Amtrak lost my bag!

T1P2

If anybody is thinking about using Amtrak’s Checked Baggage Service, then please read this first. I strongly urge you to not let any Amtrak staff anywhere near your luggage.

I purchased an Amtrak pass with ten single trips to help me to see America during the World Cup. Everything went well to start. The pass helped me to save on accommodation. (Two night’s accommodation from Orlando to Chicago where saved by just using one segment of my ticket.

The problems started when I made a trip from Atlanta to New York on 07/02/2026 OR 02/07/2026 in the UK

I checked in my case at Atlanta and was given a luggage ticket. I was told at the counter in Atlanta that my luggage would go directly to New York on the direct train. I was traveling via Charlotte because that route used up less of my train pass segments.

When I arrived in New York I went to the Moyihan station baggage department to claim my bag. It wasn’t there. I tried telling five members of staff that my bag should have arrived on the direct train but I had made to journey via Charlotte because it was cheaper.

I was amazed that the five members of staff did not have a policy for a lost bag including a man called Craig who claimed he was a manager. They eventually came up with the idea of ringing Atlanta and Charlotte stations to see if they had the bag. According to the person doing the calls they had my bag at Atlanta and were prepared to put it on the next train.

It was here that things started to get strange. I said to Graig the manager that I could not return in a day or so to collect my bag because I was about to fly to Mexico. I asked him if he could keep my bag until I arrived back in New York because I was travelling around the U.S.A watching the World Cup. To my astonishment Craig said he could only keep my bag until Wednesday of the following week. I said well in that case my case is lost then?

They then gave me a five page document and asked to fill out the top page. It required a description of my bag and contents. It also asked for a valuation of my bag. When I had finished I asked for a copy but I was refused a copy. The excuse was that they don’t give out copies.

I carried on my World Cup journey. At JFK airport I asked a member of the port authority police for help. He told me that I required a copy of the form that I had been refused and I needed to give Amtrak enough time to find the bag.

On 07/18/2026 I finally returned to New York’s Moyihan Baggage claim. No one remembered me. When I repeated my story a female member of staff said that she would go upstairs to look for my bag. She came back with nothing. I was distraught. A manager came and asked what was wrong. I told my story again. He told me that the upstairs was locked up and the lady with the key was not at work until Monday!!

I told them that I required the top copy of the five page form to give to the port authority police but I was refused again.

I went around the corner to customer service. I asked if I could make a formal complaint about the service that I had received. The manager at customer service said that I could not written complaint but he would listen to my complaint ant try to resolve.

I told him about how a member of staff had claimed that she had gone upstairs to look for my case but the manager had said that upstairs was locked up until Monday. He said that because he was a manager he had a key to upstairs and he could go and look. He went away for a while but returned and said my bag was not there.

I then told the manager at customer service that I had been refused a copy of the five page compensation form. He went to see why. He came back and said that the reason why they had not given me the compensation form because they thought that I had lost my bag on the 3rd of June not July.

How could that be I tried to collect my bag on the 3rd of July?

He then gave me a piece of paper with a web site on it. He said if I filled out form on web site Amtrak could check all their stations and their depot in Jacksonville.

The link was only to the Chargerback lost and found form for Amtrak. I had been using that form for nearly two and a half weeks to communicate with Amtrak about the items in my case. I felt that the customer service manager had not listened to a word that I had said.

About a week or so ago I came across a photo of my case when I tried to send it to Amtrak I across an email saying from Amtrak that they could not find my case. There was nothing about any compensation.

I would love Amtrak to look again using the photo of the case that I have tried to send them. I would prefer my case but if they have lost it then I want compensation.

Does anybody know how I claim compensation for my bag?

Ayr_Rage

Travel Insurance.

heatherw_01

Yep this is why we get travel insurance. Make a claim through them.

T1P2

I have very good travel insurance but because Amtrak have dragged their feet in telling me they could not find my bag it is now too late to make a claim. Amtrak should pay compensation up to $3000. I did not want to make a double claim. So far Amtrak have said nothing about compensation..

Grumpy_chap

 because Amtrak have dragged their feet in telling me they could not find my bag it is now too late to make a claim

What the the time limit on a travel insurance claim from the date of the loss?

I really think, if the bag was seemingly lost, you'd have been able to make a claim. If the bag turned up while the claim was in progress, the claim would simply be closed down.

Unless the service with Amtrak carried its own insurance, I don't think that a claim against them for £3k will be successful. What was in the bag that had the value of £3k?

T1P2

Dear Grumpy

When I filled out the five page compensation form I put on $2,500. I was then given strange looks by staff at Amtrak as if to say why didn't you put more. i think it is too late to make a claim on my insurance.

martindow

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82132964#Comment_82132964

The strange looks could equally be Amtrak employees wondering what you were carrying that was worth that much! Have you spoken to your insurance company to see what they say? I assume that whoever agrees to pay out will ask for some evidence of the value of the contents before offering a figure.

T1P2

Dear Martindow

I know what you are saying and can proove the cost of some items. The problem comes to things like my signed England shirts which are a lot to me but in reality are just football shirts.