american_mama
07-06-2011, 11:17 PM
UPDATE 2: Hadn't heard a thing from American Airlines until a check arrived today!!! Yay!! They reimbursed me for 71% of my submitted expenses, $163 out of the $229 I submitted for. Very happy! They wrote a semi-personalized apology letter too, second best one I've ever received from a company.
UPDATE1: I talked to customer service today and think reimbursement will be easier than I and others here thought, although it may not cover everything. As another person said, there is a set amount of reimbursement per day bag was "delayed", with the amount being a little more generous when you are overseas. There is also some wiggle room since it's decided on a case-by-case basis, which I hope I can wiggle to my advantage. I took photos of the clothes I bought, plus the bag with its priority tag, and I have my original baggage claim ticket, which they need, so I'm hopeful. Next time, I will be packing things like a swimsuit in my carry-on, and I'm photographing all our checked bags before we leave. When it was lost, I couldn't remember if the suitcase was black, dark green, or navy, nor the brand (apparently, all details they use in a giant database to help find a lost bag.)
Has anyone had their luggage lost by an airline, bought replacement clothes/toiletries, then had luggage found and still been reimbursed for expenses? If so, any advice about how to successfully get reimbursed?
In my case, we just returned from a trip to the Carribbean, flying on American Airlines. My suitcase was lost for three days. It was 95 degrees, 100 percent humidity, I'd just gotten my period the day we flew, and I had the clothes I was wearing, a toothbrush, a few tampons, and a pair of sandals in the kids' suitcase. We were staying at three different hotels in three different parts of the country, didn't know if DH's cell phone was a functioning means of contact, and weren't too impressed with the airline's response, so we had little hope of getting the suticase back. I went and bought replacement items on Day 2. To my amazement, without contacting me, the airline found and delivered my suitcase to my tiny hotel, two hours from the airport, at the end of Day 3.
FWIW we flew first class using frequent flyer miles, which meant the suitcase was tagged priority. DH is a frequent flyer and had elite status until earlier this year. Hoping one or both facts might grease the wheels.
UPDATE1: I talked to customer service today and think reimbursement will be easier than I and others here thought, although it may not cover everything. As another person said, there is a set amount of reimbursement per day bag was "delayed", with the amount being a little more generous when you are overseas. There is also some wiggle room since it's decided on a case-by-case basis, which I hope I can wiggle to my advantage. I took photos of the clothes I bought, plus the bag with its priority tag, and I have my original baggage claim ticket, which they need, so I'm hopeful. Next time, I will be packing things like a swimsuit in my carry-on, and I'm photographing all our checked bags before we leave. When it was lost, I couldn't remember if the suitcase was black, dark green, or navy, nor the brand (apparently, all details they use in a giant database to help find a lost bag.)
Has anyone had their luggage lost by an airline, bought replacement clothes/toiletries, then had luggage found and still been reimbursed for expenses? If so, any advice about how to successfully get reimbursed?
In my case, we just returned from a trip to the Carribbean, flying on American Airlines. My suitcase was lost for three days. It was 95 degrees, 100 percent humidity, I'd just gotten my period the day we flew, and I had the clothes I was wearing, a toothbrush, a few tampons, and a pair of sandals in the kids' suitcase. We were staying at three different hotels in three different parts of the country, didn't know if DH's cell phone was a functioning means of contact, and weren't too impressed with the airline's response, so we had little hope of getting the suticase back. I went and bought replacement items on Day 2. To my amazement, without contacting me, the airline found and delivered my suitcase to my tiny hotel, two hours from the airport, at the end of Day 3.
FWIW we flew first class using frequent flyer miles, which meant the suitcase was tagged priority. DH is a frequent flyer and had elite status until earlier this year. Hoping one or both facts might grease the wheels.