Argentine Airlines Issues

[jimgriff]

The Mayor of our city, along with the Chief Executive Officer and an accompanying delegation of five people left on 30th April 2009 to travel to Esquel in Patagonia, Argentina as part of an official twinning group. This was the first trip made by representatives from our city and it was more than important that there were no obstacles to the protocols and mechanics of a successful celebration.
A number of meetings had been organised with business and tourism related organisations and important documentation relating to these as well as samples and official gifts were taken in the luggage.

They boarded flight number A7233N-AR1133R at Gatwick airport to fly to Buenos Aires (via Madrid) and on arrival at Buenos Aires found that three of the cases belonging to the delegation were missing. A lost luggage reference was issued by staff at Buenos Aires which was xxxx
One of these cases contained the official gifts and documentation for the twinning ceremony as well as gifts for the British Ambassador to Argentina.
The other cases contained clothing and personal effects for the delegates.
The party then continued with its programme, but the Mayor was unable to make presentations which had taken months of planning and was most embarrassed by the whole episode.
The clothing that was bought by two of our delegation is subject to separate claim.

The cases were eventually found and taken to Esquel on the Thursday (7th May 2009) – no apology or any form of explanation was offered. By now it was too late to make presentations to various prestigious groups and the Mayor of Aberystwyth was most embarrassed.

Following the official visit to Esquel, the group returned for a one night stopover in Buenos Aires and on Monday 11th May, the Mayor, Chief Executive and the translator were due to fly home to the UK (via Madrid) with Argentine Airlines. (Flight number AR1134R)

The group contacted a representative at Buenos Aires airport to see if, due to the lost luggage episode, a possible upgrade in seating on the flight home was possible. She said that this was not possible and then told us that the flight to Madrid was cancelled anyway!
We were told that we should return to the hotel and “we may be compensated....”, when asked when the flight would go we were told that it “may go tomorrow or Tuesday....”!!!

We asked for a transfer to another airline as the Mayor was due to host an important meeting in our city immediately on our planned return, but were told that there were no flights that we could transfer to.

We explained that this situation was totally unacceptable and that we would probably have to make alternative arrangements to travel home and asked if these would be paid for. She explained that we would have to claim and that she couldn’t comment on how successful this would be.
It is rare to be subjected to such poor customer relations!

We then terminated the conversation and proceeded to make enquiries as to a flight to the UK that night.
We then found that the cheapest flight was with American Airlines (flight AA956/ 142) (via New York to London Heathrow) and we immediately bought tickets and boarded.

Advice as to how deal with ths issue would be appreciated?

[Bealzebub]

To be honest Jim, the circumstances of your trip were important to you, but these things happen. The terms & conditions of travel should be laid out on your ticket, or available from the airline (check the website.) Any compensation for lost or delayed luggage should be detailed there. Beyond that, it falls on the individual to insure themselves against whatever risk they need coverage for.

There is no correlation between delayed or misplaced baggage and receiving an upgraded class of travel. Nice try, and there is nothing lost by asking, but in most cases it is not within the gift of check-in agents or representatives to satisfy such a request.

Your situation does highlight the advisability of not placing important documents/medicines/high value items in checked baggage. Much wiser and safer to keep it with you wherever possible.

Where a flight is cancelled (and it happens all over the world) the customer should be able to obtain a refund or transfer on to the next available flight, which of course may not simply be the next flight. Other compensation may be available depending on such factors as statutes within the jurisdiction, the circumstances of the cancellation and the terms contained within the airlines contract of carriage with you. Whatever the situation, it is likely that any claim will need to be made in writing, is likley to take some time, and would need to show where a quantifyable loss actually occurred.

In reality, your best course of action is to write to the address given by the airline setting out the circumstances that give rise to your claim. Include the receipts for all reasonable expenses incurred as a result of your loss, such as replacement clothes/toiletries/etc. Hotel receipts and transportation costs that were unavoidable as a result of this situation. Beyond that if you are still advised that you have suffered a monetary loss that the airline is contractually responsible for, you can go to court and sue for recovery.

