Qatar Airways
I recently returned from the U.S. on Qatar Airways from NYC. Prior to that flight I travelled on United Airways where my luggage was lost enroute from Greensboro, NC to Washington and then on to NYC. I filed a lost luggage report with UA and was told my bag, when found, would be forwarded on the next QA flight to Doha. It is now 6 days later and my lost bag has not been returned. I have been told by UA that the responsibility now lies with QA because it was the last airline I used. QA has had no success in trying to get information from UA about my lost luggage. UA is just not responding to their inquiries. I now find out that QA's policy on compensation for lost luggage is that, if you live in Qatar, you get nothing......NOTHING....not a penny. As I understand, I will also not get any compensation from UA because QA was the last airline I used, and this is apparently industry policy. I just wanted everyone to be aware of this and take whatever action you deem necessary when travelling with QA and of course, UA, which QA says has a terrible reputation for losing luggage especially the Washington, DC airport. Be warned and be aware!
Dear baldrick2dogs,
This is indeed very useful information.
I see from the above that the carrier is limited to compensation of 17 SDR for each kg of checked baggage (roughly $25). QA last month lost a baggage and against a claim of $1900 has offered to pay $400 for a 31 kg baggage. Shouldn't I be entitled to at least $775?
Regards,
Cool Aid
Can I hire you as my representative when I go to fight with them? My mother-in-law travelled on 12 Feb and they lost the luggage - till date they have not given any information and treating us as if the fault of losing the luggage is the passenger's not Qatar Airways. 5-star BS...
Do you know how much this is? What if the luggage is lost on an outward flight - i.e. a resident goes somewhere and they lose the luggage?
Do you know who this person is, where s/he sits, or any e-mail/fax to contact?
Ukanese, it's true that the last airline is the one that bears responsibility for the lost bag. But you could use the bar code from the back of your ticket jacket and call United and see where the bag ended up then call the airlines baggage claim at that station. Let us know.
Mandi
Thanks for the comments everyone. I agree, the fault for the loss lies with United Airlines. They have a pathetic reputation for losing luggage. But I'm told it is industry policy that the last airline involved bears the responsibility for lost luggage. I'm only going by what the Qatar employee told me at the claims centre. I will investigate further and bring everyone up to date.
Baldricks is right those baggage handlers in America are to blame.. QA is 5 star for only on flight service not what goes on the ground..
But what ever they are funny.. I dont what to start otherwise I will need the whole day to critise them on just one of my last few show downs with them. But as a Brit I am never give and always get what I want..
-----------------
HE WHO DARES WINS
loosing passengers baggages . shld b given 1 or 0
ground handlers for QR at US is Austrian Airlines. so blame Austrian Airlines and the Americans.
"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, tolerant of the weak. Someday you will have been all of these."
1. There is no such rule even for QA. They do compensate despite where you live when the baggage is lost. Your is still tracing.
2. You have mistaken I guess - there is something called interim relief when the baggae is lost for buying your essentials. QA too do provide that. But if you are a local resident you are not eligible for that. May be thats what you mistook as no compensation on lost baggage.
______________________________________________
Every society is judged by how
it treats it's least fortunates.
Tess ... Lost luugage cannot always be blamed on an airline - it should come down to the baggage handlers, so I say, blame the Americans ;o)
Did you Google it first?
address to Customer Relations Manager about your lost baggage/ They will compensate it but sad to say not the cost of all items but they will wait till they will trace your baggage.
Just write an e-mail and fax it to their number or send to them directly.
baldricks right, even if you are staying here in Doha you are still entitled to a compensation for lost baggage.
"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, tolerant of the weak. Someday you will have been all of these."
Thanks for the info Baldrick2dogs. I haven't lost a baggage yet (knock on wood), this info certainly helps ...
Qatar Airways are bullshitting you if that's what they told you. You are covered by the Warsaw Convention as below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Convention
The Warsaw Convention is an international convention which regulates liability for international carriage of persons, luggage or goods performed by aircraft for reward.
Originally signed in 1929 in Warsaw (hence the name), it was amended in 1955 at The Hague and in 1975 in Montreal. United States courts have held that, at least for some purposes, the Warsaw Convention is a different instrument from the Warsaw Convention as Amended by the Hague Protocol.
In particular, the Warsaw Convention:
mandates carriers to issue passenger tickets;
requires carriers to issue baggage checks for checked luggage;
creates a limitation period of 2 years within which a claim must be brought (Article 29); and
limits a carrier's liability to at most:
250,000 Francs or 16,600 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) for personal injury;
17 SDR per kilogram for checked luggage and cargo,
5,000 Francs or 332 SDR for the hand luggage of a traveller.
The sums limiting liability were originally given in Francs (defined in terms of a particular quantity of gold by article 22 paragraph 5 of the convention). These sums were amended by the Montreal Additional Protocol No. 2 to substitute an expression given in terms of SDR's. These sums are valid in the absence of a differing agreement (on a higher sum) with the carrier. Agreements on lower sums are null and void.
On November 20, 2008, the exchange rate was 1.00 SDR = 1.176 EUR or 1.00 SDR = 1.472 USD.
A court may also award a claiming party's costs, unless the carrier made an offer within 6 months of the loss (or at least 6 months before the beginning of any legal proceedings) which the claiming party has failed to beat.
The Montreal Convention, signed in 1999, will replace the Warsaw Convention system, once Montreal has been ratified by all states. Until then, however, there will be a patchwork of rules governing international carriage by air, as different states will be parties to different agreements (or no agreement at all).