Miraculously got frequent flier tickets to Paris on Delta, but had to go Boston/NY/Paris and on an Air France code share flight. Arrived in Paris to find a bag lost. Air France apparently has the initial responsibility. Left all info re: travel plans, locations, etc., as we were on the move for about three weeks. Called the Air France number daily and spoke I am sure to India, China, and heaven knows where else. Certainly never spoke to any one who listened! Lost bag delivered to Lyon two days after we told Air France and Delta (via email and phone!!) that we had left. Decided not to have spoiled vacation so we managed with a little help from some friends (borrowed T shirts!) and called Delta when we got home since they ignored 4 emails while we were in France, to ask them to arrange to get our bag from Lyon where it was stashed! (Note that the Lyon people kindly accepted bag because the French delivery person told them he had instructions to leave it and would not return it to Air France!!!). Delta informed us they were so terribly sorry but they could not pick up bag in Lyon and Air France would not respond so could we arrange to have our bag brought to Air France in Lyon and they would "try to convince Air France" to send our bag on to Delta in Paris and Delta would send it home. We asked for a phone number, email, anything that would assure us that Air France had a person in Lyon who would accept the bag, etc. Delta gave us four non-working numbers in a row, each of which they claimed came from Air France. We called Air France. They informed us they had no up-dated phone information for Air France in Lyon and could not assist us in connecting to Air France in Lyon.
I have a corporate DHL account, so I've decided to retrieve my bag and pay for its return myself. However, please note that you should always get baggage insurance, and AmEx tells me that if I had called them while in France they would have coordinated the return of the bag to the correct location through their Global Assistance program. Perhaps this is true. It remains to be seen though I hope I don't get to test it out! In any case, rely neither on Delta nor on Air France for any assistance. Air France was, in fact, actively unhelpful and obstructive.
The problem may not have anything to do with codesharing, except as it confuses passengers. Responsibility for bags is with the airline you first give them to. If you flew on an Air France plane, regardless of how you obtained your ticket or what other airlines may sell tickets for that flight under a codeshare agreement, Air France is responsible for the bag.
Delta may try to help you out of goodwill but there may be nothing they can do. If, however, that first flight was on Delta equipment, they are responsible.
I hope you can retrieve the bags promptly now and eventually get reimbursement for your DHL expense. Your tale is a caution to all of us.
Posts: 186 | Location: Washington DC | Registered: 11 January 2006
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