My baggage lost entire Greek trip. Lufthansa not reimbursing.

This exact same thing happened to me for 10 days in Austria in July. At least my receipts were in German.

However, after several back and forth exchanges (the first time they said they had no liability for any reimbursement and I said yes they did), they informed me that according to law they only have to pay for toiletry type items (which I did not buy since they were in my carryon with me) and paid about 1/3 of the cost of the few items of clothing I bought (mostly I just made do). I was completely sick of them by that time and let it go. I do have other insurance but didn’t file for reimbursement through them.

So maybe use Google Translate (you can take a picture of your receipts and it will translate superimposed on top of that) and send those photos. Mainly just keep replying to them and reiterating your claim. However, they are notorious for all of this. I am actually surprised I got my suitcase back at all. It went to Antalya, Turkey instead of Salzburg (I can see how someone confused those 🤦🏻‍♀️) and no one unloading off the plane in Salzburg uses a scanner.

Edit: a lot of people use X (Twitter) but I don’t know if they get results that way or not.

No tips for Lufthansa, but do take a careful check at what travel insurance you have. Most travel insurance will have some coverage for these types of claims. In addition, many credit card companies have benefits regarding lost or delayed luggage as well. If you can’t get your reimbursement one way, perhaps you can get it another.

PS. Kudos to you for going the 3 weeks and making a great trip anyway!

That's what trip insurance is for. Check your policy. Most policies will give you money to buy clothes, etc the day your luggage is lost and also give you money for new luggage. Most airlines companies aren't responsible for lost luggage.

This is a quote from the Lufthansa website regarding delayed luggage. They say they will accept responsibility and reimburse. I can see why the OP is frustrated.

"Compensation for immediate expenses due to delayed baggage (replacement purchases)
If your baggage arrives late at your destination, you can purchase necessary things such as toiletries and clothes and submit the receipts for reimbursement. If you have to purchase replacement items because your checked baggage is delayed, please retain all of your receipts in order to file your claim."

If your baggage has not arrived at its destination within 21 days of the date it should have arrived, it is considered lost. You are then entitled to claim reimbursement for your lost suitcase and belongings.

You will be able to obtain compensation up to a ceiling of approximately €1,600 per passenger.

However, in the event of loss of baggage, airlines do not reimburse lost personal effects based on their new value, but often apply a discount.

You must send a written request to the airline, attaching the purchase invoices for the lost goods. If you do not have supporting documents, you may be offered compensation based on weight (around €20 per kg).

It's the Montreal Convention. It applies to all European Union airlines flights regardless of their destination.

Regarding Lufthansa check here:

https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/faq-persoenliche-gegenstaende?faqcat=170850

If the amount of your proven damage is greater than the liability limit, you will not be able to claim higher compensation. On the other hand, you may be able to benefit from additional reimbursement via insurance: specific insurance when checking in your baggage, or insurance with your credit card for example.

Thank you so much you all! This helps a lot to know Im not alone in the experience. Somehow this makes me less annoyed. We did not have travel insurance but I will still try to get compensation. The trip was fascinating and amazing so I am trying to remember this! You all are fantastic and Thank you again!

Sorry to hear about your lost luggage and hassle you've gotten from Lufthansa.

Lost luggage is one of the worse things that can happen when you fly.

I always keep my most valuable and most needed things in my carry-on just in case my checked bag gets lost.

For the first time in 11 trips to Greece in 2023 my checked bag never made it from Athens to the island of Kythira.

I flew with Olympic Airlines and at the Kythira Airport the staff was helpful and got my through the claim forms.

I got to my accommodation on Kythira and the owner told me it happens often depending on how many people on the plane and the load of luggage. He assured me the luggage would be delivered the next day.

The next day when the plane arrived the luggage was delivered by taxi free of charge!

What a relief and very happy that Olympic Airlines came through without any additional hassle or excuses.

Hopefully you get some compensation but it doesn't make up for not having your belongings and the stress it caused.

Terrible customer service. This is a cut and paste from a consumer advocate website on how to try and deal with Lufthansa. I have used their contacts and had a lot of success. Good luck

How to solve a problem with Lufthansa
Before contacting a Lufthansa executive, we recommend sending an e-mail to [email protected]. You will then receive a reference number or feedback ID. Once you have received this reference number, if the matter is not resolved you can refer to this in your correspondence with an executive. While the executives do read their emails, they are often very slow to respond.

