switched bags with someone on the plane, she went to Boston with his things, he was in NYC. The airline switched again, delivered it to our door.
I do hope the same thing happens to you, with the snow and the delays, there might be a longer wait to find it so keep your hopes up!
Scarlett ((F))

oh, no!!

Odds are you will get it back.
Remember all the luggage US Air misplaced over Xmas or New Year's?


Airlines have a limited liability on the value of the bag and its contents, that limit was raised recently I think but it still may not equal your losses.
You would then be entitled to file a claim with your home-owners/renters insurance policy for the difference, assuming that you are covered for off-premises losses.
You may not need itemized receipts, although if need be you can comb through your charge receipts for the past year or two or three and circle any clothing purchases you made that surely were in that suitcase. Your credit card company can provide duplicate statements if you need them.

That is a pain.

However, as your wore the suit jacket with jeans, it would appear it is useful as a standalone piece.

Check out this link from the US Airways website - go to section XI and click on Baggage Claim Limits and Procedures:

http://www.usairways.com/customers/t...rms/terms.htm#

I've been reading small type all day so I didn't read this carefully, but it says something about maximum liability of $2800 for travel between US points.

Good luck. I'm sure it will show up. The last time we had lost luggage, it showed up at 3am, which was annoying in itself.

be sure to turn in your claim list by the 72 hours, this way you will be reimbursed immediately, and if you are lucky like i was.... your bag still turns up later!
i went directly to the office with the list and they wrote out a check as i stood there.

bag turned up days later.

i was also able to get the first two days a small list of necessary clothes for kids and myself turning in the receipts.

Too bad about the inconvenience, ThinG. It happened to me once and my suitcase was delivered within 24 hours to my office. The instances of your luggage not showing up at are indeed quite rare.

My poor baby, Hopefully you will have your luggage returned. For now, think how glad Jackie O is to have you home.!

ouch! I feel your pain. I've had this happen twice - both Air France, both times returning from Paris. what sucked even worse then is that I HAD emptied out the city, in my luggage. They did return it, but destroyed one bag and broke some items inside.

They will find your bag, it will just take a while. Pretty soon USAirways will be no longer, too (sad to say). Did you raise a stink already? You might be able to get a FF ticket (which you should use next weekend if you can).

Thankfully, Flygirl, I live in the Philly suburbs. I would definitely NOT stay in downtown Philly next weekend. If the Eagles lose, cars will be overturned, businesses set on fire, people killed and maimed for life. If the Eagles win, cars will be overturned, businesses set on fire, people killed and maimed for life.

As for replacement items I did not have whilst in Pittsburg: I was at some motel in the middle of nowhere (a small town 5 miles from Pittsburg Airport). It wasn't like I was staying across the street from the King of Prussia Mall where I could have zipped into Bloomingdale's for some new clothes. I had to live in the same clothes for 2 days. No toothbrush, no deodorant, no razor. Therefore, I can't claim any items needed because of trip interuption.

The horrible thing about this whole ordeal was that I booked my ticket through United, the flight was operated by USAIR. I didn't realize this until I confirmed my flight. I HATE USAIR, having problems every time I have flown with them. I have some leverage with United, as I have well over 100,000FF miles with them.

PittsburgH...we Steel City people are fussy about that!

I rather like mkingdom's response that your suit jacket is a stand alone piece.
THe airlines have lost my, my husbands' and daughters luggage NUMEROUS times. Ususally recieve the next day, but I think the blizzard gives good reason to allow a few extra days for retieval.

Good Luck to you, and thank god the glasses were on your head!

I'm reminded of the time a local high school choral group here went to France for a week. Air France lost ALL their luggage, don't ask me how. On the third day, Air France issued all of them something like a $500 allowance. They all bought clothes in Paris. On the last day before they flew home, all their luggage appeared. The kids couldn't have been happier -- Parisian wardrobes for free. But what did most of them buy with their money? American jeans and t-shirts.

Oh, poor baby. I've heard of people losing their shirt in Las Vegas but to lose pants on their way home takes some unusual circumstances.

I hope your jacket with jeans is not considered "banding"... and I hope you get your bag back, too!