Woman's lost luggage claim denied because canceled flight never left DFW; airline admits mistake

A North Texas traveler didn’t go far after checking a bag for a recent flight. She asked NBC 5 Responds for help with a luggage reimbursement claim.

FLIGHT CANCELLATION

While waiting to board a flight for a long weekend in Mexico, a North Texas traveler named Sakeitha said she learned the flight was canceled. It happened during severe weather on May 30. Sakeitha said the airline couldn’t rebook her party for a couple more days, so she scrapped the trip and received a refund for the ticket.

When Sakeitha tried to retrieve the luggage she checked in, she said she couldn’t find her bag and filed a lost luggage claim. In an email from the airline to Sakeitha, the airline said it couldn’t trace the bag. The email Sakietha shared with NBC 5 Responds also said the airline couldn’t reimburse her for the lost luggage because she didn’t fly the carrier. Sakeitha said the only reason she didn’t fly with the carrier was because the flight was canceled.

We contacted American Airlines. A spokesperson told us by phone that a team member made a mistake when they told Sakeitha she wasn’t eligible for lost luggage reimbursement.

In an email to us, an American Airlines spokesperson wrote, “We strive to ensure that every customer’s checked luggage arrives at its intended destination as scheduled and apologize for Sakeitha’s experience. We have been in contact with the customer and our team has processed her lost baggage claim in accordance with American’s Conditions of Carriage.”

You can find a link to AA’s baggage policies here.

LOST LUGGAGE RULES

Generally, the Department of Transportation said airlines declare bags permanently lost after five to 14 days. Each airline has a policy on this. The DOT said airlines must compensate passengers for reasonable expenses. It lists max liability limits as $3,800 on domestic flights and around $1,700 for international. The DOT’s website explains an airline may pay more, but it isn’t required.

According to the DOT’s most recent air travel consumer report, airlines “mishandled” .58% (less than 1%) of baggage in the first three months of the year. Though less than 1% of bags are mishandled, avoid packing irreplaceable or highly valuable items in checked bags. For example, if you need medicine for your trip, you should carry it with you.

Sakeitha told NBC 5 that the maximum liability for her luggage wouldn’t cover the designer clothes and medicine she packed in the lost bag.

In April, the DOT announced it would enforce new rules for airlines. The new DOT rule requires bag fee refunds when an airline fails to deliver a checked bag within 12 hours of the consumer’s flight arriving at the gate. For international flights, refunds are due if luggage arrives 15 to 30 hours late, depending on the length of the flight. Airlines have until Oct. 28, 2024, to implement the delayed bag refund rule.

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