A little FYI about MCO and soaking wet luggage

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We came home from WDW on Saturday night. Our flight was delayed 3 hours due to HORRIBLE thunderstorms at MCO.

We got to DFW at 12:30 AM. DH mentioned that the outside of the luggage was wet, but we didn't pursue it at the time. About 8:30 yesterday morning he opened one of the bags and the inside was soaking wet. I mean SOAKING wet - the clothes felt like they had just come out of the washer. We had 2 bags that were wet like that, and another that the exterior was wet.

I called 4 different numbers for AirTran and got passed around, dead ending with a voice mail box. This is NOBODY'S fault, and NOBODY is going to do ANYTHING about it. The woman in Baggage Services at MCO told me flat out that luggage gets wet in the summer!! Seriously? You leave luggage UNCOVERED ON THE TARMAC when it is storming?? As a COMMON PRACTICE???? WTH is THAT??

I guess I should be thankful the stuff in the bags was washable, and that we were going HOME. After having the bags open under the ceiling fan all day yesterday they are mostly dry. But the fact that AirTan doesn't give a rat's hat that they DRENCHED my luggage does not make me a happy camper.

If it is stated in the policies that "your luggage may arrive at your destination completely saturated" I haven't found it yet, so I do think an apology is in order AT THE VERY LEAST.

 

[disneychic2]

I agree. What if it had happened on your way to Disney instead of on your way home? You would have spent the first part of your vacation in the laundry rooms...not exactly what you'd planned. AirTran sent our luggage to San Francisco instead of Orlando and took two days to get it to us and never so much as apologized. I love AirTran as a rule and most people have had great customer service from them, but once in a while they do something that just has me going huh?

 

[It'sWDW4me]

We came home from WDW on Saturday night. Our flight was delayed 3 hours due to HORRIBLE thunderstorms at MCO.

We got to DFW at 12:30 AM. DH mentioned that the outside of the luggage was wet, but we didn't pursue it at the time. About 8:30 yesterday morning he opened one of the bags and the inside was soaking wet. I mean SOAKING wet - the clothes felt like they had just come out of the washer. We had 2 bags that were wet like that, and another that the exterior was wet.

I called 4 different numbers for AirTran and got passed around, dead ending with a voice mail box. This is NOBODY'S fault, and NOBODY is going to do ANYTHING about it. The woman in Baggage Services at MCO told me flat out that luggage gets wet in the summer!! Seriously? You leave luggage UNCOVERED ON THE TARMAC when it is storming?? As a COMMON PRACTICE???? WTH is THAT??

I guess I should be thankful the stuff in the bags was washable, and that we were going HOME. After having the bags open under the ceiling fan all day yesterday they are mostly dry. But the fact that AirTan doesn't give a rat's hat that they DRENCHED my luggage does not make me a happy camper.

If it is stated in the policies that "your luggage may arrive at your destination completely saturated" I haven't found it yet, so I do think an apology is in order AT THE VERY LEAST.

Ugh!! I hope nothing was destroyed. I'd be raising you know what if I had a souvenir that was beyond saving because of the soaking.

 

[Thumper_Man]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. I do believe an apology is at least in order. Went through this once as well. And like you, it was a good thing I was on my way home. Since I've been reading these boards, the best tip I've gotten is to put your stuff into ziplock and space saver bags. This way, if something like this were to happen again, at least it's just the bag that gets wet. Clothes and everything else stay dry. I hope you at least get your apology and for the most part, I hope most of your trip was a magical one.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Wow...that's pretty bad. I'm thinking about the extra weight invovled with putting that luggage on the plane because it couldn't have been only yours.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

The most significant damage was to DH's user manual for his camera, because it was in the front zipper pocket of one of the bags that got REALLY wet. It looked like it had been thrown in the pool. But we put it under the fan with the luggage and it was semi-drying out last time I checked.

All we had in the bags was clothing and shoes. We have been to WDW so many times that we don't buy a lot of souvenirs anymore. The few small things we did buy were in a bag that we carried on. We used to do a ton of pin trading, and I would pack the pins on bubble wrap in gift boxes. I still had some flat boxes and bubble wrap in the inside pocket of my big suitcase, so I think that may have been the difference in that stuff not being as wet.

