Checked baggage still missing more than one month after my flight

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
I re-write this post as the situation has evolved and my question now has changed.

What happened

I flew from SIngapore to Geneva via Zurich with Swiss on Jan 10th in business class, the 1st leg had more than 2 hours delay and my luggage did not arrive on the carousel, I noticed we(who had the flight SG-ZRH-GVA) were several in this situation.

I submitted the online form for missing luggage (mybag.aero) on the same day and chose the option to have the luggage delivered to my home.

The next day the website had a status message (until today)

Good news, We've located your baggage

"Baggage details

Your baggage tag and baggage description details are listed below. You can check the status of your delayed baggage and, as needed view and modify the baggage details.

Baggage descriptions

Status

Current Status awaiting arrivalYOUR BAGGAGE HAS BEEN LOCATED

AWAITING ARRIVAL

We are awaiting receipt of your baggage at the airport.

"

but nothing happened, I called the customer service line 0848 700 700 but they say the line is only for reservation and asked me to call 0848 555 200 and the woman who works in Romania on that line doesn't know where my suitcase is, not even if it is in Zurich or arrived in Geneva, nor does she care.

On the 19th Jan I went to Geneva airport to physically check but haven't found my luggage. The Swissport employees there told me according to their system, the luggage arrived in Geneva airport on the 10th, but in the past it already happened that a luggage didn't arrive Geneva and stayed in Zurich despite their system says the luggage arrived in Geneva. they said they have just sent a message(in front of me) to Zurich airport asking confirmation, but I got no news since.

When I contacted Swiss Customers Service online, the only replies I received is some apologies and AI-generated empty words, and the links that have already been sent 10 times.

Then end Jan, one day I noticed on mybag.aero there was a 2nd message "" Further action is required regarding your delayed baggage.

Please complete the form regarding the contents of your baggage by selecting 'Contents list' from the main menu."

Baggage Inventory and Claim Form

You have not yet created a claim

Please complete the form and submit to us ", despite the first message " Good news, We've located your baggage....blabla ." was still there.

After asking in the forum, I have filled the form and specified the content in my baggage, even my baggage it self is highly identifiable as it was a very niche brand(I have never seen the brand in Europe) with very special color.

On the 31st Jan, I finally received an Email from a human(presumably)

Thank you for your efforts and time in completing the necessary documentation. I have updated the tracing file with the details accordingly. Whenever there are news, you will be informed either by me or by the airport for delivery. Should the bag not be located within 30 days, I will contact you for the further procedure of settlement.

Whenever the bag is delivered in the meantime, I am grateful for a short feedback.

Yours sincerely

***the name of the guy***

Baggage Competence Center

Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.

Flughafen Bern

3123 Belp

Switzerland

SWISS.COM

but nothing happened since, I have written him back twice in the last 10 days and no reply. I searched his name on LinkedIn and find a profile who is a student and works as Baggage Service Center Agent for

Lufthansa Services (Thailand) Ltd.

I wasted hours since my flight and got nothing...What shall I do now? Thank for your advice

2
Yawn....

3
Have you tried sending a polite, factual letter with this write-up of the chronology by registered mail? Sometimes - even in 2024 in the electronic world - this can jolt things into action so that, if there is anything that can still be done to retrieve the bag from wherever they once believed it might be, they can do that.

On the other hand, I think you'll need to face the possibility that the airlines will have a procedure that lasts only for a certain duration after which they will declare the item permanently missing and close the case.

At the latest then, it'll be a matter of dealing with the insurance to see whether they will cover for the costs of replacing the value of the actual items lost (but most likely not for any form of compensation for pain and suffering).

4
So eventually you filled in the inventory form they asked for, and they wrote back on 31st Jan, saying saying should the bag not be located in 30 days (from the 31st Jan, so around 1st March ) they will be back in touch with a settlement... today is the 12th Feb.

What could you have done to help avoid this... use a baggae label or identifier, as you admitted you didn't on the previous thread.

What could you have done to progress this quicker... give them the info' re inventory when they requested it on the 20th (ish), but you were still arguing on here on the 27"/28th saying you would send it. So if you did send it on the 28th, they provided you with an update in 3 days, but you'd already cost yourself a weeks delay.

What can you do now... wait for the 30 day from the last communication as they asked.

5
The fact that you could not follow the simple method on continuing the thread you opened hear like everyone else nor complete the form you were originally asked to complete does not bode well for a successful outcome. You have now been told to wait 30 days..... but you have not!

Try doing what everyone else does in the thread and in dealing with the lost luggage.