Note: If you’re having customer service trouble, please use our proven methods for fixing any consumer problem before contacting the company directly.

Address
Von-Gablenz-Straße 2-6
Cologne, Germany D 50679
https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/homepage

Phone Contacts
Main: +49 (0)69 86 799 799 (Germany)
Toll Free: (866) 953-2294

Text telephone for customers with hearing impairments: First dial 711 and then 800 645 3880 for relaying to the TRS

Telephone: +1 (516) 738-4422

Lufthansa Customer Relations USA
1640 Hempsead Turnpike
East Meadow, New York 11554
Fax: (516) 296-9838

Email Contacts
[email protected]

Social Media Contacts
Facebook
Twitter

Executive Contacts
Primary Contact
Detlef Kayser
Airline Resources and Operation Standards
Von-Gablenz-Straße 2-6
Cologne, Germany D 50679
[email protected]

Chief Executive
Carsten Spohr
CEO
Von-Gablenz-Straße 2-6
Cologne, Germany D 50679
[email protected]

Thank you so much for the excellent advice!

I’m so sorry this happened to you. Glad you could still enjoy your trip.

Last year, I had a different issue with Lufthansa that was not getting resolved by multiple calls to customer service. I dug around and found an alternate number to call: 1(833) 240-1426. The call was answered within a few rings and my problem was solved within 24 hours. *To make sure the number was still in service, I called it before posting. A CS rep answered quickly and confirmed that it was a customer service number.

I am also sorry about the lack of response or help for your lost luggage. While looking at your previous posts, it appears you flew Air Canada from somewhere in Canada to Munich, where you had a short layover, then Lufthansa to Athens. It is unclear where the luggage was lost. Did your bags not make it to Munich? If so, then maybe you should be contacting Air Canada. Or did your bags make it to Munich but never got on the flight to Athens? If that is the case, then yes, Lufthansa should be helping you and compensating you. Nevertheless, have you tried contacting Air Canada -- maybe a kind soul will help you.

Lufthansa is terrible. I’ve had the awful luck of flying them to Europe twice. The food and service in economy is awful. And they still owe me $100 off my first ticket! We bought tickets on Black Friday and their code to get $100 off the fare didn’t work at check out. I then called customer service who told me I needed to call tech support. I actually spent over 3 hours on hold one day and then got disconnected. I gave up trying to get my $100 reimbursed after that🙄. I flew them a second time because I got a free ticket using my United miles and Lufthansa was their partner airline. I will never ever fly them again if I had to pay for a ticket.

I'll add my name to those who feel that Lufthansa is much worse than a budget airline. We flew from San Francisco to Athens via Frankfurt and made sure our carry-on bags were compliant with the stated allowable dimensions and weight. At the gate in SFO, one of the Lufthansa reps was doing random checks of carry-on bags to see if they would fit in a metal box. My Samsonite carry-on which I have used for countless trips was a few mm wider than the box, but the rep said she could could not weigh the bag until it touched the bottom of the box. She said that I would have check the carry-on, which I told her wasn't possible because we were connecting to another airline (not on the Lufthansa ticket) in Athens, with a short layover. I could not take a chance on the bag not reaching Athens after a change of Lufthansa flight in Frankfurt. The rep wouldn't budge, so I tried forcing the carry-on into the metal box, it touched the bottom of the box to show the weight, and in the process one of the carry-on wheels broke. The weight was fine, so the rep said ok you can take the carry-on on with you. I suspect the metal box was smaller than the allowed dimensions, but in more than 20 years of traveling I never had this problem. While waiting at the gate, I saw several passengers with carry-on bags larger than mine, but they were not subject to the random check.

The food on board was terrible, salad was nothing more than chopped lettuce with a small slice of lemon. Water was served 5 hours into the flight. Lufthansa has clearly deteriorated in the last few years. Needless to say, will never fly Lufthansa again, if I can avoid it.

To Andy and others- I am sorry that you had a negative Lufthansa experience and it sounds very similar to mine. Ive always done carry on bag and this time since my bag didnt touch the bottom I had to check it. I was arguing at the gate and saying "you will loose my bag as we are late and I am going to miss my connector". I still have not gotten a dime from Lufthansa but I did talk to Air Canada who was prior to my Frankfurt connector and they said they will reimburse for the delayed flight and missed connection-Thanks again for sharing your experience!