Chaos at airports | Baggage bingo losers can claim

It is always with a certain excitement that we take the plane for the holidays. But this summer, a good big dose of anxiety is added because of delayed, even canceled flights, and these mountains of suitcases lost in airports. Travelers who arrive at their destination without their luggage, however, can console themselves by claiming up to $1,000 from their credit card issuer.

By receiving a new Mastercard, Visa or Amex, we do not necessarily see the point of reading the insurance certificate that accompanies it. One of the good reasons has become obvious these days: to know the indemnities provided when a trip does not go perfectly.

Insurance offered by credit cards can cover canceled or interrupted trips, theft of personal effects from a hotel room, luggage lost by an airline or “simply” late. I put the word simply in quotation marks, because it is not as dramatic as a trip to the water for a case of passports never received. But it’s not pleasant, in addition to being time-consuming and expensive.

The least we can do is to receive the compensation to which we are entitled.

Because there is the paperwork to complete to declare the luggage late. And all the time lost to buy some clothes and toiletries, when it’s not a dress to attend a wedding or a stroller.

Blandine Bois can attest to this. And this, even if she never managed to take the plane which was to bring her to France. She was looking forward to introducing her family to her two children for the first time. His story is shocking.

On June 21, while queuing for security at Montreal-Trudeau with her husband and 3-month-old and 2-year-old daughters, she discovered that Air Canada had mistakenly checked them in on a flight to Nice , rather than Lyon as expected. Another bad surprise: this flight to Nice was already in the sky!

Unable to find an employee who could come up with a plan B when it was almost midnight, the family went in search of their suitcases to return to sleep at home. Air Canada maintained that the baggage could not have left the airport without them. But they had disappeared. The journey home was therefore made without a car seat, the baby in her arms.

After a week, the four suitcases, stroller and car seat were still missing. To date, the account is not complete. “It feels like playing bingo for lost luggage […]losing my daughter’s favorite doll is heartbreaking,” says Ms.^me Bois, who contacted the airports of Montreal, Nice and Lyon. This allowed him to learn that his stroller had “made a few transatlantic trips” for some obscure reason.

“In particular, we bought a stroller and a car seat and two or three other things of common use for the girls, such as cups and toiletries,” says the mother, who received no money from Air. Canada. “We were never told about compensation for delays,” she says. The couple also did not make a complaint to the issuer of their credit card, not being aware of this possibility.

Typically, the cards offer $500 or $1,000 per person, when baggage is delayed for more than four or six hours. The amount is not paid automatically. Instead, reimbursement of purchases is offered, upon presentation of invoices, for “essential” products.

Be sure to read the list of items not covered before you go shopping. For cards issued by the National Bank, for example, cosmetics, glasses, electronic tablets and photographic equipment are not covered. Desjardins specifies that only “toiletries and clothing” are reimbursed. The Scotiabank Visa Infinite card contract states that charges must be made “no later than 96 hours after the time of arrival at destination”.

Fortunately, all contracts are available online. These also indicate the procedure to be followed to claim one’s due.

You must first declare the delayed baggage to your airline and complete a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) before contacting your credit card issuer using the number on the back of the card. We can then make our purchases and after the holidays, we send the invoices, explains Michèle Jobin, senior director, sales to individuals, direct distribution channels, at Desjardins. To avoid disputes and disappointments, it is better to stick to reasonable purchases (sunscreen, makeup remover, toothpaste, affordable clothing).

The notion of essential products is subjective, but Louboutin shoes will be denied to you, launches M^me Jobin laughing.

Curiously, even if we see tons of lonely luggage in airports, Desjardins and the National Bank do not observe an increase in claims. Is it out of ignorance?

On the other hand, customers are more likely to call these two financial institutions to obtain information on their travel insurance coverage before leaving. We can see wisdom there, or proof of perfectly normal insecurity in this abnormal summer period.

Other ways to claim

The conveyor belt spins tirelessly, suitcases pass by, but not yours. And now the merry-go-round stops. Obviously, you will have to leave the airport without luggage. Oh no !

If this happens to you, be aware that airlines must, under the Montreal Convention, compensate their customers. The maximum amount is around $2300. “This limit applies to most international routes, as well as routes within Canada”, specifies the Air Canada site. The carrier will reimburse “reasonable interim” expenses (which may include renting a bicycle if yours cannot be found) upon receipt of receipts.

Air Transat adds that baggage “is considered lost if it is not found within 21 days from the date on which it should have been delivered”. Before that, it is a “delay”.

Please note that a claim must be made within 21 days for delayed baggage and before 30 days for losses (21 days for domestic flights).

The problem? “The airline is not obliged to compensate you if it took all reasonable measures to avoid the problem or if it was impossible for it to take these measures”, according to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) . Admit that it’s not too reassuring.

How can we prove, as a traveler, that Air Canada or Air Transat did not take all “reasonable measures” to ensure that our luggage arrived safely and on time? I predict some debate on the matter…

carrier or assuror ?

Since credit card insurance provides compensation, who should be contacted first? you will ask.

“Customers are invited to make a request to the airline first. Indeed, the insurer may intervene in cases where the latter does not compensate the client for all the costs incurred by the situation,” replied National Bank spokesperson Alexandre Guay. Same story at BMO where it is said that “the credit card insurer is the second payer”.

However, this information is not included in the insurance contracts. And I tried to find out by what mechanism exactly an insurer could know that his client has not already been reimbursed by the carrier, but I did not get a clear answer.

Is it better, on the spot, to submit two claims to increase your chances of being compensated, even if it means canceling one later if necessary? Hard to say. But given the decline in confidence in air carriers and the difficulty in reaching their customer services, we certainly cannot blame a traveler for wanting to put the odds in his favor.

New prprotection

You can also reduce your stress by purchasing a new product launched at the end of June by the Montreal company Late Flight called Peace of Mind. For $15, this package includes an airline complaint service in the event that baggage is delayed or misplaced.

“The customer receives 100% of the compensation to which he will be entitled”, it is specified, since no commission is withheld by Late Flight. This is not the case when entrusted with a complaint for a canceled or delayed flight, since a 25% commission on the compensation obtained is withheld. In both cases, we take care of everything for you, but it is important to keep evidence.

At this time, the Peace of Mind package is only available through select travel agents. “Seven out of ten customers take it. The momentum is great! “, agrees Jacob Charbonneau, co-founder and CEO of Late Flight, while ensuring that his service does indeed allow you to be compensated.

The entrepreneur does not rule out the possibility of selling his product directly to the public, on his website, in a year or two.

By the way, the FICAV, the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents administered by the Consumer Protection Office, does not offer any compensation for baggage problems. On the other hand, travel insurance offers additional protection, often flexible.

And be aware that if you have paid for the registration of your luggage, you can be reimbursed for this amount in the event of loss or damage.

No amount of money will make you forget the contents of your suitcase, but leaving money on the table will only ruin your vacation a little more.