# Air Canada and lost luggage



## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

According to this Go Public investigation, Air Canada is misleading passengers about their rights when luggage is lost: Air Canada accused of 'lying' to customers to avoid paying up to $2,100 for lost luggage

For both domestic and international flights, the airlines are obligated to compensate passengers. From this article it sounds like AC seems to compensate customers for amounts on the order of one or two hundred dollars when they should be compensating for much higher amounts, into the thousands. They also describe their compensation as a goodwill gesture, when it's actually a legal requirement.

Some tips at the end of the story:


 Take a picture of your luggage before you take off. 
 Make your luggage unique. Add a ribbon or some other trinket to make it stand out.
 Attach a tag with your name and phone number.
 Don't pack valuables that aren't replaceable.
 Use public platforms to complain.

I'll add the tip: take carry-ons whenever possible and avoid checking luggage. You can take, for example, one small bag to put under the seat in front of you, plus one suitcase to put in the overhead bin. Beware of new low fare categories such as "Basic Economy", especially with US airlines, because some restrict carry-ons.

I generally travel with one backpack (goes under the seat) and one roller bag (overhead bin).


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

Government regulation screwed this one up. Come on man $2,100 for lost luggage would bankrupt the airlines passengers will start having a lot of luggage go missing to collect the $2,100 or the airlines might simply stop taking luggage. Passengers can ship their luggage to their destination ahead of time which some people already do.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

james4beach said:


> ... I'll add the tip: take carry-ons whenever possible and avoid checking luggage. You can take, for example, one small bag to put under the seat in front of you, plus one suitcase to put in the overhead bin. Beware of new low fare categories such as "Basic Economy", especially with US airlines, because some restrict carry-ons.
> 
> I generally travel with one backpack (goes under the seat) and one roller bag (overhead bin).


For several Canadian airlines ... the "Basic" fare includes the backpack only with the roller bag being something like a $36 to $100 charge (online payment at the low end, at the gate being the high end). It seems the competition to the bottom has already entered Canada.

I haven't verified the differences but can find articles listing AC, WestJet, Porter, Swoop being among those included.


Cheers


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

I'm not sure what the point of your post is james4beach. Is it simply a point of information letting people know they can claim compensation for lost luggage to an amount equal to the value of what was lost? Is it to give luggage tips? Is it to espouse your own preference for carry-on?

Is there some specific part of all that which you would like to see discussed here? If so, which part?


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

james4beach said:


> According to this Go Public investigation, Air Canada is misleading passengers about their rights when luggage is lost: Air Canada accused of 'lying' to customers to avoid paying up to $2,100 for lost luggage
> 
> For both domestic and international flights, the airlines are obligated to compensate passengers. From this article it sounds like AC seems to compensate customers for amounts on the order of one or two hundred dollars when they should be compensating for much higher amounts, into the thousands. They also describe their compensation as a goodwill gesture, when it's actually a legal requirement.
> 
> ...


I will add some of my tips as we have been without our luggage on more than one occasion. We have slept in an airport more than once without luggage, they have lost or delayed our luggage or us a family. We have weird/bad luck when flying, my poor kids are so well prepared for travel, they just anticipate that the airline will lose/delay our luggage, or cause use to miss a flight, or be severely delayed. We have seldomly been compensated, though they airline has severely F'd up. The most I have been compensated was $150, and that was with a huge fight. 

My tips include the following:
- PRIOR to packing, take pictures of your items, since all my stuff is laid out on the floor any ways, I take general pictures of the items on the floor. Lay them out in such a way that you can show how many items you have, ei, 5 shirt, 3 pants, etc. I also make a little list of items on paper. I do the same on the way home for items that I bought. 
- If travelling with others in your family, split your items between the suitcases. We usually travel with 2 suitcases for 4 people. We divide everyone's clothing and items between the two suitcases. Just don't so something silly like have all your pants in one, and tops in the other. Same with toiletries. Usually they don't lose all your luggage, though that has happened to us too. 
- In the carry on, of course your important papers and medications, but have 24 hours of clothing, and some snacks including cup of soup. 

In terms of suitcases and sizes. If you are different airlines on your trip, watch out for the different limits. It was actually cheaper for us to do a suitcase verse a carry on. On discount air line we were on charged $55 for the carry on suitcase, but only $25 to check it. I have no idea why. As a result, our luggage is very flexible, we have a lot of expandable luggage, and I always bring a collapsible/foldable luggage bags. I have actually put carry ons in one bag to check which saved me $80. 