I sent an e-mail to AirTran telling them 1) I don't appreciate my luggage being soaked and 2) I don't appreciate them ignoring me. I received an almost immediate response offering a $50 credit per person on a future flight, valid for one year. If SW will honor the flight credit then I think that's fair compensation. If SW will not honor it, then we have a problem. I won't be traveling again before next June, so AirTran will have been phased out by then.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm thinking about the extra weight invovled with putting that luggage on the plane because it couldn't have been only yours.

Eek, good point.

 

[DonnaL]

Last October when DH and I went to F & WF we used Magical Express and checked one bag, while each having a small carryon/personal item also. We checked in at VWL upon arrival and then went out for dinner. When we arrived back at room at 10:00 pm our checked bag wasn't there yet. I called Valet and they said "Oh yes...we'll be right up with it". At that point just the way they said it I knew something was wrong. Well, it seems while on the ME luggage transport my bag got SOAKED from someone else's bag full of broken baby formula bottles!!! I mean really soaked. Fortunately, I learned years ago (from traveling in January during snowstorms from the northeast to FL) to pack everything in our checked bags inside plastic travel bags. Everything in the bag was OK since it was packed in plastic. However, the bag itself was a different story.......not only was it soaking wet with formula, but, the smell was awful. And, as it began to dry the stains were awful. However, different ending than your story......since it happened on ME ......Disney made good on a new bag.....Valet told me to call the hotel manager, who was wonderful, and she made arrangements for someone to get us a comparable bag and deliver it to our room.

 

[Alesia]

Last October when DH and I went to F & WF we used Magical Express and checked one bag, while each having a small carryon/personal item also. We checked in at VWL upon arrival and then went out for dinner. When we arrived back at room at 10:00 pm our checked bag wasn't there yet. I called Valet and they said "Oh yes...we'll be right up with it". At that point just the way they said it I knew something was wrong. Well, it seems while on the ME luggage transport my bag got SOAKED from someone else's bag full of broken baby formula bottles!!! I mean really soaked. Fortunately, I learned years ago (from traveling in January during snowstorms from the northeast to FL) to pack everything in our checked bags inside plastic travel bags. Everything in the bag was OK since it was packed in plastic. However, the bag itself was a different story.......not only was it soaking wet with formula, but, the smell was awful. And, as it began to dry the stains were awful. However, different ending than your story......since it happened on ME ......Disney made good on a new bag.....Valet told me to call the hotel manager, who was wonderful, and she made arrangements for someone to get us a comparable bag and deliver it to our room.

This is exactly why every last thing thing that goes in my luggage goes in a ziploc bag.

 

[NotUrsula]

The most significant damage was to DH's user manual for his camera, because it was in the front zipper pocket of one of the bags that got REALLY wet. It looked like it had been thrown in the pool. But we put it under the fan with the luggage and it was semi-drying out last time I checked.

If this is glossy paper, you'll need to interleave it to save it in useable condition, because glossy paper sticks when it gets wet and dries like a block of glue; you cannot separate glossy pages once dry. For glossy paper, go and get yourself a couple of rolls of PLAIN white paper towels, tear them off in sizes that will cover a full page, and start putting them between each leaf of the manual. Once you have completely interleaved it, put the manual flat on a table and put a weight of about 25 lbs. on top of it. Leave it for about 3 weeks and it should be OK.

Fan-drying works fine for matte tissue-finish and bond-type papers, but they will be stiff once dried. Ironing the pages will help soften them up again for use. (Don't iron glossy-finish paper; it will scorch and get sticky.)

As for baggage getting wet, yes, it happens. I've never heard of any airline compensating a passenger for weather-related water damage. The worst effect will happen with baggage that has brightly-colored linings -- those are often not colorfast, and the dye will run if they get soaked.

 

[brockash]

We came home from WDW on Saturday night. Our flight was delayed 3 hours due to HORRIBLE thunderstorms at MCO.

We got to DFW at 12:30 AM. DH mentioned that the outside of the luggage was wet, but we didn't pursue it at the time. About 8:30 yesterday morning he opened one of the bags and the inside was soaking wet. I mean SOAKING wet - the clothes felt like they had just come out of the washer. We had 2 bags that were wet like that, and another that the exterior was wet.

I called 4 different numbers for AirTran and got passed around, dead ending with a voice mail box. This is NOBODY'S fault, and NOBODY is going to do ANYTHING about it. The woman in Baggage Services at MCO told me flat out that luggage gets wet in the summer!! Seriously? You leave luggage UNCOVERED ON THE TARMAC when it is storming?? As a COMMON PRACTICE???? WTH is THAT??

