Mission impossible--Baggage Claim for ELAL airline

Today I feel I really can't hold any longer. Since ELAL lost my baggage on 20th, Feb from London to Tel Aviv, I've contacted them for so many times. But still, no body replies and there is no hope I can see. Here is the letter I wrote to them today. If you are thinking about flying to Israel, hope my bad experience will help you to choose air companies.



To those who may concerned,

It’s my fourth time I contact you for my lost baggage in 20th Feb, ELAL airline from London to Tel Aviv. More than one month has past and I still can’t receive a word from you. So I hope you can understand my angry when I’m writing this letter.

On 20th, Feb, I took ElAl Y0216 from London to Tel Aviv. At check-in, some security people took my suitcase, then gave me the boarding pass and told me that I can go --they will take charge of my suitcase. I didn’t bring anything forbidden and nobody told me that they took things out.

After I arrived at my home in Tel Aviv, open my suitcase, I found that all the gifts I bought for my family and friends had gone. Nice perfumes, skin cream, cosmetics, all disappeared. And my clay cup was broken. THEY ARE IN MY SUITCASE, NOT HANDBAG. YOU CAN’T TAKE THEM OUT FROM MY SUITCASE.

What happened later is really interesting. I called baggage claim department, the lady told me to send you a letter. So I download the form and did exactly what I should do, and then wait. A whole month past and I didn’t even receive an E-mail from you. Don’t mention a “sorry”.

So, last weekend, I went to your office on Ben Yehuda Street. I told the lady there what happened; she gave me another phone number. The lady who answered the phone told me you have sent me a letter 3 days ago. I told her I never received anything. Then a gentle man answered the phone, he said he sent me an email. I told him I never received email neither. He said he will send it again and what I need to do is waiting again.

Unfortunately I don’t have much time left in Israel. And Unfortunately I check both my email and mail box everyday but still no letter comes from you. I’d say this very bad experience with your company has already changed my good impression with ElAl. I don’t think I would choose ELAL again and my friends agree with me. As a journalist, perhaps I need to tell more readers to be careful.

I understand that security check is very necessary in Israel. But if you lose or break a passenger’s property, you’d better say sorry and gave compensation as soon as possible. What makes me feel bad is that it seems you never want to solve the problem; you just ask passengers to make one phone call, and another phone call, and endless different phone call…Until the passenger give up.

I’m still waiting for an ending for this story. I hope this letter will help. Other wise I’d have to go to your office again and I’d like to talk to the manager.

What I want is just my stuff back, if they’ve already lost, I want your compensation ASAP.

Anyway, I still like Israel, like Tel Aviv, like people I meet here.


Best wishes,