6
This kind of thing is a good reason to have an AirTag in your luggage. Then you can at least tell them where it is.

7
Hey, your luggage might be now in hands of a delivery subcontractor.

Once AA left my luggage in Washington Dulles airport. They located it, called me and told me to pick up at Zurich airport. I lived in Neuchâtel at the time, and told "Bring it home". I still had some clothes at home so I could wait Lady on the phone was very very upset but agreed anyway and send a confirmation email.

A bit later than 1 week I got a call from another angry guy who was complaining that the apartment I lived had no ring button at street level. I was about to end the call when he said American Airlines...I just shout to wait that I was running down the stairs and I did. I found the angry guy with my suitcase completely beaten up, soaked in water, dirty, broken wheels but happily still closed and dry inside.

Quickly signed up the form and saw the most clunky and rusted car I've seen in Switzerland. It wall full of other cases. That's why I assumed a poorly paid subcontractor. I could not ask to the guy because he ran after I signed the form.

The system is crazy. It was pure chance that I was at home when the poor delivery guy was at my place. Maybe ask if you can pick up your luggage at the airport. It's not the right thing, they should deliver it at home, but it may reduce the wait for your stuff.

8

Meanwhile:

“Cremation remains still missing sent from St. Gallen, last seen in Urdorf!”

https://www.tio.ch/svizzera/cronaca/…-novembre-urna

Tom

9
Thanks a lot for the idea, do you suggest me to write to that "Baggage Competence Center" in Bern now? (even the guy who wrote to me seems based in Thailand according to his LinkedIn profile)

I haven't bought any luggage insurance BTW.

thank you for clarifying the timeframe. I have NOT understood he meant 30 days from the Email, because I was told on phone and also in Geneva airport it's 30 days from my flight date. they have been giving so many inconsistent info, it's difficult to know what is the correct one.

The 2 of you seem frustated by the fact I have not filled my baggage content online when I saw the automatic message, there are 2 reasons why I didn't.

1. their info system is not consistent, which makes it diffcult for me to know what to do. Around end Jan, on the website, there were 2 automatic messages which in theory couldn't be both true or coexist. One says successfully located my luggage(since day 1) and the other asks me to provide the content in it. If it was a staff who wrote me an Email or called me, I would have provided the content immediately, but that didn't happen and all I had was these auto-messages, no human...

2. Unless the metal label engraved on my luggage dissapeared, I don't see why providing the brand, color, size, material and sample of the luggage is not enough as info(those were drop-down menu input so standardized info)

###############################################

Thanks a lot for having shared your experience. You showed lots of empathy.

10
I just received an Email from them. What can I do as I don't have any receipt of the items in my baggage nor my baggage itself, for example the baggage was a present and bought abroad. They are really trying to make things difficult.

##################

"Much to my regret, I must inform you that despite all efforts and worldwide tracing your bag could not be located until today. At this point, we finalize the active tracing actions. The tracing file remains active in the system, in case your bag should be found, it would be delivered to you.

To proceed with the indemnification, I need the following details:

Original sales receipts of the missing items (we do accept also credit card – and bank statements)

Copy of your passport or another official ID

Your bank account details

The attached questionnaire filled in and signed

For a prompt settlement of the case, kindly send me the documentation scanned by e-mail. I will get back to you with the conclusion soonest possible.

Baggage Competence Center

Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.

Flughafen Bern

3123 Belp

Switzerland"

11

What's the regulation? I would assume they just must believe what you claim up to a common sense item list. I'm also curious if the insurance covers replacement or compensation. If replacement, then the current market value applies.

12
Jeez.... You have to do a bit of work! Trawl for proof of purchase from statements etc if you don't have a receipt (they did say that) or explain you don't have reciepts as the contents are old or were gifts. You the take your inventory, put on the age and value as new and send that. They will work on a depreciation scale to arrive at a current value, best you can do without p.o.p. but don't expect it to be much.

They are not being difficult, have you any idea how many fraudulent or inflated claims airlines/insurance companies have to deal with? No doubting your bag is lost, and from this and your other threads would not think you would do such a thing, but without proof of purchase of what a claimant says is in the bag, it's always a challenge, and the companies will pay out as little as they can get away with as a result.

13

This bloke’s train set he brought back from Japan went missing in Zurich airport and he hit various walls of ignored emails, even though it had an airtag in and he could trace its location to a cargo area.

https://www.20min.ch/story/flughafen…g-706820313807

It was magically found once the story got into the newspapers.

Cheers,
Nick

14
I also find it strange that receipts are asked but also surely you can find some clothes and items receipt bought online for us to the value that you think appropriate? Nowadays with all the online purchase business I cannot believe you have not one single receipt to proof some value? They also accept credit card statements!

But also do read small print I have memories of a certain amount per kg of luggage or so.....

Swiss applies the Montreal Convention, max 1500 Euro for economy. Maybe read up on that.

Airtags all the way from now on for me!