I travel quite a bit and this is a first for me. First of all, almost all of my flights are with Southwest, generally via Chicago, Midway. Coming back from a golf trip to Florida (Tampa) last week with three friends, we checked everything with a Skycap near the tram and were issued receipts. Each of us checked 2 bags, 1 of which was golf equipment, the other clothing and personal items.
Returning to Midway, we go to the oversized luggage area and everyone's golf bags come out except mine. WTF! So, I proceed to file a claim (this isn't the first time this has happened, but I have always received my luggage at my doorstep within 24 hours). Not this time. I was told to wait 5 days, then file a claim.
Claim filed following the 5 day waiting period. They wanted me to itemize the items in the bag and photocopy receipts, if I had them. I didn't. All told, after adding up everything, (2 newish drivers, set of forged irons, shoes, bag, balls, and a bunch more stuff), I was right at 3K.
I called SWA and spoke with a rep. to confirm that they had received my claim and find out how long it would take to be compensated. The rep. was nice and indicated I would hear from them in roughly 10 days, and the entire process up to payout would not exceed 30 days.
Anyone have a similar experience with an airline? If so, were you fairly compensated for your loss, or did you feel that the airlines unfairly depreciated the value of your equipment? In the meantime, we still have some decent weather to play, and I have been busy scouring stores and on-line retail looking for replacements.
