VACATION NIGHTMARE

So,,, your vacation was not a nighmare at all,, just the airline lost your property? You don't know if it was stolen,, it could be in some storage room in some totally wrong place.I personally would have been contacting AC every week, waiting months for some acknowledgment would not have been my style. I also wonder, did you take out ( extra) insurance for lost item,, since I think most airlines have a very low limit that they will remburse for lost baggage.

Supposedly this phone number will get you connected with someone at Air Canada that is not part of the phone tree and voice robot stuff. I have never tried it, but I found it at a web site that lists numbers that get you around phone trees. 888-247-2262 Then, press 1 0 0 0 . Maybe that will get you a sympathetic human who will help you.

I might be wrong and certainly no nothing about AC, but it's my impression that, unless otherwise declared, reimbursement is by weight and won't even cover a suitcase of regular stuff and a fairly good heavy jacket.

If you shipped an $8,000 item, did you not insure it for $8,000? Do you not have a shipping receipt? How do you think this is the Canadian government's responsibility? Why do you think you have to prove theft? Shipments are lost every day. None of my business really, I'm just curious.

Delayed or lost luggage is never fun. Fortunately for you, it happened on your return trip. Still, not a fun experience for you. We didn't didn't have our luggage for 10 out of our 14 days of vacation in Germany ... we filed a claim with the airline to get reimbursed for our expenses. And got all the money back. In our case it was an Air Canada/Lufthansa cooperation flight and we filed with Lufthansa as they handled the search in Germany. Not sure why you would file a claim with the Canadian government or European police???

Dolly says "I filed a claim with the Canadian Government". With which department would one file such a claim? The Lost Tandems Department? The Air Canada Problems Department? Just because the word "Canada" is part of the airline's name does not mean the Canadian government has anything to do with it.

Just to try to get a grin on your face: have you written the RCMP......since 'The Mounties Alway Get Their Tandem'.

Dolly, there are a few things that might help you deal with this situation. First, Air Canada will probably Never give written documentation that any item was stolen while in their care. At best they will acknowledge the item was not delivered. Unless you can prove the tandem was never delivered, you probably don't have a leg to stand on. Unless you purchased insurance for your tandem, you will probably never get reimbursed. I doubt there is an airline that will cover an $8,000 item. There appears to be no reason to file any type of report with police in Europe or Canada. They are not going to investigate a stolen bike. I suggest you start writing and calling repetitively to encourage Air Canada to keep searching for your tandem. The longer you sit there waiting for a reply, the less likely it is you will ever regain custody of your tandem. Contact the insurance company that insured your tandem, and start the paper work for the claim. If Air Canada finds your tandem, cancel the insurance claim. If you did not buy insurance for the tandem, use this experience as a lesson learned. Best of luck.

Check with your homeowners insurance carrier as well. although it may be late to file a claim if the loss occurred six weeks ago.

Here's someone who had something similar happen only he's using it to his advantage.......http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/ubg/story/

When flying with Air Canada in February they lost my friend's luggage. He had around a couple of thousand dollars worth of clothes (went shopping crazy there) and souveniers. He didn't have insurance and they told him that they would give him some money back (can't remember the exact amount but it wasn't anywhere near what the lost value was). A few weeks past and a friend of a friend who works for AC at the Calgary office called Heathrow and asked them to look for it. It was there all along. He had luggage tags and everything on his bags. THey sent it back and everything in his bag was accounted for. They just never took the time to look. Just another reason to go carry on or have baggage insurance.