I know airlines move a lot of luggage, but for the amount of times I have had something personally go wrong, it's best to prepare for the worst.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

Deleted


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Do you lock your luggage(s) to prevent thieveries? Do you find it hellpful?


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Ag Driver said:


> Most people bash specific airlines when it comes to baggage. (ie "I will never fly AC again because they lost my luggage! I will only fly WJ!")
> 
> Fun fact. Majority of the major hubs have the SAME contracted handlers like Swissport and Menzies.


I have had my baggage lost by most airlines, big and small. They are equally bad. 



Beaver101 said:


> Do you lock your luggage(s) to prevent thieveries? Do you find it helpful?


My hack is using the zip ties, which is preventative. You can tell if someone tampered with the bag (I used colored ties). I find with the locks, even if they are TSA locks, I have had mine cut, and my luggage damaged. There is no excuse now for them to accidently cut my zipper or luggage, just the zip tie. Also with the TSA locks, you can't tell if someone has opened. With the zip tie, you can tell, AND they are suppose to put a letter telling you your luggage was opened. I find the zip tie better too because those little locks can be easily picked.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

Always do ... just to make it more difficult. 

It is hard to say as one time, a non-approved lock was cut off for the flight to the US. It went the whole trip unlocked with nothing missing. So far, the only items that disappeared on flights for our family were items left in the overhead bin or a machete in carry on in the early '70's that was supposed to be returned "just before the flight".


Cheers


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## Dilbert (Nov 20, 2016)

I never check a bag, carry on only.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

We have never lost luggage permanently but have had luggage delays, i.e. missed the designated flight. Delays are inconvenient if one has commitments the same day, e.g. to a concert or similar, wasting time having to go out and purchase a few items of clothing. Anecdotally, our delayed luggage incidents were either due to multiple flights to destination getting the bags on the wrong plane (out of Dorval) or with long layovers. Those long layovers seem to cause baggage to go astray. Better not happen this coming January when we have long layovers in both Vancouver and Hong Kong.

Latest was landing in Paris in 2017. Had to miss a city tour due to need to go out and get a few items to dress up for Moulin Rouge that same evening. Pissed me off, but AC did compensate for the purchase of needed items. Carryons can only carry so many things and in our case, dress-up clothing was not one of them.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

I'm ambivalent about this. $2100 is the limit of liability, not the basic amount they are required to pay to everyone. What insurer is going to pay that maximum without some evidence? If you are in the habit of travelling with that much value in your checked luggage, I would suggest you should document the contents, and probably have your own insurance to boot. (But I will admit to surprise the limit is that high - I would never expect a common carrier to insure my personal property for that much).

If faced with a passenger claiming that much, the carrier would be perfectly justified in demanding:
- a proven inventory and valuation of the contents;
- proof that the traveller does not have household or travel insurance that would cover part of the loss.


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

OhGreatGuru said:


> If faced with a passenger claiming that much, the carrier would be perfectly justified in demanding:
> - a proven inventory and valuation of the contents;
> - proof that the traveller does not have household or travel insurance that would cover part of the loss.


Interesting idea, but how would go about proving a negative, as you propose?

As for the notion that homeowner’s insurance should be the primary coverage, I would think that the homeowner policy underwriter would see its role, if any, as excess insurer. If the airline causes the loss (or, at least, under the law of bailment it fails to show how the loss occurred without negligence on its part), should its insurer not be the primary insurer?

The “overlapping coverage” cases are replete with diverging results, depending on a number of variables, mostly turning on the language of the specific policies under consideration.

Here’s one interesting case where overlapping policies purported to be “excess” policies, where the net result was, in effect, those provisions cancelling each other out:

INSURANCE — Insurance generally — Overlapping coverage • Policies issued by plaintiff insurer and defendant insurer each covering injured party — Each policy containing clause purporting to render it "excess" to other policies held by insured — Court finding those clauses to be irreconcilable and hence inoperative — Court instead dividing liability equally up to $1 million limit of plaintiff's policy, with any portion above that limit to be borne by defendant until the exhaustion of its policy.

Family Insurance Corp. v. Lombard Canada Ltd.*S.C., McEwan J., Vancouver C976291, February 24, 1999 , 6pp.

https://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/sc/99/04/s99-0404.txt


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

OhGreatGuru said:


> I'm ambivalent about this. $2100 is the limit of liability, not the basic amount they are required to pay to everyone. What insurer is going to pay that maximum without some evidence?


Isn't this missing the forest for the trees?

