Athlete Was Initially Told Even The Baggage Fee Would Not Be Refunded

Delta Airlines has (it would seem) reluctantly agreed to try to resolve a baggage issue with an athlete who is traveling the world participating in half Iron Man races to raise money for dam building in Africa.

The blog The Consumerist links to a You Tube video in which the cyclist says he checked his bike in Hawaii after a race, and when it arrived in Salt Lake City, it was largely destroyed. The baggage check fee for the bicycle was $200, which a Delta representative initially told the cyclist was not refundable. You can guess what the initial response was when they were asked to replace the bike.

DOT does recommend that travelers purchase "excess valuation" insurance if it is offered by the airline when they are checking items worth more than the carriers' stated liability limit, which in Delta's case is $3,300 per ticketed passenger for travel within the United States. The additional value must be declared in advance, according to Delta's stated policy. It also says it "assumes no responsibility for fragile or perishable items."

Delta says it has contacted the customer, and is working to resolve the issue. "The cause he supports is an extremely important one and we want to be sure he is able to continue his work," the airline said in a statement.

FMI: www.delta.com, www.triandgiveadam.com