I guess I should be thankful the stuff in the bags was washable, and that we were going HOME. After having the bags open under the ceiling fan all day yesterday they are mostly dry. But the fact that AirTan doesn't give a rat's hat that they DRENCHED my luggage does not make me a happy camper.

If it is stated in the policies that "your luggage may arrive at your destination completely saturated" I haven't found it yet, so I do think an apology is in order AT THE VERY LEAST.

This happened to us on our way back one year. I couldn't believe how wet EVERYTHING inside our luggage was. I was just so thankful it didn't happen on the way down to Disney. I try to remember to line the bottom and top of our luggage with a trash bag, just in case now.

 

[vicki_c]

I used to fly the central FL - Atlanta type routes frequently in the summer and that happens more often than you would want to think. I've looked out the window of the plane before at my poor sodden luggage on the cart on the tarmac in an absolute monsoon. More than once. Falls under the "weather happens" category, IMO, unfortunately.

 

[Tink_RN]

Last year we were delayed on the run way because of a bad storm. When I looked out of the window, I could see all the luggage had been abandoned on the cart. There were even suitcases on the belt going in to the plane, just stopped and left out to get rained on. I don't know why they didn't just finish running the belt with the luggage that was already on it And the cover on the cart was left open instead of just pulling it down to save the suitcases from getting drenched. I was so lucky mine were already loaded

 

[jlewisinsyr]

It happens and although there is a good assumption that it happened because the luggage was left uncovered in the rain, it could have also happened due to someone's checked water bursting.

 

[Jestocost]

I don't know why they didn't just finish running the belt with the luggage that was already on it And the cover on the cart was left open instead of just pulling it down to save the suitcases from getting drenched.

If I were a baggage handler out working on an wide open tarmac, with tons of metal all around me in the middle of a lightning storm I would get under cover ASAP (as I would be ordered to do by my managers). Sorry, I know it's inconvenient for folks whose luggage gets wet, but is that really worth risking lives over?

 

[DebbieB]

When the ramp is closed due to lightning, they have to go in immediately. It's too dangerous.

 

[LilyWDW]

When the ramp is closed due to lightning, they have to go in immediately. It's too dangerous.

Agreed. If the weather is severe enough, then the workers need to get inside as fast as possible. Yes this means possibly leaving luggage out on the tarmac, but safety must come before anything else.

 

[brennicksmom]

This actually just happened to us as well. We flew to MCO on May 27 in the middle of a storm. SInce we got in too late for luggage delivery to our room we didn;t get the luggage until the next morning. One bag was dry, on ewas wet on the outside and 2 were drenched! luckily most things were in zip lock bags. The mouse keeper must have though we were crazy because their were things drip drying everywhere until we got back from the parks that day. We had beach towels hanging off of hangers and my husband, who, up until this point, didn't think it was necessary to use ziplock bags, had socks laying oner every hook he could find. It was frustrating then, but moreso now that it doesn't seem to be an isolated event.

 

[dlhvac]

THANKS FOR THE INFO GOING SHORTLY

 

[keishashadow]

I used to fly the central FL - Atlanta type routes frequently in the summer and that happens more often than you would want to think. I've looked out the window of the plane before at my poor sodden luggage on the cart on the tarmac in an absolute monsoon. More than once. Falls under the "weather happens" category, IMO, unfortunately.

We've sat on the tarmac in ATL many summer nights during some scary storms, luggage is secondary to somebody's life. The handlers need to get off the tarmac ASAP.

That said, i've had absolutely soaked luggage when flying both AT & SWA. AT was great to deal with, SWA another story.AT paid for dry cleaning cruise wear, including a suit and offered vouchers.

FYI, it's a good idea to inspect your luggage before you leave the airport jik any issues as it's always easier to deal with a 'live' person. We had a ripped bag on a new piece of luggage when flying into FLL and it was replaced with an even nicer one on the spot by AT last year.

OP your AT voucher should be good for 1 year from the date of the incident. I cashed in and booked a reward trip on AT this October. Inquired how it would work with my remaining credits (currently they're good for 2 years from date of earning). I was told SWA will honor all AT vouchers/reward credits in 'like fashion'...guess we'll see.