On May 28 I arrived in Miami with a fight alitalia coming from Rome, Italy. I could not find my luggage and filed a claim. At the airport the employees told me I would have received my luggage the following day at my residence. I tried to keep in touch with the airline after I did not receive any news but it ended with hours and hours of waiting and no human voice could be heard. I called also the offices in Italy but if someone would answer would respond almost bothered from a custumer question. All those months I have been sending email, letters, faxes at the New york and rome office but the only answer is: "i am sorry for the inconvenince". I also sent my mother who lives in Italy to check at the Naples and Rome airports but they told her that I can forget about my luggage because after 20 days they give away unclaimed luggages (meaning employers take stuff that fits from the luggages and the rest is sold).
In my luggage I had valuable items because I had a couple of weddings, a planned vacation, and important professional meetings. I sent all the receipts where available of all the new items I bought just before my trip but alitalia claims that the reimbursment is limited to $1000 (while I had more than $6000 of mercheaindise)
The truth is that luggages are handled by third companies that misplace luggages and have not interest in serving luggages owner because we are not their customers. The truth is that lately, in the italian airports there have been many arrests among employees of airlines (including alitalia) who would stole from luggages.
Now, I will file a small claim action trying to get back the value of what is already mine, but I am aware that it will be difficult because airlines are protected from the law.
The buttom line is that we have to pay a lot of money for tickets, sometimes also pay a fee for the luggage, then they lose them and ruine your vacation, in the meanwhile you have to buy what do you need and wait months or years before they reimburse it. Your favorite shirt, your precious vitton bag, and the dress for your best friend wedding are lost and nobody will ever refound them.
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