Bryan is stuck in San Francisco for two weeks on a business trip without his business clothes, which is what Delta loses when it doesn’t have a dog nearby.

He writes:

I need some help. On the 16th of May my suit bag was ‘misplaced’ by Delta upon my arrival at San Francisco airport. I have faxed in the missing bag form with confirmation as well as completed the online forms. I have called and left messages and have not received ONE response. [The lost bag contained] 2 suits and 7 shirts worth over $2,000. I’m on a two week business trip here in SF with no clothing.

Bryan goes on to describe how Delta CSRs have shuffled him around via their phone network, and how nobody in their Public Relations department will call him back, even though he’s threatening to blow this story up by sending it out to major newspapers.

He adds, “I’d appreciate any help you can provide.”

Well, first of all save your energy and stop trying to shame Delta into doing the right thing. An airline losing your luggage is SOP these days, unfortunately; the real “Delta sucks” stories now are about making a pet vanish or threatening to cancel a flight if passengers don’t agree to being bumped.

Instead, replace your clothes on your own dime and get ready for a prolonged battle with Delta on being reimbursed. It may take a long time, so don’t spend more than you can comfortably cover for the next several months. Delta will probably try to negotiate a lower reimbursement fee than you submit to them. You may also have to file a complaint with the Aviation Consumer Protection and Enforcement Office, but the airline has to compensate you eventually. See this post on lost luggage compensation for tips.

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