[Gibon2]

I heartily sympathise with you - I have been in a similar situation. In addition to Bealezebub's sound advice, I would suggest getting your mayor to write a very polite letter to the CEO of Argentine Airlines (and/or to the head of their UK office), giving the facts in a straightforward and non-accusatory way, and expressing his disappointment that the airline was not able to do more to support an exercise that will strengthen Argentine-UK relations and hopefully contribute to increasing passenger traffic between the two nations. The tone should be one of regret at a missed opportunity, rather than outrage and demands. The emphasis should not be on losing the bags and the cancelled flight (as Bealzebub says, these things happen - even to the very best airlines), but on the fact that the response to these problems was disappointing.

The letter should note that claims for compensation have been lodged through whatever the airline's mechanism for such things is, give the relevant reference numbers, and express hope that the claims will be quickly processed. Close with a hope that things will go better next time (code for "lift your game, you clowns") and that circumstances will permit those involved in the twinning to travel on the airline in future (code for "we will give you another chance if you at least attempt to do the right thing now").

Copy the letter to the mayor of Esquel, and to the head of the local Argentine Airlines office there.

I wrote such a letter when I was caught up in a similar debacle some years ago - different country, different airline. I received a personal phone call from the country manager (obviously on orders from head office), who frankly admitted the shortcomings, promised to do what he could to ensure they didn't happen again, and asked if I intended to fly with that airline in future. When I said that in fact I was departing a few days hence, he upgraded me on the spot to first class (at no stage did I ask for this). He also asked me to contact him personally if I had any problems in future, and he would sort them out - two years later, I did: he remembered, and was good to his word.

So sometimes the right approach can do the trick. Good luck.

[eliptic]

You not alone! it is not only Argentine Airlines

last time this happened to me was a 3 day business trip to Paris(go car to Le mans) end last year

My bag was lost on the way and stupid as i was this time my stuff that i needed in the "checkin"

i was told the bag would be delivered to me after the next CPH flight arrive...No bag!

I was told they deliver to my CDG hotel early next morning,,,no bag!

I decide to take next flight home,but ****! i did not have an open ticket,, i had to argue 1 HOUR to get AF to take the blame and check me in on a earlier flight.

To be in CDG and flying with Air France are the 2 top things anyone should avoid any day of the year

[TightSlot]

Is Aberystwyth a city? Sorry, just being curious. :)

[eliptic]

Is Aberystwyth a city? Sorry, just being curious

Mouth of the River Ystwyth,

WIKI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberystwyth)

[Michael SWS]

Aberystwyth is a market town. The only cities in Wales are Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Bangor and St Davids.

But back to the topic. The incidents described are typical of Argentine Airlines. Their reputation, both for reliability and customer service, is quite rightly dreadful and they should be avoided unless there is no alternative. I have flown with them on internal flights on several occasions (and almost every flight was late), but always choose another carrier to get to Argentina.

[jimgriff]

No Aberystwyth is not a city- but the diatribe was cut and pasted from along letter sent to AA re their massive cockup on the customer services front!
Bit more than a market town also as 9000 students have rated it as the third best uni in the UK!

[Der absolute Hammer]

What massive cock up?
All that AA did was to treat a group of somewhat self important economy class passengers, who had not the travel wit between them to take their valued gifts and offerings in their hand baggage, as precisely what they were.

[GwynM]

Aerolineas are not known for efficient transfer of bags at Madrid, and the changeover time is incredibly short.

On a trip to Antarctica last November, the wife and I flew BA a few days early, giving ourselveds enough time for cockups, as did almost everyone else who had flown Aerolineas before. The people flying LGW/MAD/Buenas Airies / Ushuia in one day had about a 75% chance of their luggage arriving - 8 out of 30 people had luggage not making the transfer at Madrid. They arrived in Ushuia at about 8pm, their luggage at about 3pm the following day (we had to board the ship at 4pm), just in time for them not to have to repurchase all their warm weather gear / waterproofs undies etc.

That was another 30 people who would never fly them again and would not recommend them to anyone else.

[Katamarino]

Bit more than a market town also as 9000 students have rated it as the third best uni in the UK!

Which means absolutely nothing, except that it has the third highest number of students who heard about the vote :rolleyes: