Can I claim compensation for buying plane tickets to find lost luggage?

pumpkinman

I flew with Wizz Air last month and they ended up sending my checked luggage to the wrong country. It ended up in an airport where they don't actually have flights or a presence (Dusseldorf). Luckily I had a tracker in my suitcase so I knew where it was. I filed a missing luggage report but nothing happened for a week, despite me contacting Menzies (who handle missing luggage for Wizz Air) and Dusseldorf Airport. They didn't act on any of my emails or proof that the suitcase was there.

In the end I flew to Dusseldorf at my own expense and picked it up. Am I eligible for compensation from Wizz Air for the flights I had to pay for?

I've lodged a claim with Wizz Air but I'm getting the following back. I wondered if anyone knew the best way to approach this. 

'As set out in our General Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage, you are entitled to compensation for the delay of your baggage within reasonable limits and in accordance with the delay:

18.2.6. If your Baggage is delayed for more than 24 hours on an outbound flight, you may spend a reasonable amount on essential items, up to a maximum of three days. To claim this allowance, you must make a written claim using our online claim form within 21 days of the relevant flight. All claims must be supported by documentary evidence (e.g. receipts) of necessary purchases made.

We would like to inform you that we can only reimburse expenses for necessities once you have provided us with receipts for the items purchased.

We look forward to your reply.'

I don't need to claim for essential items, just the plane tickets. I feel like my luggage would still be in Dusseldorf weeks later had I not gone myself. Thanks for any advice.

Caz3121

It should not matter whether an airline has a presence or not. Majority of airline will use World Tracer which matches lost baggage with found baggage, whoever logged the bag in Dusseldorf as found would have been able to forward it to the location of the lost bag. Everything tends to be managed through World Tracer
Did you update your PIR record with information that your tracker identified the luggage in Dusseldorf?
I suspect you are going to have to take the hit on your decision as can't see them footing the bill for this.

eskbanker

pumpkinman said:

In the end I flew to Dusseldorf at my own expense and picked it up. Am I eligible for compensation from Wizz Air for the flights I had to pay for?

No.

Baggage issues are dealt with under the terms of the Montreal Convention, and any airline-specific terms and policies, but the working assumptions behind all of these is that the airline retains responsibility and liability for reuniting your baggage with you, rather than you physically chasing it around Europe yourself, so there's no coverage of costs for your unusual choice of action, however justifiable you feel it was.

pumpkinman

Thanks for the answers both. At least I can stop emailing them now.

Caz3121 said:

Did you update your PIR record with information that your tracker identified the luggage in Dusseldorf?

I did. It didn't seem to help at all.

eDicky

pumpkinman said:

In the end I flew to Dusseldorf at my own expense and picked it up.

I admire your tenacity. I'd be interested to hear what the process of 'picking up' your suitcase involved at Dusseldorf airport, having myself had the experience of needing to personally ransack the lost luggage catacombs of a much larger airport in order to finally locate a suitcase.

Indout96

Wow, good job we are traveling hand luggage only with Wizz Air in December.
Just got back last week from our last holiday and Easyjet lost my suitcase, rang the helpline and was sent a form to complete (not the easiest on my phone) this was around 3.00pm, by midnight they had found my case (it never left Manchester) and informed me it would be delivered to our hotel the next day (it arrived around 4.00pm) luckily we were able to spend the day around the pool so a quick trip for some trunks & a beach towel (total €13).