Airline luggage delay claim issues - airline not playing ball

baileywin2

Looking for some advise...

Flew with a budget airline to a European destination with luggage including a child's car seat and pushchair.

After landing, no car seat or pushchair - there's a booth for the airlines appointed luggage agent at the airport, they claim they don't have it and to fill in a form online. Ask if we can borrow a car seat, they say no but to rent one and claim the cost back.

Rent car seat for £50 for a week.

The next day, the car seat arrives at the hotel, and a day later the pushchair.

Fill in a delayed baggage claim and the airline offers £25 and refuses to increase and suggest claiming on the travel insurance - which has a £50 excess.

Bit frustrated and not really sure where to go from here.

DullGreyGuy

Did you contact the firm that you'd hired the seat from to see if you could return it early for a partial refund when your own appeared? 

baileywin2

DullGreyGuy said:

Did you contact the firm that you'd hired the seat from to see if you could return it early for a partial refund when your own appeared? 

I did not. But in any case, driving back to the airport, parking, hassle etc would've eaten up the difference.

Voyager2002

Does the airline have any presence in the UK? If so, small claims would be the most direct route. The key point is that you did what the agent told you, on the basis of a promise they made.

winkowinko

Voyager2002 said:

Does the airline have any presence in the UK? If so, small claims would be the most direct route. The key point is that you did what the agent told you, on the basis of a promise they made.

It's £25 per day. The agent wasn't to know how quickly the car seat would turn up (if at all). Had it turned up after 48 hours, you would be entitled to £50. 

baileywin2

As an update

Flight was in June.

Airline refused to budge from generic £25 goodwill payment.

Raised a dispute with the Airline ADR in August.

Airline accepted dispute and agreed to cover the costs less VAT (?!).

Then agreed to pay VAT but did the currency conversion twice so it was a lower amount (?!)

Escalated with the ADR who issued a judgement for full payment in December

Airline offered to settle but got numbers in the wrong order so again a lower amount (eg £54.21 → £45.12) (?!)

Airline eventually covered the cost after 8 months of chasing.

Archergirl

Glad you got a result, they just hope people will give up……