[singhgauravk]

I was traveling on-board Northwest flights from Newark-Liberty I'tl to Delhi via Amsterdam last Tuesday, and checked in two duly locked bags at the origin. When I collected my baggage at Delhi, I observed that the locks on one of the bags was missing. Upon checking I found that an Apple iPod Touch and a Sony PlayStation Portable were missing from the bag. Subsequently, I went to the airline's office at the airport and they gave me the email/phone numbers to call. I duly did so but am unable to get justifiable response.

The airline says that I should not keep electronics items in the checked in bags as they are valuable. I am confused by their response as a piece of clothing (from a designer like Chanel etc) could be multiple times more valuable than an electronics item. This is speaking solely in monetary terms. An item that might be deemed worthless monetarily might have immense emotional value to the traveler. Therefore, this whole premise of valuables raised by Northwest Airlines/Delta comes across as illogical to me.

I checked in my baggage with them at Newark and it is their responsibility to ensure the safety of my baggage. After a week of haggling with them, all I have got back from them is that it was my mistake to put valuables in my checked in baggage. This to me is customer service at its worst. They have no idea how much emotional loss this whole episode has caused me as those stolen items were meant to be gifts for my loved ones. I am just hoping to get compensated for my monetary loss. Right now I feel as if Northwest/Delta have robbed me and also charged me hard-earned US $ for the same.

I am seeking everyone's opinion as to what business forums to approach or file a lawsuit so that Northwest/Delta accept their mistake in mishandling my baggage and compensate me appropriately.
Please help.

[The_Judge]

I am first going to say that stealing any item from a passenger's luggage is not only wrong but illegal and I hope the person caught is dismissed and prosecuted.

Here, I think it gets a little tricky. The wording of airline policies are vague for a reason. Here is what NWA's website has to say about this.....
"You should carry certain items on board with you. Northwest has a generous carry-on policy designed to allow passengers to carry on those items for which Northwest accepts no liability. These items include, but are not limited to, medicine, keys, important papers, travel documents (passport), jewelry, cash, computers, computer equipment, cameras, and other items of high personal value."

http://www.nwa.com/travel/luggage/checked.html

To correct you just a bit, it doesn't say monetary value, it says personal value. So your comment about emotional versus monetary value doesn't stand up.

The above info though does not indicate whether this is for damage only or for loss of the piece of luggage. Certainly, having it stolen, one would think it should be covered, no matter what the article was. I'm betting the airline will use the above as a blanket and include theft in their non-coverage.

In any event, please use the link below to find info how to track your pilferage claim online. I wish you well but feel it will not turn out so.

http://www.nwa.com/travel/luggage/delayed.html

[mars6423]

well i would never personally put any electronics such as a playstation portable or an ipod in checked luggage, the ipod is able to fit into your pocket or easily into a carryon bag (not sure about the playstation, haven't seen one)

i am pretty sure it says do not pack electronics in your checked luggage as the airline isn't responsible for that (seen that many times i have booked a flight, as well as on signs at the airport near check in) so i think your gonna be out of luck here

what you bring up with the designer clothes, the airline will refund the money if you can prove it with a reciept (easy if you put it on your credit card) but many times i believe they will have a limit where it is for "regular" clothes (the term isnt popping intomy head) rather than designer as many people may claim that they lost a gucci bag or whatnot

[PHXFlyer]

You may be laying blame with the wrong party. The pilferage could have been by a Northwest employee but more likely it was a TSA agent. Baggage handlers are often too busy to rifle through random bags in hopes of finding "buried treasure" but the TSA x-rays every bag and electronics show up very nicely on an x-ray. Furthermore you said the bags were locked. I'm surprised both locks weren't missing because TSA will cut locks if they are not TSA approved and can be opened with the TSA key gadget.

[The_Judge]

Originally Posted by mars6423

i am pretty sure it says do not pack electronics in your checked luggage as the airline isn't responsible for that (seen that many times i have booked a flight, as well as on signs at the airport near check in) so i think your gonna be out of luck here

I wanted to mention this in my post too but got sidetracked. Found this as well on the website.....

