In case you haven’t guessed from the subject, Continental Airlines still have not found our luggage.
I have been on the phone with them twice a day since Monday, asking for an update, and the answer, while worded differently each time, comes down to: ‘We have no idea where your bags are.’
They’ve “authorized the first compensation payment” which totals $50 and will be paid upon completion of a claim form. Apparently this process takes 90 days or so.
Further investigation of their website shows that as I’m traveling under the Warsaw Convention, ‘Continental’s liability is approximately $9.07 per pound up to $640.00 maximum per bag for checked baggage’. The bag weighed 20kg, so Continental would pay out ~ $399.
Checking my travel insurance, I can claim for my lost luggage and they’ll pay out up to £3000; however they want to see receipts for any items claimed. Who keeps receipts for everything?
Today, Emma wrote a list of some things which were in that bag. They include: iPod Touch, iPod speakers, her favourite jewelery, perfume, makeup as well as most of Zachary’s wardrobe. We have receipts for a few things, but literally, only a few. As you can see, the value of the contents of the bag far exceeds the $399 Continental would pay out anyway.
In more positive news, our office manager has spoken to her sister. Her sister is a frequent flier and is classed as a ‘gold member’ or something. Anyway, she’s able to get access to a better class of customer service – namely, someone with a clue. This person-with-a-clue thinks the bag wasn’t scanned properly at Houston, and thinks it may well be there. Now, I definitely saw it being scanned, but whether it registered is another matter.
I’m expecting a call regarding this in about 10 minutes. Please keep your fingers crossed for us.