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After landing at our final destination in Italy we quickly discovered that our checked bags did not make the journey. Before leaving the airport we made sure to open a file with Lufthansa documenting our delayed baggage. Normally this would not be a big problem, but we are scheduled to spend only two nights in Bari before departing on our Mediterranean cruise.
Delayed Baggage Insurance Coverage
As stressed as we initially were, we quickly remembered that I paid for our airline tickets with the Chase Sapphire Reserve which provides a considerable amount of travel insurance coverage. One of these benefits includes delayed baggage coverage. This means that if your baggage is delayed at least six hours or longer then you are entitled to $100 per day (up to five days) in reimbursement. Essential items like clothes, toiletries, and one cell phone charger are covered. The cardholder, spouse/domestic partner, and cardholder’s immediate family members are eligible to take advantage of this benefit. It even covers you up to $3,000 for completely lost luggage. So this coverage together with our separate travel insurance policy and worldwide home/property policy would take care of us.
Naturally, we took the opportunity to walk to H&M to begin preparing for the worst (i.e. we now had an excuse for a shopping spree). We made sure to save the receipts and scan them into our devices for safe keeping and eventual claim filing.
Unexpected events like delayed baggage happen during travel. We knew there was some risk when we booked our itinerary which contained two very short connections in Germany. This is why we included a “buffer day” into our schedule in case of any delays or interruptions before the cruise ship left the port. It’s also a smart idea to use luggage locks like these in case you’re separated from your bags.
6 documents you need to file a claim
1. Your completed and signed claim form
2. Your Account receipt showing that the travel fare was charged to
your eligible card. If more than one method of payment was used,
include documentation that shows a portion of the purchase was
made with your Account.
3. A copy of the Common Carrier ticket
4. A statement from the Common Carrier indicating the reasons that
the Covered Trip was delayed
5. Copies of receipts for the claimed expenses
6. Any other documentation deemed necessary, in the Benefit
Administrator’s sole discretion, to substantiate the claim
Lufthansa frustration
Despite all the insurance reprieve, Lufthansa induced unnecessary stress because literally no Lufthansa employee could tell me the continent the bags were located, let alone which airport. I learned they do not electronically track checked bags. Unlike the big three legacy US airlines that offer an electronic bag tracking feature on their mobile apps and websites. In sheer disbelief I asked while filing the claim, calling, tweeting, and Facebook messaging with Lufthsana. Every time Lufthansa insisted they could not identify which airport the delayed baggage were misplaced.
This part was extremely unnerving and the process appeared to be a very manual search by process of airport elimination. Although we thought it was safe to assume our bags made the trip from Newark to Düsseldorf because we checked-in at the First Class counter courtesy of our Star Alliance Gold status 3.5 hours before departure. The gate agent labeled the bags with giant neon priority tags and processed them with several hours of time to load them.
Reunited
Luckily, after 24 hours passed, we learned the delayed baggage did not make our flight from Düsseldorf to Munich. After filing the claim Lufthansa diverted the bags to Frankfurt in order to catch the earliest non-stop flight to Bari.
Our Bari Airbnb
Thankfully our gracious Airbnb hostess offered to coordinate the delivery since we do not speak Italian. She is an absolute gem and her Airbnb listing is just as spectacular. If you plan to visit Bari, her home has plenty of space and is in the perfect location. In the end, our delayed baggage quickly returned to us and we scored a fresh wardrobe update thanks to the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Featured image courtesy of StockSnap.io.