Check your luggage when traveling

Anatta ViP

Member since 26 July 2011

AnattaViP03 February 2012 06:59:14

1063

I post it here since I believe that many readers of this forum travel more often than others.

I was coming back to SGN from a trip abroad. I was using a well known Asian airline, whose name should be withhold for now since I think my situation is applicable to many other airlines. Since I was quite tired after a long flight and it was nearly midnight, I did only a cursory check of my luggage. When I arrived home, I found one of bags were badly broken at the bottom which I could not see at the airport. The day after, I came to their rep office to report. After having to wait til 1330 (their long lunch break), they flatly told me that since I did not report at the airport, there was not much they could do. Being a quite frequent traveler, I am used to the practices of accepting of damage reports with 2 weeks after arrival at other airports (at least with the airports/airports I have used). Not here.
Further protest from my side did not help.

It was only after realizing that I have been their card-carrying, very valuable customer for 20 years, they agreed to repair my luggage (In other countries, they would just replace my luggage with a newer one).

So the lesson: avoid to get your luggage destroyed by the airline . Always check your luggage carefully before leaving the airport.

Armand ViP

Member since 23 February 2011

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ArmandViP03 February 2012 07:08:56

24785

Thanks for sharing Anatta

Jaitch Guest

JaitchGuest03 February 2012 07:38:24

If the GSA here won't help then look at your country of departure. Guest airlines are often very receptive to complaints made to airport authorities and airs[ace controllers. They all belong to iCAO who will force an answer. Likewise major airlines belong to IATA and they have membership rules.

The problem in VN most foreign carriers use a GSA (Ground Service Agent) who don't really care.

Anatta ViP

Member since 26 July 2011

AnattaViP03 February 2012 07:59:57

1063

This case, I believe, has to do with the airline staff itself here, not the GSA. As mentioned before, I did not report it to the GSA (since I did not see it) but directly to the airline (sales/rep) office in D1, thus the problem of mistrusting my case since I did not report immediately to the GSA.

True to Vietnamese practice, they made me jump thru hoops (show tons of paper not relevant to the case) and no customer service.

The GSA in HCMC airport, based on my experience, is actually quite courteous and customer-service minded. Once they even apologized to me, on behalf of the airline.

Complaint to my country of departure would not help since they would refer me back to Vietnam, as they should.

My only other option would be to report to the Customer Complaint/Customer Relations dept at their head-offices.

Jaitch Guest

JaitchGuest03 February 2012 13:26:27

Anatta wrote:
... I did not report it to the GSA (since I did not see it) but directly to the airline (sales/rep) office in D1 ...

That is the incorrect procedure, the GSA IS the airline at the airpoort they are the equivalent of having air carrier personnel.

They have all the forms that are needed to file a claim, etc.