Here's the letter I wrote to the folks at Delta through their website. Any thoughts on how I can make sure to actually get someone in a position of authority to respond?
Dear DELTA sirs & madams,
The gentleman who filed my baggage complaint at the airport told me that my bag didn't make it on to my plane and would be sent to me as soon as the next plane arrive (an hour after I arrived). I agreed that this arrangement was fine.
I went to my evening meeting and returned to the house I was staying at where the owner of the home told me the bag had not arrived. I called Delta (now past midnight) and was told the baggage office was closed from 10pm to 6am and that my bag would go out first thing in the morning. This would be tight since I needed my suit and work materials in the bag to show up to work as a reporter at the Clinton Global Initiative downtown NYC.
The Delta employee told me that there was no guarantee I would get my bag in the morning, however, and in fact there was a 12 hour window - and my bag could arrive as late as 6pm.
I told the woman that this was unacceptable and that I needed the materials in the bag and would have waited at the airport for an hour had I known this was going to be an issue. She informed there was nothing she could do to prioritize my claim. She further instructed me not to 'go spending a bunch of money on a $200 suit or something', but if I wanted to buy a pair of slacks, that might be okay. Unfortunately for the suit and tie event I was covering, some khakis from the Gap wouldn't have cut it.
I then asked her to have DELTA hold the bag there and that I would have a messenger service pick up the bag at 6am and bring it to me - which she said would be possible. She said I could reasonably expect the $150 cost for this service would be reimbursed but she couldn't guarantee anything.
At 6:30am the courier called me and told the the DELTA affiliate delivery service had left with my bag, but had been notified and would return to JFK with my bag. The courier waited 2 hours for the van to return. After all was said and done, my bag finally arrived at 9:30am by courier. I was 3 hours late for my event and lost several key stories I need to report on.
I still have received no form to file for reimbursement and this survey is the only follow up that has been done. All in all, fairly disappointing ,but seems to be par for the course these days.
I hope there is something in excess of reimbursement of the courier fee that you all can do - but, at a minimum, I would consider that a start.
Thank you.
Brad Rowe