Check your luggage claim tags!

[lorenni]

So this morning I used the resort airline check in service at POFQ. I received a boarding pass for AirTran. They took my bag, for which I had prepaid the baggage fee, and handed my the luggage claim tag. Well, fast forward a few hours and I'm at my home airport with no suitcase to be found. When I pulled out the claim tag we discovered that my bag had been checked to Boston under my mothers name. We were on different airlines, separate reservations, ad they didn't check any bags!

Luckily AirTran found the bag, reclaimed it from JetBlue and its on its way to me - no thanks to Disneys not so magical express. So - check those claim tags! I've certainly learned my lesson.

 

[stargazertechie]

Resort airline check-in is not owned or operated by Disney- it is run by Baggage Airlines Guest Assistance (BAGS).

It also has nothing to do with Disney's Magical Express (serviced by Mears)... and it clearly states that RAC is not a service of Disney on all of the paperwork you receive, so I'm not sure why you are making snide comments about Disney... It's not their fault

 

[DebbieB]

Always good advice. A friend of mine's sister was behind a family going to Brazil at the their home airport. Somehow her bag got tagged to Brazil also! She didn't have her luggage for most of her WDW stay.

 

[maxiesmom]

Magical Express didn't screw up, Resort Airline Check In did. We have had problems with them before, they printed off the same person's name on two airplane tickets! We now always double check what they print out.

At least Air Tran found the bag!

 

[lorenni]

The only number I had handy last night was for the baggage fee payment line, so I called them first. I was clearly and specifically informed that the resort airline check in - including the tagging of bags - is run by Disney's Magical Express. Yes, I am aware that this service is contracted to a third party - but that is still the name of the service and that's what I called it in my post.

Incidentally, the AirTran folks said this happens regularly with the Magical Express/resort airline check in.

So - back to my original suggestion - double check your luggage claim slip before you leave the desk. Something I should have been doing anyways (wherever I check the bag). I'm just lucky I still had the claim check because otherwise I don't think anyone would have been able to figure out that my bag had been checked in under someone else's name on a different airline to a different city.

 

[sam_gordon]

Resort airline check-in is not owned or operated by Disney- it is run by Baggage Airlines Guest Assistance (BAGS).

It also has nothing to do with Disney's Magical Express (serviced by Mears)... and it clearly states that RAC is not a service of Disney on all of the paperwork you receive, so I'm not sure why you are making snide comments about Disney... It's not their fault

Disney allows BAGS to operate on their property & promotes their services. I have no problems with someone criticizing Disney if BAGS or DME messes up.

 

[goofy4tink]

The only number I had handy last night was for the baggage fee payment line, so I called them first. I was clearly and specifically informed that the resort airline check in - including the tagging of bags - is run by Disney's Magical Express. Yes, I am aware that this service is contracted to a third party - but that is still the name of the service and that's what I called it in my post.

Incidentally, the AirTran folks said this happens regularly with the Magical Express/resort airline check in.

So - back to my original suggestion - double check your luggage claim slip before you leave the desk. Something I should have been doing anyways (wherever I check the bag). I'm just lucky I still had the claim check because otherwise I don't think anyone would have been able to figure out that my bag had been checked in under someone else's name on a different airline to a different city.

Ummm, this is not a regular occurance with RAC. At least we don't hear of it happening all that often. The airlines are all very quick to blame RAC/DME/Disney for the things that happen. In this case, yes, BAGS was to blame. But for an airline to say that?? Nope, not accurate. The airlines will also have you believe that they never, ever misdirect checked luggage, and that it is usually DME's fault in Orlando.

Here's the thing....I have heard of the airlines putting the wrong destination tags on checked bags before. So now? I double check before they take that bag away. And that doesn't change depending on where I'm standing...at RAC, at Logan, at SeaTac. I doublecheck myself. I trust no one.

 

[sam_gordon]

So this morning I used the resort airline check in service at POFQ. I received a boarding pass for AirTran. They took my bag, for which I had prepaid the baggage fee, and handed my the luggage claim tag. Well, fast forward a few hours and I'm at my home airport with no suitcase to be found. When I pulled out the claim tag we discovered that my bag had been checked to Boston under my mothers name. We were on different airlines, separate reservations, ad they didn't check any bags!

Luckily AirTran found the bag, reclaimed it from JetBlue and its on its way to me - no thanks to Disneys not so magical express. So - check those claim tags! I've certainly learned my lesson.

I went back and reread. You know what's strange... the bags ended up on JB. My guess is the baggage agent didn't understand something somewhere. I don't know how you check in on AT, but JB luggage tags are put on the bags.