Should Air Canada tell one that there is no compensation, as outlined in the story ... is the limit or requirements of proof going to be of any concern?
Or for that matter, would one still be ambivalent?


Cheers


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

For those discussing locking your bag, that discourages only the least knowledgeable opportunist and is beyond simple to circumvent. All it takes is a pointy object and all of maybe 5 seconds to open your bag completely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JvmAktLvFg

It is for that reason, that I always pack only what I can afford to lose. By that I mean, nothing of personal 'sentimental' value for example. I can buy clothing regardless of its value but not something that is in fact irreplaceable.


Regarding claiming there were items of real value in your suitcase which add up to more than a couple of hundred dollars, I do not see it as unreasonable at all for an airline to ask for some kind of evidence. However, I do not think it would be necessary to 'prove' the value, I think circumstantial evidence that supports the claim should be sufficient.

In fact, I happen to know of an example of just that. Quite a few years ago, I went on a backpacking trip in the Sonora Desert as part of a group of around 8 people. We flew from Toronto to Tucson with Air Canada. As you would expect, we all had specific backpacking equipment with us. As luck would have it, one bag belonging to one member of our group did not arrive with us on our flight. All her backpacking gear was in that one bag.

Now consider the situation. A group of 8 with one member missing specific backpacking equipment. Our plan did not even call for us to overnight in a hotel before heading out by rental car to our backpacking starting point. It was, 'grab our bags off the carousel, pick up the rental cars and go.' You cannot hold up a group of 8 people and wait in a hotel for a bag to show up a day or two later. So what do you do, tell the one person, 'sorry, you will have to not come with us and wait by yourself for your bag to show up' or something like that? Or pay for 8 people to stay in a hotel for who knows how long waiting for the bag? There is very little in the way of practical alternatives in such a situation.

So the person reported the bag as missing and told the airport to hold the bag if it turned up, until our return to the airport for our flight home. Then we got in the rental cars, drove directly to an outdoor store one of our group members knew of and 8 people shopped in 15 minutes for an entire backpacking outfit for the one member. The 15 minutes included the time necessary to try on the items that required that. ie. hiking boots. We picked up stove, sleeping bag, t-shirts, socks, underwear, flashlight, toothbrush, cup, plate, knife and fork, etc. Even with the minimum necessary number of items, the bill was nearly $1000. You do not buy a $10 sleeping bag or $20 pair of boots when you are doing serious wilderness backpacking far from any assistance, where your equipment literally may affect whether you live or die.

On our return to Tucson, sure enough the bag had arrived on a later flight that same day. So on her return home, that member of our group ended up with 2 of everything more or less and a credit card bill for $1000. She wrote a letter to Air Canada explaining the circumstances and including a copy of the itemized store bill and her credit card receipt. She got no reply to her letter, simply a cheque in the mail for the $1000. No muss, no fuss, no 'proof' of what was actually in her bag, simply the circumstantial evidence given by herself of the situation.

People are always quick to jump on the 'blame the airline' wagon. I never see anyone saying, 'why do so many passengers make false claims against airlines and insurance companies, thus causing them to doubt everyone who makes a claim'. Why don't we jump on those people as often in forums?

I would say that if Air Canada or any other airline is avoiding telling people what they can claim, they may have some justification for doing so. There is enough blame to go around for both the airlines and the passengers who would happily all claim $2000 if they thought they could get away with it.

The only real question I would have is where are all the examples of people who made legitimate claims with reasonable circumstantial evidence if asked for it, and were NOT paid what they claimed was the value of what was lost?


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

Longtimeago said:


> For those discussing locking your bag, that discourages only the least knowledgeable opportunist and is beyond simple to circumvent. All it takes is a pointy object and all of maybe 5 seconds to open your bag completely.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JvmAktLvFg
> 
> It is for that reason, that I always pack only what I can afford to lose. By that I mean, nothing of personal 'sentimental' value for example. I can buy clothing regardless of its value but not something that is in fact irreplaceable.
> ...


True about locking bags. Locks are for honest people.

I would say if you are going to tell the airline that your lost bag contained a $4,000 laptop, $3,000 worth of camera equipment, a diamond tiara, etc., you should be prepared to offer some proof.

In countless flights, I have only once lost a bag, and that was on an AC flight from Vancouver to Kamloops. The bag turned up and was delivered to my hotel the next day, after I had started a business meeting at 9 a.m. I bought a few basic items in Kamhole (as a friend who was born there likes to call it) the afternoon I arrived and was reimbursed sans question. I did not rush out and try to buy a new business suit, shirt and tie, dress shoes, for my meeting. I went casual and explained. Even had I thought I could get the airline to pay for it, to me, it would not have felt right. It would have been overreaching. I think both sides need to be reasonable in these cases.

