SW Lost Baggage Claim Process

[crispy potatoes]

Hi All,

I've done a fair share of research regarding the process but I have a couple questions and was wondering if anyone out there could help me out. This is all regarding Southwest.

Hypothetically, 5 days have passed and I file my claim. I then consider that my bag will never be found and need to replace the necessities in the lost luggage. (i put a lot of my clothes in there) I go and re-buy everything. Couple weeks later during the claims process they tell me they somehow found my luggage...did I just buy all the crap I once had for nothing?

From what I know, southwest covers up to $3.3K. They also will ask you for an itemized list of all the contents of the luggage. Does anyone know how good they are with the payout?? And are receipts really necessary?

Any insight with these matters would be much appreciated....

-Stressed out traveler

 

[Veritas]

You are more likely to get expert advice concerning this issue on FlyerTalk Southwest Rapid Rewards forum.

 

[does this plane go to paris]

Hi All,

I've done a fair share of research regarding the process but I have a couple questions and was wondering if anyone out there could help me out. This is all regarding Southwest.

Hypothetically, 5 days have passed and I file my claim. I then consider that my bag will never be found and need to replace the necessities in the lost luggage. (i put a lot of my clothes in there) I go and re-buy everything. Couple weeks later during the claims process they tell me they somehow found my luggage...did I just buy all the crap I once had for nothing?

From what I know, southwest covers up to $3.3K. They also will ask you for an itemized list of all the contents of the luggage. Does anyone know how good they are with the payout?? And are receipts really necessary?

Any insight with these matters would be much appreciated....

-Stressed out traveler

 

[gizmo_sc]

Here is a link to the SWA Contract of carriage: http://www.southwest.com/assets/pdfs/corporate-commitments/contract-of-carriage.pdf

Scroll down to line 23-24 and there is what SWA will do. When submitting your claim the SWA rep will ask for receipts for items you had

in your luggage , and I know most of us do not have receipts for clothes we purchased in the past. I think there is a formula for hold long

you have owned items and depreciation. Be sure to read over the items that are not covered to save you the time on submitting those

items. FYI when traveling always put valuable items in your carryon. GOOD LUCK. I had a claim with UNITED years ago and it was a

difficult process, but one learns after an airline claim and you never have to deal with it again. Since you have done it before.

 

[does this plane go to paris]

crispy,

hypothetically, you are assuming the bag is lost and your items are lost. If you had a pair of designer jeans that cost you a couple of hundred bucks that you bought from Nordstrum's and you are upset that you want to go out on a night on the town and decide that you absolutely need to have the same pair of jeans and you think that a check is arriving from Southwest, you are doing this at your risk. Airlines have been scammed by Customers and therefore there are processes in place that may seem stupid to you but are in place to validate the claim.

So you bought the jeans and the next day you get the call from the claims office that the bag is found and being shipped to you. You ask about the reimbursement for those jeans, you COULD be turned down. You MIGHT be offered 50%, since you're gonna keep the jeans, or you write into Customer Relations and plead your case and get some sort of consideration. Each case is different. Southwest does pride itself on their reputation and if they lost your bag, couldn't be found after 5 days and then you were asked to file more paperwork and then the bag is found you have a good case to write into Customer Relations right there. If you purchased items because you didn't want to wait they're gonna look at that reimbursement a little differently. If you purchase items that you had to have, a business suit, a special dress, etc, that would be handled differently.

Southwest will honor their Contract of Carriage but they will validate the claim. Follow the process and if you don't, you are doing so at your risk.

good luck