Airlines losing your luggage

[Tinkified]

OK...new anxiety here. What happens if fly in on cruise day (and we are on 1/20 and couldn't do it any other way and certainly not how I would have wanted to do it!) and your luggage is lost by the airlines? I know there is no way to avoid it specifically happening and arriving in Florida a day or more prior to cruise day would certainly give time for luggage to be found, but what if?????....
I think I might lose sleep over it...We are flying USAirways on cruise day and the last time we flew them in '05 to WDW they lost our luggage coming and going. Please re-assure me...and if you can't, please be honest and let me know what has happened! Thanks..and if you can send some special luggage pixie dust my way I would appreciate it! Michelle

 

[LadyZolt]

First, I think you shouldn't be anxious about something that hasn't happened yet. That being said, it is a valid concern, so be as pro-active as you can. Don't pack anything you aren't willing to lose in the luggage you trust to the airline. Do pack everything important in your carry-on, and this includes a change of clothes or two. They sell really marvelous carry-on bags now with compartments and enough room to stow a lot of necessities. Dress in layers -- in summer, I wear a T-shirt, jeans, walking shoes and a jacket, even if it's hot. That way, I know I'll have a jacket in case it's cold later and I don't have my luggage. (In winter, I add a sweatshirt and a winter coat, depending on where I'm flying. Florida woudn't require a winter coat.) If you're flying in the same day as the cruise, you could even wear your swimsuit under your clothes and not have to put it in your carry-on.

The odds are in your favor that the airline won't lose your luggage, but it can bring some peace of mind to know that even if they do, you'll be all right for a while. I wish you the best!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[LadyZolt]

Oh, one other thought -- if you're traveling with another person or more, cross-pack the items so that no one bag contains just one person's stuff. So if you lose one piece of luggage, you won't have lost everything that one person needed and his/her things will also be in other pieces.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[Anjelica]

Oh, one other thought -- if you're traveling with another person or more, cross-pack the items so that no one bag contains just one person's stuff. So if you lose one piece of luggage, you won't have lost everything that one person needed and his/her things will also be in other pieces.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

VERY GOOD SUGGESTION!!! My husband and I do this regularly so that *if* something were to happen with the luggage neither of us would be completely out of clothes. Additionally, in all my years of traveling, etc. (Navy brat) it is always a good idea to pack at least one change of clothes in carry on.

 

[birkner]

When we travel, we always carry at least two days worth of clothes, plus tolietries for the both of us. I figure if I have two days worth by then the luggage will turn up or I will be doing a lot of shopping.

 

[tvguy]

On my first cruise, one member of our group of 12 had her luggage lost by the cruise line, not the airline. They had 2 ships, put it on the wrong ship.
Did I mention this was a 2 week cruise? Did I mention the cruise line never did figure out how to get her bag back to her before the end of the cruise? They did buy her some cloths to wear on board, but they had a limited selection in the on board stores.
Oh, the cruise line involved was Paquet, a French line that ran 2 ships out of Miami.

 

[4warmwishers]

Wouldn't your trip insurance cover this? I tend to be a huge worrier too, and felt okay about this because we are booked through Disney and have trip insurance!

 

[mott]

First, I think you shouldn't be anxious about something that hasn't happened yet. That being said, it is a valid concern, so be as pro-active as you can. Don't pack anything you aren't willing to lose in the luggage you trust to the airline. Do pack everything important in your carry-on, and this includes a change of clothes or two. They sell really marvelous carry-on bags now with compartments and enough room to stow a lot of necessities. Dress in layers -- in summer, I wear a T-shirt, jeans, walking shoes and a jacket, even if it's hot. That way, I know I'll have a jacket in case it's cold later and I don't have my luggage. (In winter, I add a sweatshirt and a winter coat, depending on where I'm flying. Florida woudn't require a winter coat.) If you're flying in the same day as the cruise, you could even wear your swimsuit under your clothes and not have to put it in your carry-on.

The odds are in your favor that the airline won't lose your luggage, but it can bring some peace of mind to know that even if they do, you'll be all right for a while. I wish you the best!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

This is a great idea, but with the new security guidelines, it's a little more tricky to get all necessities in a carry on - only one quart size zip top bag with 3 oz. bottles of lotions, gels and liquids (including toothpaste) per person. Make sure you check the guidelines or it could be a problem at security...

 

[Dandy8]

VERY GOOD SUGGESTION!!! My husband and I do this regularly so that *if* something were to happen with the luggage neither of us would be completely out of clothes. Additionally, in all my years of traveling, etc. (Navy brat) it is always a good idea to pack at least one change of clothes in carry on.

I do this all the time too!!!! Although when we flew down for the cruise none of our luggage made it on our plane. Turns out it went down on the flight before ours. Thank god it was going to the same place. After a small heart attack it was in a nice pile by the southwest counter at the baggage claim. Definately look into your trip insurance to see if lost baggage is covered.

 

[Tinkified]

I do have trip insurance, wouldn't have traveled and paid so much for DCL without it...but my fears are compounded by the fact that I am a plus size woman who would probably will be unable to find any clothes on the ship and we are flying on a small commuter plane the first leg of our trip and they don't really have room for any kind of carryon that is bigger than a pocketbook or smallish bag/knapsack type...no room for 2 days worth of stuff for three people even in 3 smallish bags with all the obvious carry-on essentials like medications, travel documents, underwear, bathing suit etc.

PLUS..and this is the big one...DCL did our air...didn't want to take the chance booking it on our own since Disney looks after their own if a flight is delayed, cancelled etc...and we are booked on USAirways...and they lost our luggage coming and going on our trip to WDW in 2005...in WDW we got our luggage the next day....home was 3 days later.