My only other experience with lost luggage was on the trip with 3 others to Belize. A bit like LTA’s backpacking experience. We flew from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Cancun and rented a car to drive into Belize. We planned two weeks of diving/fishing, including fly fishing for bonefish. One of our group lost his bag containing his fly fishing gear and his mask, fins & snorkel (we rented scuba gear in Belize). We could not really delay in hope that the lost items would soon turn up. We had an aircraft chartered in Belize to take us and our local guide to a somewhat remote island on arrival and it would have been too complicated to try to make other arrangements. We asked around and found a place in Cancun that sold what needed to be replaced. My buddy bought what was necessary and the airline (I cannot now recall which one, but I think it was an American carrier) later reimbursed him with no fuss.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

i ended up w a suitcase switch once. Suitcase was identical but inside was a maelstrom of bright, colourful, tossed-in items. Nothing was folded. Bikini bottoms, sunglasses, polo shirts, pashmina, pleated skirts, jeans jackets, pale pink bras all swimming around in a tangle. Like she'd left the suitcase open on the floor & threw everything at it from 3 metres away

spouse looked at the cheerful disorganization & said Oh I Like Her

luggage tag said toronto. Had my own suitcase back the next day.


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

Use some blue & pink flagging tape plus a bright color suitcase makes it a lot easier to find plus stick a tile inside the suit case


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Anyone else seen that Border Security TV episode where the guy insists a bag is not his even though it is the right kind as well as colour and has a coloured identification strap around it?

The passengers claim that he must have grabbed the wrong bag off the carousel seems ridiculous but eventually the Agent says, 'OK, let's go to the carousel and see if there is another identical bag.' Sure enough there was!


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

Yeah, I've seen that one. Coincidences do happen. That's why you are supposed to have an identification tag on it, and why you are supposed to check. Poor guy assumed the appearance of his bag, with a coloured strap, was unique enough.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

I'm trying to remember. I think his key even opened the lock on the bag. 

We use semi-unique coloured luggage tags on our bags. I say 'semi' because they are store bought and so obviously others can also buy the same tags.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.ca/Luggage-Canad...8&qid=1544894293&sr=8-5&keywords=luggage+tags

But when using the name and address etc. card that slides in to the clear plastic on the back of the tag, I put the card in backwards. That is so that the personal info is not visible. On the back of the card (side showing) I then write, 'Information on reverse side'.

This is a habit from years ago after reading about thieves who would stroll around in Toronto airport looking at the tags on passengers bags and then going and burglarizing their homes. Of course nowadays, all they have to do is read people's Facebook pages where they announce to the world that they are off on vacation next week or are there now and 'look here is a photo of the beach'. LOL


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## bgc_fan (Apr 5, 2009)

Longtimeago said:


> I'm trying to remember. I think his key even opened the lock on the bag.
> 
> We use semi-unique coloured luggage tags on our bags. I say 'semi' because they are store bought and so obviously others can also buy the same tags.
> 
> ...


His key did open the lock and his reaction was right away, "That's not my bag". I imagine that there must be a finite amount of locks, but still, what are the chances of 2 identical bags, with identical straps, with the same lock being on the same flight?

The tip about the name and address is a good one. Although like anything else, would only really slow a person down a few seconds to take a look.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

The tip re reversing the luggage tag is to stop someone reading it before you check it in bgc_fan. Not to stop someone who takes it off the bag and can then reverse it to read the info. ie. a baggage handler.

Apparently, it was not unknown for thieves to 'sidle' up to someone in an airport and just look down and read the tag if it was visible. Again, it was years ago that I read/heard about this happening. Even a baggage handler who had access to your bag would have to risk someone seeing him taking the tag off to reverse it. Because of the way the strap holds the tag, you have to take the whole tag off, remove the strap to get the card out and reverse it to read it. A bit fiddly and time consuming obviously. Far easier to pick the 'low growing fruit' and just read a tag that shows the info without even having to touch it.

Here is a sample photo of a tag that you can see would require you to remove the tag to get the card out and reverse it to see the info. https://travel.lovetoknow.com/wiki/What_Should_I_Put_on_Luggage_Tags

That link also gives more current ways of limiting what info you need to put on a tag to be able to get a lost bag back to you.


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