The lost luggage story is closed!
I purchased the tickets for this flight using my Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa card, which includes very valuable insurance for just such an event. Even though Vueling Airlines unfairly rejected my claim, Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa insurance partner (Allianz Worldwide Partners/AGA Service Company) approved it and reimbursed the entire claim. It took about seven weeks but that was primarily due to lack of cooperation from Vueling Airlines. They wouldn’t provide certain documentation and the claims management had to review it for approval.
I highly recommend getting a card that includes good travel protections. It can save you when you need it! Need help wading through the many choices of cards that offer these great benefits? We can help!
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…And what you can do to help yourself
Whenever I check a bag for a flight (which I try not to do) I wave goodbye and hope I’ll see it at my destination. Unfortunately, luggage delays seem to happen to me more than they should. I just returned from a two week trip to three countries in Europe. All went well and our American Airlines Priority tags (an international Business Class amenity) got our bag to us at baggage claim quickly. Our next flights, a few days later, were within the EU so they were considered “domestic”. We had a flight from Oporto, Portugal to Paris connecting in Barcelona. The flights were purchased from Spanish carrier Iberia Airlines but were operated by their partner Vueling Airlines. It was a short connection of 45 minutes but that should have been plenty of time since we departed on time. In Barcelona, the arriving flight had remote parking and we waited for 30 minutes for a bus to take us to the terminal. Well, we made our flight but found in Paris that our luggage didn’t. Since I work for a major US airline and occasionally work in Baggage Service, I know the process and to what we’re entitled. When American Airlines lost our luggage for several days in the Caribbean, they gave us cash to immediately purchase clothing and toiletries. Not so with Vueling. In fact, they would provide nothing if the bag was returned to us with 24 hours and even then it would only be 50 USD per day. That doesn’t go very far in Paris. But, OK, I can live with that. We filed the report at about 3:00 PM and went to our hotel. We finally received our bag two mornings later. We were without our luggage from Thursday to Saturday. We filed a claim with Vueling, including all time-stamped e-mails which clearly indicated that the bag wasn’t located and out for delivery until late day two, but our claim was denied.
Luckily, I purchased the tickets with a credit card that provides lost and delayed luggage insurance if the delay is more than six hours. While that claim is still pending, I expect it will be approved.
So, what should you do if you find yourself in a similar situation?
- Get and use a credit card that provides travel insurance. Different cards provide different coverages. I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve. It’s well worth the fee with all the benefits, including the insurance.
- I recommend getting a luggage tracking device. I have two that use cellular and GPS technologies. They require a subscription but I find it worthwhile. Do your research as some may use outdated cellular technology (2g) that is no longer supported.
- If your luggage doesn’t arrive when and where you do, file a claim immediately. Do not wait.
- Ask the airline what you’re allowance is for necessities and how to get it.
- Keep all receipts and make copies before submitting them.
- Get email correspondence to have a trail of dates and times.
I understand that lost and delayed luggage happens. The differentiator is how the airline handles it. Vueling has failed and Iberia, the airline from which I purchased the ticket, didn’t help either. It wouldn’t have cost them much to make this a very different blog posting.
Remember, next time you plan to check a bag, use the right credit card, keep all documents and know your rights!
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