Seems united airlines lost my wifes luggage while traveling to N J( Newark airport) & so far all i’ve been getting is the run around from the friendly skies people. It is really hard dealing with united due to the fact they have barricaded themselves in their Corp. Hdqtrs.in Chicago & outsources everything to India.United only gives these people a limited amt. of info.to work with & also the fact that there is a communication problem with the broken english.It is very frustrating & aggrevating not being able to get a straight ans. from anyone
It isn’t JUST United Airlines. All kinds of corporations are outsourcing everything to India and other countries, because we greedy North Americans demand to be paid too much!
And almost any airline can misconnect luggage, because of the TSA’s insistence on screening baggage again at the intermediate connection points.
The technique in dealing with this kind of problem is simple. KEEP A PAPER TRAIL. Sounds really old-fashioned, but it works. Save ticket coupons or e-ticket printouts, boarding pass stubs, baggage stubs, lost bag report, receipts for replacement clothes, etc., etc. Keep a paper record of what date and time you reported the bag lost, what date(s) and time(s) you called to enquire, what you were told on each call, etc. Sooner or later your bag may turn up (mine took about a week).
When it does turn up, write a letter and SNAIL MAIL it to the airline’s Corporate Headquarters. Find the address on their website. A paper letter is much harder to ignore or pretend to miss than a phone call or e-mail. Include photocopies of all your documentation.
Tone of the letter is very important. Don’t rant and rave, don’t fire with the insults, etc. Just simply explain what happened and include your detailed list of dates and times. Especially, DON’T tell them you will never fly with them again. Encourage them to want to keep your business.
When I did this, United compensated me for the full cost of all the clothes I had to buy and the suitcase I had to buy to carry them home in (my own bag came back a week after the trip). I was at a conference and had to buy a suit, tie, dress shirts and dress shoes, belt. socks, casual clothes, etc. I dropped about $600 in all, and United reimbursed every penny without batting an eye, even the cost of the Canada Customs charges I had to pay when I returned home.
And on top of that, they threw in a $300 voucher for future travel!
The secret is to know how to complain (as outlined above) and it is astonishing how far a polite and straightforward approach goes. Then again, considering how many people rant, rave, swear, throw things, threaten lawsuits, call the poor gate agents rude names, etc., maybe it isn’t all that surprising.