 

[stargazertechie]

This morning when I checked my bags, after stepping away from the counter, the baggage handler had me check my claim ticket against the tags, ensured the correct airport, and had me watch him put the tags on my bags.

All without my prompting. Hope this experience is frequently repeated for others

 

[lorenni]

I went back and reread. You know what's strange... the bags ended up on JB. My guess is the baggage agent didn't understand something somewhere. I don't know how you check in on AT, but JB luggage tags are put on the bags.

Exactly! They checked ME in on my airline then checked my bag in as if I were my mother (who was on a separate reservation, different room, did not check any bags, different airline and home state, and has a different name).

Still waiting for my bag, but really I feel like AirTran went above and beyond tracking it down for me, getting it back from JB and now delivering it to my house (eventually).

 

[bdklein]

Resort airline check-in is not owned or operated by Disney- it is run by Baggage Airlines Guest Assistance (BAGS).

It also has nothing to do with Disney's Magical Express (serviced by Mears)... and it clearly states that RAC is not a service of Disney on all of the paperwork you receive, so I'm not sure why you are making snide comments about Disney... It's not their fault

Why? It's all part of the Disney Experience. And in this case it wasn't up to snuff.

 

[sam_gordon]

Exactly! They checked ME in on my airline then checked my bag in as if I were my mother (who was on a separate reservation, different room, did not check any bags, different airline and home state, and has a different name).

But how would they have known your mom was going to Boston on JB? I would assume they check you in, print your boarding passes, print the bag tags, affix the bag tags, set the bags aside, say "Thank you", then do the same for your mom. I just don't see how this happens.

 

[msjprincess]

Exactly! They checked ME in on my airline then checked my bag in as if I were my mother (who was on a separate reservation, different room, did not check any bags, different airline and home state, and has a different name).

Still waiting for my bag, but really I feel like AirTran went above and beyond tracking it down for me, getting it back from JB and now delivering it to my house (eventually).

So they coincidentally checked your bag in someone else's name and it happened to be your mother?

There has to be some way that they linked you two together

 

[bumbershoot]

So they coincidentally checked your bag in someone else's name and it happened to be your mother?

There has to be some way that they linked you two together

I'm assuming they were in line together.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm assuming they were in line together.

I assumed that too. But I wouldn't think they'd check in two different people on two different airlines at the same time.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The only number I had handy last night was for the baggage fee payment line, so I called them first. I was clearly and specifically informed that the resort airline check in - including the tagging of bags - is run by Disney's Magical Express. Yes, I am aware that this service is contracted to a third party - but that is still the name of the service and that's what I called it in my post.

Incidentally, the AirTran folks said this happens regularly with the Magical Express/resort airline check in.

So - back to my original suggestion - double check your luggage claim slip before you leave the desk. Something I should have been doing anyways (wherever I check the bag). I'm just lucky I still had the claim check because otherwise I don't think anyone would have been able to figure out that my bag had been checked in under someone else's name on a different airline to a different city.

Resort Airline Check-In is identical to airport curbside check-in, except that the "curb" is about 20 miles from the airport.
Guests using RAC do not need to also be using Magical Express.
Not all guests using Magical Express are able/eligible to use RAC.
Disney's Magical Express doesn't operate DME, no matter what somebody in the AirTran baggage payment office told you.

Your claim check/should be attached to your boarding pass. You're right, it is the passenger's responsibility to retain this paperwork until all flight legs are completed and all luggage is safely in the passenger's possession.

 

[OKW Lover]

Its always a good idea to check that the agent tags your bags for the correct destination. That goes for using RAC at the resorts and for when you check bags at the airport yourself.

Every time we've used RAC they have made it a point to show us the bag tag and verified that our bags were being checked to the right destination. We fly Delta very frequently and their counter agents always do the same.

 

[maxiesmom]

Why? It's all part of the Disney Experience. And in this case it wasn't up to snuff.

While it may be part of the Disney Experience, it is not a Disney operation. When you use RAC you are checking in to your flight, just as you would do at the airport. They are not Disney Cast Members, and using or not using Magical Express has nothing to do with it.

 

[HoosierDisneyDad]

Disney's Magical Express doesn't operate DME,

?
What does Disney's Magical Express (DME) operate then? Maybe you mean it doesn't operate RAC?

 

[sam_gordon]

?
What does Disney's Magical Express (DME) operate then? Maybe you mean it doesn't operate RAC?

I'm sure she meant RAC. That's funny. Good catch.