Fragile/Perishable Items
Passengers may include fragile and perishable items in their checked or carry-on baggage. However, Northwest is not liable for the loss, damage, spoilage, or delay in delivery of fragile or perishable items included in the passenger's baggage, with or without the knowledge of Northwest.

A fragile and/or bulky item may be carried as cabin-seat baggage subject to certain restrictions. See Carry-on Baggage for details.

Examples of fragile or perishable items include, but are not limited to:


Artistic items
Articles tied, taped, wired, or strapped to the exterior of any piece of baggage
Boxes, sacks, and bags that do not provide sufficient protection from damage to the container and its contents
Chinaware, ceramics, or pottery
Electronic and mechanical items
Garment bags
Glass and glassware, including telescopes, binoculars, and barometers
Household articles
Liquor cartons
Musical instruments and equipment
Paper items
Perishable items, including floral and nursery items
Photographic and cinematographic equipment
Precision items, including medical items and calibrated measuring devices
Recreational and sporting goods
Toys
Uncrated/unprotected items whose shapes, material, or characteristics render them susceptible to damage.

http://www.nwa.com/travel/luggage/specialitems.html

[justme]

PHX, thank you for making this point for me. Frankly, I am surprised that one of the two locks was still intact. I haven't looked recently, but last the last policy I was aware of, had us displaying signage that said something to the effect of do not have your bags locked when you send them to security. You can have a lock on it, but don't actually lock it. Then, after it is screened, TSA should be locking it when they're finished looking at what they need to. Definitely an imperfect system, but it's better than just having your lock cut off and rendered totally useless. I do want to reiterate the point that PHX made, since I started on the ramp, and still have friends that work there. I know from personal experience that two things are true. First, while it is misfortunate, wrong, illegal, and repulsive, theft does happen. TSA, airline employees, contract employees, and government officials have all been guilty of it. Proving who it was is generally very difficult, if not impossible, unless there is a "sting" operation which has happened in the past. And second, rampers simply do not have the time to search thru bags and hope to find something of (monetary) value. Turn times are generally made as short as possible. Someone did some calculations in another thread and came up with something like each bag is touched for an average of about 5 seconds. That is definitely not enough time to open, search, remove items, and resecure a bag. Don't automatically assume it was the airline employees who were the ones "theiving" things from your bags.

[Silent Bob]

Exactly PHX, if the bag was locked you can only blame TSA, or customs agents as they also have xray screenings, but there's are more public. unless they take you in that little room they call "secondary". I've been there only once for baked goods brought back from Japan, but when they realized it was just baked goods and it didn't tick off the dog, they let me continue on.

Sadly you won't get a straight answer from either TSA or the airlines as one will push towards the other. Chalk this up to a lesson learned and do not carry valuables in your checked bag.

[jimworcs]

Artistic items
Articles tied, taped, wired, or strapped to the exterior of any piece of baggage
Boxes, sacks, and bags that do not provide sufficient protection from damage to the container and its contents
Chinaware, ceramics, or pottery
Electronic and mechanical items
Garment bags
Glass and glassware, including telescopes, binoculars, and barometers
Household articles
Liquor cartons
Musical instruments and equipment
Paper items
Perishable items, including floral and nursery items
Photographic and cinematographic equipment
Precision items, including medical items and calibrated measuring devices
Recreational and sporting goods
Toys
Uncrated/unprotected items whose shapes, material, or characteristics render them susceptible to damage.
medicine,
keys,
important papers,
travel documents (passport),
jewelry,
cash,
computers,
computer equipment,
cameras, and other items of high personal value

As if a passenger could carry those items on board. Yet another example of airlines making the travel conditions on the passenger so onerous it is almost impossible to comply.

In the US the only way to get compensated is to make a high quality music video, put it on youtube, and then the airline suddenly finds that the fair thing to do is to take responsibility for their actions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-UoERHaSQg

With regard to who did it.. TSA or airline employees.. who cares? The bag was placed into the care of Delta (always a precarious thing to do) and you were robbed.

If you feel very strongly you might provide receipts and try small claims, but you need to understand... airlines reserved the right to steal from you and if you agreed to those conditions, then it is your own fault. That is the attitude..

Apparently, victims of crime on airlines are to blame for their own misfortune...