We've never lost luggage per se, but our last trip from Orlando back to the Netherlands was a fiasco. The flight was delayed 7 hours because there was something wrong with the plane, but they couldn't get a different plane right away, so because it was delayed, we also missed our connection. (We had flown out of Dusseldorf Germany because it was cheaper than flying from Amsterdam, even though we had a layover in Amsterdam) So we got to Amsterdam and having missed our flight back to Dusseldorf, where our car was parked, we had to have a way to get there. There were a BUNCH of people who were going back to dusseldorf, but rather than just adding another flight, they decided to pile us on a bus, which meant first we had to collect our luggage, go through customs and get it on the bus. So they take us to a baggage carousel where we waited and waited and nothing came. Then they said "Oh...wrong one." and took us to another one....where our luggage did not come out. By this time, my 2 year old was sobbing so I'm standing in an airport with a screaming toddler and a conked out 4 year old, I'm singing to the toddler to calm him, finally got him to sleep and they are trying to rush us through because the bus needs to leave, but our luggage hasn't come out yet. Then they get us our luggage except for one car seat, which they then tell us was unloaded back at the first baggage claim so DH went to go pick it up while I waited with the sleeping munchkins.....and waited and waited....then suddenly they couldn't find the car seat anymore. Then we were told they couldn't wait any longer for the car seat. Everyone else was already on the bus waiting for us and we needed to go. So we get to the bus, where we had been told we would be fed, since it was past lunchtime and we weren't allowed to eat in the airport because we were on a tight schedule and there was no time to stop. We get on the bus and the food has already been distributed and eaten while we were waiting for our car seat and they had given our food to other people and there was nothing left. So we now have a 3-5 hour bus ride to Dusseldorf with 2 small children who are exhausted and haven't eaten in about 20 hours and there's no time to stop anywhere for food and when we get to Dusseldorf, we will be missing a car seat, which it is illegal to transport children without a car seat so we'd be stuck in the airport in Dusseldorf with no way to get one child home or even to a hotel or restaurant. Brilliant. Fortunately, my in-laws also had car seats for when they kids stayed with them, and the route to Germany practically went past their house, so we called them and asked them to come pick the kids up at a gas station along the way where the bus would stop just long enough for the handover, and they could feed the kids and get them to bed so they didn't have to drive all the way to Germany without food and we wouldn't be stuck there with no way to get the kids home. We hand off the kids, ride to Germany, where there is no car seat waiting for us, and we finally get home and find out the car seat was in Dusseldorf on a baggage carousel and they just misinformed us. They wanted my husband to drive back to Dusselforf (2 hours) to pick it up on Monday. He told them that was fine, but as he was supposed to be at work on Monday and he is an engineer, he'd have to take more time off, for which he would expect to be compensated since it was THEIR mistake in losing the car seat, so his time is worth 100 euros per hour, and he'd have to take a whole morning off of work, so they could either pay him 400 euros to come get it, OR they could ship it to us, OR they could pay for us to buy a new car seat...their choice. They shipped it. We tried to make a claim since legally, if the trip is over 1500 miles and is delayed more than 5 hours, they have to compensate you so much per person. But they denied the claim for some reason, which is completely bogus, especially since we paid for a FLIGHT from Amsterdam to Dusseldorf, not a bus ride, and we never got fed, which was also supposed to be included in the cost of the ticket. Fiasco from beginning to end and no compensation whatsoever from the airline. We won't be flying Martin Air/KLM again if we can help it. TERRIBLE service.
( I was a girl scout)
But to some $19K is pocket change I guess.