This is why I am now losing sleep!

 

[LadyZolt]

Any chance you could UPS stuff to the ship so that it gets there before you? I haven't ever sent anything to the ship ahead of time, but I understand that it's possible to do that. It might be worth doing because you can track it yourself via the UPS web site and then you'd know it was there.

After what you posted, I can see why you'd be worried over this, especially since it's the airline that lost stuff before. I think that if you can send things in advance, it might help alleviate some of your anxiety.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[ivanova]

I do have trip insurance, wouldn't have traveled and paid so much for DCL without it...but my fears are compounded by the fact that I am a plus size woman who would probably will be unable to find any clothes on the ship and we are flying on a small commuter plane the first leg of our trip and they don't really have room for any kind of carryon that is bigger than a pocketbook or smallish bag/knapsack type...no room for 2 days worth of stuff for three people even in 3 smallish bags with all the obvious carry-on essentials like medications, travel documents, underwear, bathing suit etc.

PLUS..and this is the big one...DCL did our air...didn't want to take the chance booking it on our own since Disney looks after their own if a flight is delayed, cancelled etc...and we are booked on USAirways...and they lost our luggage coming and going on our trip to WDW in 2005...in WDW we got our luggage the next day....home was 3 days later.

This is why I am now losing sleep!

Being plus sized myself, I understand your concern. For the commuter plane on your first leg, see if you can at least carry on a tote bag and shove a few changes of socks/underwear in there, maybe a top or two.

When you get to your first port, if your luggage hasn't caught up with you by then, you might be able to find a shop in port that carries plus sized women's clothing. Keep all receipts for travel insurance reimbursement.

Also, DCL might comp you on laundry or dry cleaning services, so that you can reuse clothes while on the cruise.

 

[glindamood]

I agree that on the smaller puddle jumpers there really isn't any room for carry on baggage but they will take it from you when you board, stow it then give it back to you when you land (on the tarmac). I am a Northwest flier and have done this - and would do it again (DH would take a bag and so would I) if I were in your circumstances.

Something else you could do is ship a box of clothes to your cabin - it will arrive just like luggage does in your cabin. I did that (not clothes but gifts for my DIS friends) when we sailed last September and it worked like a charm.

Take care and enjoy your cruise.

 

[Sue (mom of 3 boys!)]

I don't know if this is typical, but the times our luggage has been "delayed" were times when we arrived close to our flight time. One delay happened when our 1st half of our connecting flight was late arriving and we had to sprint to our gate (all but 1 arrived at our destination), and the other was when we arrived only 45 minutes before our flight time because of traffic. We were lucky though, because both times we were on our way home.
I try not to worry about it, but we do book non stop flights when we can, and get to the airport as early as time suggests, and pixie dust never hurts.
(We also pack a change of clothes in our carry ons, and mix our luggage in our bags.)

 

[Tinkified]

Thanks everybody for all your hints and suggestions. I am definately using the spread out the luggage for each person between all the bags tip! I can't believe with all the travel I have done, I have never thought of that! Thanks DIS....Live and (DIS) learn! That said....

Just some additional background in case anyone is wondering where my anxiety comes from....I am a firm believer in the 2 hour ahead of departure time arrival at the airport..my mom is a travel agent, so I guess having someone in the biz, I have been taught well. On our last small puddle jumper flight in Jan 2005 we had our just about too big for carry-on bags (but not really) taken away from us as we are boarding only to be told that they were just stowing it away and will give right back upon landing on the tarmac (like they do strollers and wheelchairs) and that was lost too! And on this very same trip everyone (58 out of 60 of us), except one couple, LOST their luggage when we all reached the final destination....to me that points directly to the Airline and their employees...sorry if anyone works for USAir. It was January 2005 and the company was going through some financial hardship...not compensating their employess for OT worked etc..rumors of bankruptcy...and I kind of think it might have been a passive-aggressive job action on the part of the employees....And then to top it all off...there was no airline representative at the airport when we arrived at our destination and when I went to make a claim for the purchases I made in Florida from them losing our luggage at the start of our vacation...they claim they have no record of my baggage being lost etc....I faxed all my supporting evidence to be told...nope sorry...that claim reference number belonged to another passenger!

No worries, right! Hence my TA mother is switching us to another airlines...I feel bad that I just can't have faith...but if I am going to lose sleep over it...the change fees just might be worth it...and of course, I know that changing airlines will not guarantee safe luggage delivery, but at least I can rest knowing that I attempted to do something when I felt uneasy about it...I don't want it to be a could of, should of or I told you so situation.

Thanks for listening and for all the suggestions.
Michelle

 

[Sue (mom of 3 boys!)]

Hence my TA mother is switching us to another airlines...I feel bad that I just can't have faith...but if I am going to lose sleep over it...the change fees just might be worth it...and of course, I know that changing airlines will not guarantee safe luggage delivery, but at least I can rest knowing that I attempted to do something when I felt uneasy about it...I don't want it to be a could of, should of or I told you so situation.

Thanks for listening and for all the suggestions.
Michelle

Don't feel bad! Airlines need to earn the trust of their passengers. It makes total sense to go with an airline you feel more comfortable with.

 

[tvguy]

Just some additional background in case anyone is wondering where my anxiety comes from....I am a firm believer in the 2 hour ahead of departure time arrival at the airport..my mom is a travel agent, so I guess having someone in the biz, I have been taught well.

I'm the same on the 2 hours before. However, our Travel Agent had Orlando on a list of airports that you should check in 3 hours before flight time.
We checked in at 10:15 am, and BARELY made a 12:35pm flight, all because of the 90 plus minute wait to go through the metal detectors.