Ask a QuestionCommitment - On-Time Baggage Delivery
| Northwest Airlines will make every reasonable effort to return domestic checked bags within 24 hours and will attempt to contact any customer whose unclaimed, checked luggage contains a name and address or phone number. |
Lost Luggage
As Northwest reports to the Department of Transportation each month, the vast majority of passengers and their checked baggage arrive at their destination together (Year to date reports as of August indicate the figure is 99.5 percent).
Northwest estimates that more than 90% of that small percentage of lost bags are returned to their owner within 24 hours, although a precise measurement system to track lost bag recovery time is not yet available.
If bags do not arrive with the customer, the customer may check on the status of their luggage in the Luggage Service Office, conveniently located in every airport served by Northwest Airlines. Customers can also check the status of their delayed luggage by calling the Luggage Information System at 1-800-745-9798.
Northwest's ground services staff at the airport will perform a quick, but thorough search for the luggage by entering the tag number in WorldTracer, the airline industry's automated luggage-tracking system. WorldTracer is a system used by most domestic airlines and all of Northwest's partner airlines worldwide.
If luggage is not at the station, a WorldTracer Delayed Luggage Report is created. The Luggage Service Office staff searches for the luggage beginning with baggage that may be on-hand locally or at any of Northwest's other stations. The Luggage Service Office staff reviews action files for matches and forwarding messages (an electronic message sent from the station that received the bag in error to advise the intended destination that the luggage is being forwarded to them). The tag number of unclaimed luggage is entered into the WorldTracer system as soon as possible after luggage arrival. When located, the luggage is delivered to the customer by a delivery vendor at Northwest's expense, unless a "voluntary luggage separation" has occurred (see Voluntary Luggage Separation section) in which case the customer may personally retrieve it or must bear the cost of having the luggage delivered.
Customers requiring amenities are provided a kit with a comb, deodorant, razor, shaving cream, toothbrush, toothpaste and shampoo. Additionally, the customer may be offered transportation credit towards future Northwest Airlines' travel as a gesture of goodwill and an apology for their inconvenience. They may also request reimbursement for additional items they need to purchase as a result of the delay by presenting receipts at the Luggage Service Office at the airport($50.00 for the first 24 hours, $25.00/day for each day beyond that up to $150.00 per ticketed passenger).
If luggage is not located after five days, Northwest's Central Luggage Service (located in Minneapolis) initiates a more extensive search that includes a detailed description of the bag and its contents and expands the search to other airlines beyond the original destination.
If tagged, unclaimed luggage is found, the Luggage Service Office will contact the customer. Unclaimed luggage is sent to Central Luggage Service after five days. Bags are opened, and an extensive inventory process is used to determine and contact the owner.
To minimize the risk of lost luggage, customers are advised to tag all checked luggage with their name, address and phone number and to include the same information inside each bag. Northwest provides blank luggage tags at each airport check-in counter to assist customers with identifying their bags.
Voluntary Luggage Separation
In certain situations customers will become "voluntarily" separated from their luggage in which case Northwest DOES NOT assume responsibility for the expense of returning the luggage to the customer. Examples of voluntary separation include:
- A customer takes an earlier flight:
In markets with frequent flights between popular destinations, a customer could conceivably check in early for a scheduled flight, and then find seat availability on another flight with an earlier departure. If this customer had previously checked in luggage and that luggage could not be moved to the customers actual flight, then the luggage would be treated as a "voluntary separation."
- A customer takes a flight to another airport:
Many large cities such as New York have multiple airports, which in certain circumstances may lead a customer to opt for a last minute destination change after having already checked luggage. This constitutes a "voluntary separation."
- A customer checks in late:
If a customer does not check their luggage within standard luggage check-in times as listed below, LATE will be printed on all of the bag tags and Northwest will not accept liability for any expenses incurred as a result of luggage not being loaded on the same flight as the passenger. The passenger will be advised they have "voluntarily separated" from their luggage and if they elect to, we will deliver their bags upon arrival at their cost.
* Luggage Check-In times effective October 2005
| Standard Luggage Check-In Effective October 2005 | ||
| Check-In From: | To: US Domestic including Hawaii | To: International including Canada / Mexico / Caribbean/Pureto Rico |
| Domestic Stations including Hawaii | 30 Min. | 60 Min. |
| Atlanta/Denver/Newark/Tampa/Washington , D.C. - Dulles | 45 Min. |
60 Min. |
| Las Vegas | 60 Min. | 60 Min. |
| International including Canada / Mexico / Caribbean/Puerto Rico | 60 Min. | 60 Min. |
Improvement
- Northwest is developing an aging system to track time of claim and time of delivery to obtain data to build an accurate monitoring system.
Training
- All Ground Operation management employees were briefed on the Customers First Service Plan and on their responsibilities to ensure its successful implementation.
- All Customer Service Agents received a 4-6 hour Customers First training program.
Specifics of the Customers First training program include:
- Technical aspects of performing the job
- Customer Service Skills
- Understanding service standards and expectations
Measurement
- NW will also use consumer complaints measured internally by Central Luggage Service and with the Department of Transportation to measure customer satisfaction.
- NW will audit files monthly to measure 24-hour delivery time compliance.
