This is part of a facebook note my wife just wrote to Air France:
THIS IS THE POST I HAVE JUST MADE TO AIR FRANCE...DIDN'T START TO USE ALL CAPS BUT IT HAPPENED AND I DIDN'T CHANGE IT. YES, I AM SHOUTING AS LOUDLY AS I CAN!
Since you have offered this as a way to contact you, I will. We arrived in Vienna on Tuesday, Dec 18. Because Delta was late from Atlanta we missed our scheduled connection in CDG. As a result we were rebooked for the 12:40PM FLIGHT FROM CDG TO VIE....ALSO RUNNING LATE. WE HAD OVER 6 HOURS IN PARIS AT THE AIRPORT AND STILL SOMEHOW OUR BAGGAGE DIDN'T MAKE IT TO OUR AF FLIGHT.
WE HAVE NOW BEEN IN AUSTRIA FOR SIX FULL DAYS WITHOUT OUR BAGS. WE ARE ON WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE "TRIP OF A LIFETIME" WITH DEAR FRIENDS. INSTEAD WE HAVE SPENT AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME TRYING TO FIND OUR BAGS, TRYING TO BUY REASONABLY PRICED CLOTHES IN ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES AND DEALING WITH THE MOST INEFFECTIVE AGENTS IN YOUR BAGGAGE "HELP" DESK! YOUR SUPERVISOR THERE IS NOT ALLOWED TO TALK TO PASSENGERS WITH LOST LUGGAGE. NO ONE IS EMPOWERED TO SAY ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE WORDS WRITTEN ON THE SCRIPT THAT SITS IN FRONT OF THEM. THE BIGGEST THING I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS EXERIENCE IS THAT NO ONE AT AIR FRANCE CARES IF WE HAVE OUR BAGGAGE OR NOT. TOMORROW IS CHRISTMAS EVE, WE ARE NOW IN SALZBURG, AND WE WILL NOT HAVE THE GIFTS WE BROUGHT FROM AMERICA FOR OUR FRIENDS.
I DO NOT THINK I HAVE EVER BEEN AS FRUSTATED ABOUT ANYTHING IN MY LIFE. I WORK FOR A TRAVEL AGENCY IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. I HAVE BEEN THERE 28 YEARS, THIS IS THE MOST BLANTANT DISPLAY OF LACK OF CARING I HAVE EVER WITNESSED. THE PRESIDENT OF OUR AGENCY HAS PERSONALLY CALLED AND TALKED WITH THE SUPERVISOR AT DELTA IN AUGUSSTA, GA, AND WAS REASSURED 5 DAYS AGO THAT THIS WOULD BE RESOLVED.
I DO NOT KNOW WHAT MORE I CAN SAY ABOUT HOW POORLY THIS HAS BEEN HANDLED.
I EXPECT TO HAVE AN ANSWER FROM SOMEONE IN THE AIR FRANCE COMPANY GIVING ME AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO GO ON AS LONG AS IT HAS.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE "OFF" FOR AN EXTENDED HOLIDAY OR NOT...I WANT AN ANSWER AND I WANT MY BAGS.
WITH THE WORST REGARDS POSSIBLE REGARDS,"
Regardless of the above, we are having a good time.
Portia
Comments
Portia, keep on ranting!
In fact, take this insult to the media and let Air France have to deal with the rewards of their stupidity.
May Your Light Forever Shine
The Baggage Arrived
Cannons and fireworks are going off at noon in Salzburg.
Portia
Portia
Grats!
woo hOOO!
Im so happy for you! NO ruined vacation now!
Enjoy it fully!
Sephrena
That should make
for a nice change.
Mary Christmas.
Angharad
Angharad
They are French. What did you expect? Mon due!
Plus did they compensate you for all the lost time, aggravation, extra expense?
For years US airlines, and I believe a similar rule applied to internationals, worked under rules that awarded ridiculously low compensation to people who suffered damaged or lost luggage. AND the lousy compensation schedules remained unchanged for decades.
Is anything missing? Does it seem like anything was borrowed, handled, worn, sampled, ETC? Are the gifts intact?
Very poor service ABSOULTELY. And unless it was the language barrier sure sounds like the system is set up to protect the airlines.
Says very little that is good about Air France or Delta to be fair. Bad weather, missed connections happen but five days?
Yeah, it is peak flying season BUT wouldn't you think they would finish something THEN go onto the next task?
Or were you a victim of them essentially writing you off as angry and totally pissed off. Not likely you could get anymore pissed off at that point is there? Better serve the next bunch of paying customers as you are a lost cause for their ever getting your good will.
Cynical, yeah.
Have fun of what remains of you screwed up trip.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa