Baggage lost in transfer at CDG Paris, what is going on?

[nextal]

Hi. I was transferring planes at Charles de Gaulle Airport in France Sunday July 14th. I had 75 minutes between flights, before boarding AF2040 from Paris to Amsterdam.

My luggage did not arrive in Amsterdam and about 25 people from the flight were waiting in line with the same problem, when I arrived in the line. I was told this day 150 items of luggage had not arrived from Paris.

Now more than 24 hours have passed and my luggage has not even been located yet at CDG. I am told I am not the only one with this problem.

I am worried. My luggage has arrived later than me many times, but airlines have always known where it is and been able to tell me when to expect it.

Does anyone know what was happening at Charles de Gaulle Sunday? Has anyone similar problems ? What should I do ?

Nextal

[Techman]

Buy some new clothes.;)

[PAXboy]

They key is this: Your inbound to CDG and the outbound on to AMS - were they the same carrier??

If the same airline, then they are responsible and you can claim from them and beat them up.

If you changed carriers, then you have a problem as each can (= will!) blame the other.

Check your insurance for what you can replace immediately, pending settlement from the airline/s.

I have to say, if I am am to change carriers, I always claim my luggage between sectors, even if there is a time penalty. If I am staying with the same airline - leave it with them as they have to take responsibility.

Good luck!

[AeroBoero]

nextal - Going to Brazil sunday via CDG - you are scaring me.....:eek: :eek: :( :(

(toc toc toc) - [Just to be sure]

[Rollingthunder]

Bastille Day?

[knobbygb]

PAXboy,

Are you sure that neither airline is responsible in that case? Isn't it either the responsibility of the first or final carrier? Or the ticket issuer? I may be wrong and that's just an assumption I've always made. It'd be great if someone had a definitive answer.

As an example, I travelled from PHX, via LAX and LHR to MAN recently and my bag was damaged. AA checked my bags throughout and were the first carrier, BA was the carrier LAX to LHR and BD from LHR to MAN. BA were the ticket issuer. BD only undertook a short leg of the journey but they are the ones who forked out for a new bag and lost gear. I assume there may have been some inter-airline charging going on behind the scenes, or perhaps there's a common pool which they all claim from for this sort of thing. Who knows?

Complicated? Yes.

[christep]

For what it's worth, Cathay Pacific has for some time been advising all passengers using CDG NOT to check their baggage through if at all avoidable. (See http://www.cathaypacific.com/intl/news/2nd/#EUR )

Baggage handling at CDG has been notorious for years - many reports of bags being opened, things going missing etc.

The general advice seems to be:

1) Avoid CDG
2) If 1) not possible then travel only with hand luggage
3) If 2) not possible then collect bags at CDG and recheck them for your connecting flight.

[Hotel Tango]

Might not actually be Paris. The last three out of four times I terminated at AMS (SPL) my bag went astray on arrival. On two out of the three occasions it was delivered to me at home the next day. SPL is notorious for misrouting bags on arrival.

[PAXboy]

knobbygb, I regret to say that I do not know the definitive answer and so presume the worst - that each party will blame the other! This view has been developed after 20 years in telecommunications where the 'law' states that if one company connects a circuit/device to another company, then it is always the other company at fault ...:confused:

Glad to hear that you found an airline that would do the decent thing. For my part (and when asked by friends or colleagues who know that I travel a lot) I prefer to have the hassle of reclaiming the bag at the mid point.

It has been my good fortune (and planning!) that I have lived within 35 miles of LHR for the last 20 years. Consequently, I very rarely have to change, at least when in travelling within Europe.