Help: Lost luggage

[girlstar]

I came in on a direct flight from Las Vegas to Toronto on Air Canada last night. It was a wonderful vacation until realizing my luggage was the only one out of the whole plane that did not come out on the carousel.

It's been almost 24 hours and the 1-800 help line is NO HELP whatsoever because it keeps directing me to a call centre in India. So is the 905 number on the gtaa.com website. The people in India keep telling me lies that they cannot track the bag and they don't scan the luggage. They don't scan luggage in this technological era? What would the barcode on the bagtag's purpose be? To look pretty??

I told the guy I have a TSA approved lock and he said "GSA" and wrote that on my file...they're so stupid.

Has anyone else lost luggage with AC? How did you get it resolved? I am sick and tired of talking to people in India who are reading me scripts over the phone. I don't understand how my luggage got lost when it went in with my boyfriend's (his arrived) as did the people who checked in after us.

When my luggage did not come with me on my flight with NWA in February, it was understandable as my flight was cancelled and I was rebooked. NWA delivered my luggage that same night.

I can't believe I like NWA more than AC right now after the hell I went through in February.

If anyone knows how to contact people in Canada or any other helpful tips PLEASE help me.

[dark169]

The good news is your get to go shopping for new bags and stuff, the bad news is you need to pay for it :lol:

If your bag is truely lost and not delayed it really sucks, odds are you will get next to nothing for your clothes and zero for any "valuables".

If your a elite you may get some service but until your flying 35k+ miles a year your stuck with the call center folks.
At least if you have a call center there is an excuse for the incompetence, to think that the AC employees here in canada are any better is pretty naive.

There is nothing you can do other then wait.

[SENSEI]

I came in on a direct flight from Las Vegas to Toronto on Air Canada last night. It was a wonderful vacation until realizing my luggage was the only one out of the whole plane that did not come out on the carousel.

It's been almost 24 hours and the 1-800 help line is NO HELP whatsoever because it keeps directing me to a call centre in India. So is the 905 number on the gtaa.com website. The people in India keep telling me lies that they cannot track the bag and they don't scan the luggage. They don't scan luggage in this technological era? What would the barcode on the bagtag's purpose be? To look pretty??

I told the guy I have a TSA approved lock and he said "GSA" and wrote that on my file...they're so stupid.

Has anyone else lost luggage with AC? How did you get it resolved? I am sick and tired of talking to people in India who are reading me scripts over the phone. I don't understand how my luggage got lost when it went in with my boyfriend's (his arrived) as did the people who checked in after us.

When my luggage did not come with me on my flight with NWA in February, it was understandable as my flight was cancelled and I was rebooked. NWA delivered my luggage that same night.

I can't believe I like NWA more than AC right now after the hell I went through in February.

If anyone knows how to contact people in Canada or any other helpful tips PLEASE help me.

Out of curiosity, you left the airport without reporting it lost?
I've lost luggage on 2 occasions.

Both from international flight. Both times, we made a claim with the flight company at the arrival lounge before leaving. We gave tracking tickets on the spot and described the color, make, what was in it.

Both bags came delivered to our house in 48 hours. One time we even landed in Buffalo and they shipped it from Buffalo to our door in Richmond Hill.

[rems]

My baggage was delayed by Air Canada for two days. They gave me $100 to buy whatever I needed. So I bought some toilettries and a pair of shoes.

But yeah that call center was useless. So I had brought back lobster (cooked them then froze them) in my baggage. So when the call center guy asked me what was in my luggage to help identify it, I mentioned the lobster. I go check on their website what the status of my luggage was and I find that the guy had input "lobstur" and classified it as a dress.

[kaimui22]

This happened to me once when I flew AC from Van back to HK...our family had 4 pieces of luggage and they lost 3...yup, THREE pieces. And it so happens we were the only ones missing. The people at the airport counter were useless..telling us that they would write down our info and call us if they found anything. So they told us to go home (our flight was delayed and we arrived in HK at 3AM). We went to our relative's place and I immediately wrote an email to the missing luggage's email addie I found on AC's website.

next morning, they give us a call and tell us they "found" our luggage and proceeded to deliver it back to my relative's place. The three pieces arrived with one obscurely vandalized. There were swear words written all over one piece of luggage on all sides with a black sharpie. I took photos and wrote AC several letters of complaint as well as called their customer line and left a hefty message on someone's machine.

They told us there was nothing they could do for us in HK so we had to come back to Canada to bring it in for evaluation. We brought it in and they wrote a letter to me telling me to bring it to some luggage dealership which then "repaired" my luggage. They just cut out pieces of fabric from the inside to cover up the foul language written on the outside.

What a nightmare.

[twotterdhc6]

Assuming you got the lost baggage tracking ticket, just keep checking the status. It'll eventually turn up somewhere and shipped back to you.

Remember if you booked the ticket with a Gold credit card, you can file a claim for the purchases of essential items while the baggage was missing. For my TD Gold Elite card, I can claim compensation for baggages delayed for 6 hours or more after flight arrival.

[RenegadeX]

It's been almost 24 hours and the 1-800 help line is NO HELP whatsoever because it keeps directing me to a call centre in India. So is the 905 number on the gtaa.com website. The people in India keep telling me lies that they cannot track the bag and they don't scan the luggage. They don't scan luggage in this technological era? What would the barcode on the bagtag's purpose be? To look pretty??

Has anyone else lost luggage with AC? How did you get it resolved? I am sick and tired of talking to people in India who are reading me scripts over the phone. I don't understand how my luggage got lost when it went in with my boyfriend's (his arrived) as did the people who checked in after us.Geez.. nothing changes with that company!

Probably 16 years ago, I flew with my family from Vancouver to Seattle (45-min trip) on Air Canada on a tiny 'Dash-8 100' (seating capactiy: 37) -- and they lost 2 out of 3 of our cases. The early-morning flight was 1/2-full and so at most there should have been about 20 pieces of luggage on board, and doing the math, they were missing 1/10th of it!!

We got to Seattle and waited at the carousel. Got 1 piece, and obviously none of the rest. Waited. Waited some more. Everyone else came and went. We went looking for help. AC said our bags were still in Vancouver. Great! Next flight in was something like 4 hours away+flying time. Ok, we were going to do sightseeing in Seattle anyhow, so with time to kill, we did that, then returned to the airport. STILL no bags. After some further checking, the truth: "Your bags were put on a plane to Portland! The plane is scheduled to be there at 6PM". We reluctantly agreed to change our plans and detour from our planned vacation route 3+ hours due south to Portland. Got to Portland only to find out THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN CANCELLED. Agh!

They then promised us that we'd be reunited with our luggage the next morning. So we got a paid-for hotel in Portland, and money for food, toiletries and clothing. But unfortunately the flight didn't come in until 11:30M so by the time we'd left the airport with our luggage, another 1/2 day of vacation had been wasted.

Anyhow unfortunately none of that helps you...

And unfortunately, nothing is likely to. Take a read through some of these links. Nightmare after nightmare. Of course, **** happens when you're travelling and from time to time your number will inevitably come up. But with AC, it's just the sheer level of incompetence that is mind-blowing. I avoid at all costs.

- "CTV.ca | Airline loses luggage for 1 in every 100 passengers" (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061221/whistleblower_luggage_070111/20070111/)
- http://www.my3cents.com/companyReview.cgi?compid=13&subcat=14
- http://www.my3cents.com/search.cgi?criteria=Air+Canada
- "hey Air Canada - where is my luggage?" (http://rickmccharles.com/?p=2960)
- "Recent Travel Hell and Air Canada incompetence" (http://www.pacificspirit.com/2004/03/09/recent_travel_hell_and_air_canada_incompetence)

[Pete_Coach]

It is a shame that your luggage got lost but at least you traveled withing North America and if it really does not show up, then you get considerably more financial restitution than if you were on an international flight.
I am curious also, did you not report it right away to the Air Canada customer service at the airport? They begin the tracking service and provide you with information. They also can provide immediate compensation.


Geez.. nothing changes with that company!

Probably 16 years ago, I flew with my family from Vancouver to Seattle (45-min trip) on Air Canada ......[/url]
Geez, you sure do hold a grudge for a long time, 16 years? Surely you must have traveled many times since without incident?
As many of the lost luggage sites say, for the amount of flying passengers and the amount of luggage, a very little amount ever gets lost. Not much help if it is yours but really, the chance of luggage getting lost is pretty slim.

[lor74]

On my last vacation on AC, we came back from florida and my suitcase was missing. After checking the entire pick-up location, I filled a report and went home. I had asked the guy if it was possible that someone walked out with my bag...."no, all bags are id checked on the way out"........LIES! Sure enough, someone did take mine, and thankfully they called me at home once they realized the mistake.

[pmc]

Right now in LV, there is a guy trying on your clothing:D and you should have reported it at the terminal like everyone else:idea:

This is why i get insurance.

[girlstar]

My bag has supposedly arrived and will be delivered tonight. I hope it isn't vandalized or ripped open (or my TSA locks cut like last time...) or brutalized.

I did file the report at the airport. And I purchased RBC insurance.

The stupid call centre in India kept asking me if I cleared customs, how else would I be at home and out of the airport if I didn't clear customs.

AC needs to get their act together and get some people in CANADA to assist because the people in India can do didly squat.

I thought with my direct flight I'd avoid this catastrophe. My previous nightmare in February was on NWA with connections but this time on AC and a direct flight I thought these problems would be minimized.

I'll report back later on the shape my luggage is in.

[girlstar]

My luggage has arrived in one piece. The TSA lock is still locked and my belongings are all there. Glad to have it back.

Does AC pay you if your luggage was damaged during this ordeal?

[Pete_Coach]

My bag has supposedly arrived and will be delivered tonight. I hope it isn't vandalized or ripped open (or my TSA locks cut like last time...) or brutalized.

I did file the report at the airport. And I purchased RBC insurance.

The stupid call centre in India kept asking me if I cleared customs, how else would I be at home and out of the airport if I didn't clear customs.

AC needs to get their act together and get some people in CANADA to assist because the people in India can do didly squat.

I thought with my direct flight I'd avoid this catastrophe. My previous nightmare in February was on NWA with connections but this time on AC and a direct flight I thought these problems would be minimized.

I'll report back later on the shape my luggage is in.


My luggage has arrived in one piece. The TSA lock is still locked and my belongings are all there. Glad to have it back.

Does AC pay you if your luggage was damaged during this ordeal?

Feel a bit dumb about your panic? Seems like they did their job and in less than 24 hours your luggage was found and a few hours later was delivered to you, complete and undamaged. There is probably only one flight per day and your bags were on the next flight (just as the NWA incident you had). I would say that this was pretty good service for an unfortunate situation. Maybe next time, wait for the appropriate time to pass before you begin to rant about an Indian call center and horrific service.

As for damage, of course they pay for damage, in your circumstance or not, they have almost always paid for damage.

[girlstar]

I think the panic is what most people would do when they are told that your luggage "cannot be located" (exact words I was told over the phone) which technically means "lost". My luggage was not found in the first 24 hours.

They have 3 Toronto bound direct flights each day (noon, 3:30 and a red eye) out of Las Vegas and was told (at the Toronto airport when I filed my claim) it would be put on the next flight but it seems it made the 4th flight.

It is horrific service if they are unable to tell me where the luggage is (if it left Las Vegas or not) because "they don't scan the luggage" and they can't give me an explanation what the barcode on the bagtag is meant for. Plus, a call centre in India provides no assistance to the situation except to read what I see online and incorrectly inputs the information into the system about the description of the belongings. They also failed to call me back after they "promised" to contact the Las Vegas airport to see if they had it.

[twotterdhc6]

If you bought any essential items while your luggage was gone, you might be able to claim those costs. You should ask about this... hopefully you'll have better luck with the India call centre :|

You mentioned you bought insurance as well. Depending on the terms, you can also claim for delayed baggage.

Good luck

[Pete_Coach]

I think the panic is what most people would do when they are told that your luggage "cannot be located" (exact words I was told over the phone) which technically means "lost". My luggage was not found in the first 24 hours.

They have 3 Toronto bound direct flights each day (noon, 3:30 and a red eye) out of Las Vegas and was told (at the Toronto airport when I filed my claim) it would be put on the next flight but it seems it made the 4th flight.

It is horrific service if they are unable to tell me where the luggage is (if it left Las Vegas or not) because "they don't scan the luggage" and they can't give me an explanation what the barcode on the bagtag is meant for. Plus, a call centre in India provides no assistance to the situation except to read what I see online and incorrectly inputs the information into the system about the description of the belongings. They also failed to call me back after they "promised" to contact the Las Vegas airport to see if they had it.
Point was, give them a chance to make correct instead of immediately ranting and you would not need to write here. They corrected and delivered within a short period of time.
If you "went off" like this in a store or shop, I can guarantee that the folks behind the counter would slow down and make you wait as well.
Even if you would have done nothing (in hopes of getting $1500 or more for your luggage and contents), you would have still gotten your bags in less than 24 hours, as you did.
Put things in perspective before accusations are made. Would you be on here if your dry cleaning wasn't ready till the next day? Or your car wasn't finished till the next day? Or if you wanted to buy something but they are sold out and it will be in the next day? Probably not. That was my point. You panicked, and no, I don't think most people would have acted that way a few hours after they landed, but a few days after, well then they can make statements like yours. IMHO :)

[JiffyPB]

As much as people love to beat on AC, losing luggage isn't AC's fault all of the time (likely, I'd be willing to bet they are at fault only a small percent of the time). It's the handlers after they tag your bag and toss it on the conveyor that will misplace your bag, which are airport employees, not airline employees.

The india call center sucks though. :(

[Pete_Coach]

As much as people love to beat on AC, losing luggage isn't AC's fault all of the time (likely, I'd be willing to bet they are at fault only a small percent of the time). It's the handlers after they tag your bag and toss it on the conveyor that will misplace your bag, which are airport employees, not airline employees.

The india call center sucks though. :(

A lot of things can happen to lose baggage. Checking in late is one of the primary reasons. Also, a lot of things lend themselves to when you get your bags after they finally receive them at the airport. Your attitude towards them for instance, you think they will put a "rush" tag on your bags after you had a fit on them? . As it goes with many services when you rip the only person that can help you. Work in the industry and see what they will do to "show" a client who's really in charge. You think spitting on a returned food plate does not occur? The baggage smashers in many places have no affiliation with the carrier (Air Canada has no employees handling bags outside of Canada) so the service is not the company. And there are many other things that can happen.
As for India, get used to it and really, if you are in Toronto, does it matter if you talk to someone in India or Vancouver or Montreal? Neither places are where your bags are at. In a year or two it won't be India anymore, it will be China or Africa or wherever it costs less to answer a phone.

[girlstar]

Even if you would have done nothing (in hopes of getting $1500 or more for your luggage and contents), you would have still gotten your bags in less than 24 hours, as you did.

I did check in 90 minutes prior to the flight as recommended. I did not receive my luggage in less than 24 hours, and 24 hours later it was still not located. They were also unable to tell me where it was last scanned. It was returned to me more than 24 hours later.

I would not complain about dry cleaning being delayed since it would not be as valuable as the total value of my luggage and contents.

I wrote on here because it had been almost 24 hours and I wanted to hear from others with similar experiences to see how fast it was resolved and if anyone had any luck locating a contact number for within Canada and of course out of major frustrations like this rants come out of that too...

[Medici]

Given your level of ranting and raving on the internet I can only imagine how you spoke to the call centre employees. Your brand of self entitlement doesn't go far with the common employee. calm down and learn how to speak to people, that's how you get things done. no one likes dealing with a spaz. in the future, keep everything important in a carry-on.

[AudiDude]

I just got back from Arizona on the 20th. I flew out of Phoenix and transferred in Las Vegas to get to Toronto. When in Las Vegas, I went left and my luggage went right. So I arrived with nothing but my carry on. I flew US Airways. I went to the lost baggage desk at US Airways and talked to a representative who apologized no less than 3 times during our conversation. I told her how my flight was suddenly moved from one gate to another. She said "That makes it easier to track your luggage, I can tell you it will be here at 7:00 PM tonight, but the delivery company won't be able to deliver it until the next day. Guaranteed your luggage is still on the tarmac because the handlers did not know where to put it. Your luggage will be sent back to Phoenix and then brought here."

I asked why does it have to go to Phoenix again, she told me because that is the fastest way to get me my luggage as that is the next flight coming to Toronto from Phoenix or Las Vegas. A family member told me I just received a call from US Airways' baggage delivery saying they would be there between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. I received nothing by 3:00 PM and called US Airways and talked to a Russian girl (yeah, she sounded hot), who apologized over and over again, and called the delivery company to see where my luggage was at. She informed me that there was no answer and said they did pick up the luggage (which I knew was in Toronto because you can track it on the US Airways website), and she left them a message. She apologized again and then we said goodbye to each other. At 3:10 PM the luggage appeared at my front door. I talked to the family member that took the call later and they said the delivery time was 11AM to 3PM, not 2PM as I had thought.

All in all, everything went well. I almost enjoyed not having to lug my suitcase around Pearson. You also get breezed through customs, especially if you have most of the materials you bought in your luggage that you don't have. I have the suitcase here with huge "RUSH" tags on it and am now enjoying my new Kenneth Cole gear.