Thomas Cook... service, what service?

Smiley82

Can I assume that you didn't have Travel Insurance? Usually you can make a claim for lost luggage on your insurance for incidental purchases (althought I highly doubt 'electric razors and electric personal items' will be considered ....seriously, you could have bought a cheap disposable razor for a few days, buying new electrical items immediately would just be dismissed as being silly in my opinion....)

Have you looked at their website??
http://www.thomascookairlines.com/frequently_asked_questions/overview.aspx#{DD0650ED-43BA-4AF9-88C6-B2BCF78C68F8}
What should I do if my luggage is lost or damaged?

My luggage has been delayed. What will be done to locate my luggage?
You must submit a report of this to the competent authorities at the airport. A luggage dossier (PIR) will be opened with the information you give there and a worldwide search will begin. Please check that all the information is correct on your copy. We will do everything in our power to locate your luggage as quickly as possible.
What can I do if I need clothes or toiletries urgently?
Until your luggage arrives you are entitled to a fixed amount or the purchase of urgent necessities within the maximum liability.

If you have not received this assistance, please send the following documents to the Thomas Cook Airlines Customer Service:

• the declaration form (PIR) with the reference number for your dossier
• your proofs of purchase
• your ticket and luggage label

If your luggage has not been returned within 3 days, a more extensive search will be started. We request that you send the following documents to the Thomas Cook Airlines Customer Service:

• the dossier reference number
• a detailed list of the contents of your luggage
• your boarding card

I would assume that they should be quite happy to make a token payment with regards to the lost luggage. With regards to the day off work....you are probably going to have to wear this one, as usually they take very little responsibility for delays less than 12 hours.

But they definately could have handled it better, and their customer service sounds like it leaves little to be desired!!!

HTH

sammyhallett

Smiley82 wrote: »

Can I assume that you didn't have Travel Insurance? Usually you can make a claim for lost luggage on your insurance for incidental purchases (althought I highly doubt 'electric razors and electric personal items' will be considered ....seriously, you could have bought a cheap disposable razor for a few days, buying new electrical items immediately would just be dismissed as being silly in my opinion....)



HTH

I didnt replace electricals... you're right, that would have been silly!
I got what I needed but its the inconvenience of it all really, didnt have to happen.
As for allowances, as far as I'm aware that only applies to the outward journey because you are less likely to find home comforts etc in a foreign country.

Smiley82

Sorry, I hope that didn't come across wrong...I probably wrote it too fast. I can understand why you're annoyed...I know I would be!!!

Found this on the Montreal Convention - I think it applies to either jouney.....

As set by the Montreal Convention, passenger's luggage is officially consider 'delayed' for a period of 21 days after it is reported as missing. For delayed luggage some airlines offer customers immediate one-off payments at a set amount to cover any emergency purchases such as toiletries and underwear.

Some will pay this set amount on a per day basis up to a maximum number of days. Others will not make any cash payments at the time, preferring to reimburse essential items upon seeing receipts.

However the general principle is to cover essential costs resulting from the delay to delivery of the baggage. Should your luggage be missing for longer than 21 days then they are deemed as lost and you can then proceed immediately to make arrangements with your airline or travel insurance company to claim compensation.

Warrington-Mike

Does your travel insurance not cover for delayed baggage? most does, unless it was a real cheap one.....

Pollycat

I think you need to carefully check the wording on your insurance policy.

Mine covers only for delayed baggage in reaching me on an OUTWARD journey.

I do agree that the baggage handlers (I assume the 'little man wasn't Thomas Cook staff) probably did not follow the correct procedures in chasing up your missing luggage, contacting you to update you of the situation and then again to ask where you wanted it to be sent once it was found.

It's this that you need to focus any complaint on.

A number of years ago, American Airlines managed to lose one of my sister's case on the way to Vancouver.
She & OH completed a form (maybe PIR) which stated that AA would ring them every 12 (I think) hours to update them with the results of their search for the missing bag.
They failed to so this at all, and when my sister flew from Vancouver to Las Vegas a week later, she had to ring them to tell them her new contact number.
They found the case (still in Manchester) on the evening she was due to fly home so she told them to leave it there.

Once we'd claimed for the 'incidental expenses' they'd incurred, I wrote to AA to complain about their admin processes.
They sent a letter back saying that all cases of lost luggage was dealt with by the airport's baggage handlers so she'd sent the letter on to Manchester Airport - which just showed how poor their admin processes were as I'd stated in capital letters that the complaint wasn't about lost luggage.

Anyway, Manchester baggage handlers sent her $400 in American Airlines travel vouchers.

The best bit is that I wrote again to AA and pointed out that she'd obviously never read my letter and she sent $800 in AA travel vouchers.

Before I started this, I spoke to a guy at ATOL who told me that we stood no chance of getting anything from them, so I called that a result - and we used the vouchers for a trip to New York twice.

It may be worth seeing what the form (I assume you have one) says and then drafting a letter to Thomas Cook.
Keep it brief, unemotional and to-the-point.