Evening I Need To Find Out How To Go About Making A Claim For Lost Luggage

Our luggage was lost by air france on the 4th Dec 2010. We arrived in Linate airport only to find our luggage was still sitting in CDG. the gentleman at the customer service desk filled out lost luggeage forms and told us the 4 pieces would be on the first flight the following moring which was AF1212 on the 5th December at 08h45, it would then be couriered to us by the company called over night couriers. we were presented with a silly overnight pack with toothbrush, deodrant, razor and a short sleeve T shirt. incidently the weather outside was minus 15 degrees celsius. we were on our way to Livigo to snow ski. Due to luggage delay we missed our transport and had to make out own way to Tirano by train. this ticket cost us an additional 26.30 euros. we then had to get a private taxi organised through Livigno snow to fetch us at Tirano train station, as all public transport had stopped by that time. this was an addtional 130 euro. Once in livigo, now 8 hours behind our origanal scheduled time, we were taken to our accomadation. With no shops open at mid night, we had to use the toiletry supplies in pack and sleep in T shirt. thank heavens for radiators otherwise my family would have frozen to death. The next day we patiently waited for our luggage but nothing arrived. i called Linate help desk at 12h00 and quoted my reference number. i was told by an man called Alex that i luggage was still not at Linate. he was really helpful. again we tried at about 16h00, 18h00, 20h00 and 22h00 still no sign of the luggage. now we had already missed 1 day skiing and ski hire and our lessons. The next morning 6th December I again called the AirFrance office at Linate airport . this time I spoke to a Lucy. she again informed us that our luggage was still not at Linate. i ask if she could somehow contact AirFrance CDG and find out where it was. she told us she was un able to do this. I again called at 12h00, 14h00. 16h00 and 18h00. 20h00 still no luck. eventually the owners of the Chalet we were staying in tried calling on our behalf. they to had no luck. By 20h00 on the 6th of December, I had giving up hope. we had now lost 2 days of skiing and ski hire and another day of lessons. on the morning of the 7th December i started calling once agin , each time being told the same story. No one knew were it was or could help us. we started calling the courier company, as noted on report to find out what was going on. i tried 15 times , the hotel owner tried 6 times and the ski tour operator at least 8 times. not once in all that time did they even answer their phone. i was now frious and demanded a answer from someone. again I called the AirFrance office and was told by a very rude man, that the luggage was somewhere on it's way to Livigno. he could not tell us how far it was or when it would be there. Surely these courier companies have cell phones on them. He had an attitude of note. this man"s name was Alexander. if I never fly AirFrance again it would probably be due to him. We had lost 3 days skiing and hire and lessons, not to mention the amount spent on phone calls. My husband then suggested we go and buy ski suits, and accessories. Even though we all have the above, we could not sit aroung doing nothing. Each minute wasted on waiting for our stuff, was money going down the drain. we went out the next day and purchased the neccessary stuff and started our skiing eventually. We have travelled extensively as a family to many destinations, but never before has our luggage ever been lost. We have flown numerous times on Emirates, Delta, BA and even Egypt air and this has never happened. I have records of all calls made on the above enquiry as well as the proof or purchases and our ski costs. please let me know how to subnit this claim. our claim reference number from Linate airport is LINAF18021. flight details AF1417 Af1412-04. number of bags 4. ticket number NOTAV. our luggage finally arrived at about 16h00 on the 8th December. i am not really good at e mail correspondance, so if I can deal with problem in person with someone it will be great. my cell number is south africa code +27 82 679 4545> regards Cally Passmore