If your luggage doesn't make it...

[mickeyforpresident]

so, here's a panicked question. On a split flight, where you have to recheck your luggage, and let's say your luggage doesn't make it onto the connection with you (surely this happens!)... When your luggage eventually arrives at MCO, how does it then get to you? Do you have to go back to the airport to collect it or will it be sent to your hotel?

Thanks... 12 days to go and starting to have those irrational fears that all will go wrong!!

 

[wayneg]

Not something I have ever considered, done about 50 indirect flights and just expect my luggage to follow me on each flight.

Only 2 times I can remember any issues, once we got to the belt to collect and there was nothing there, went to lost luggage and it was there, arrived on an earlier plane.
Other time was with the ash cloud, we got to Heathrow but no luggage, they had put it on the flight after us so had to wait about 1 hour for it to catch us up.

Although saying that I have a customer who is in the band Smokie, he tries to avoid Amsterdam airport, says his luggage almost always gets lost there.

 

[Tony Toon]

We've had issues a couple of times. Once we only just made the connection at Philadelphia by the skin of our teeth - one case made it as well but the other didn't and it was the last flight of the day. Our late case was delivered to our hotel the following day. Like wayneg we also had problems the year of the volcanic ash with KLM. When our luggage eventually turned up in London (we live in Glasgow) it was sent to Schiphol and then to Glasgow!!!! Again it was delivered to our house when it eventually appeared. I always try to carry a change of clothes and a toothbrush in hand luggage now.

Mrs TT

 

[mickeyforpresident]

Thanks for the replies. I'm prepared for the worst mentally, and we could cope with bags going missing as long as they would get delivered as I'd be really unhappy having to waste a half day going back to the airport!!

 

[BadPinkTink]

like PP something similar happened to me. I flew from Edinburgh to LAX via Amsterdam. My connection time was very tight, about 1 hour. My bags were checked straight through to LAX so I didn't have to go through security again. I ran through the airport and made my connecting flight to LAX. When I got to LAX my bag wasn't on the carousel. I went to the airline desk, gave them my details and the luggage collection tag. They found my bag on the system and it was still in Amsterdam, it hadn't made the connection. The airline gave me a tracking code and an automated phone number I could ring to check the progress of my bag. They took my hotel details and said it would be delivered to my hotel the next day.

I continued on my journey to my hotel, the shuttle bus driver was very confused I didn't have a suitcase, just my hand luggage! When I checked in at my hotel, I told them my case would be arriving some time the next day.

The next day I got up and went out and about. I felt very icky though as I didn't have any clean clothes, I just had the clothes I travelled in and I had no sunscreen. When I came back in the afternoon, my case was there, in the hotel reception.

That was 10 years ago and luckily that was the first and only time it has happened to me. As a result though, now every time I fly to America, I have a change of clothes and a travel wash-bag with sunscreen in my hand luggage, just in case.

 

[1nfrequent]

I had this happen to me once. You need to go to the luggage kiosk, tell them what happened and give them your hotel address. They should be able to arrange for it to be sent on if that's easier for you.

1F

 

[DLPDreams]

Don't know if my friends have been unlucky but they flew via AMS last November and lost a case on the way out.

They have just come back from 3 weeks, and on the way out they lost one case, and again, a case lost on the way back (out of 4 cases). All via AMS!! They did turn up but the latter case was in a state and is broken!

Crikey!

Hope everything goes smoothly for you.

 

[Letterhead]

They will always deliver to you. Most of the time when bags go missing it's simply a case of the bag is on the next/earlier flight.

 

[dixonsontour]

Happened once flying to LA via heathrow from Manchester. DH's case made it mine didn't. Got $100 there and then to buy essentials and case was dropped at hotel by 7am next day.

 

[OldKeyWelsh]

Always ask for compensation if it happens to you. Last year at LAX 3 out of 4 of our cases didn't arrive with us, and there were quite a few other passengers with the same problem. We were all given compensation and our bags were delivered to our hotel that night. This was with BA but I would imagine most other airlines should have a similar policy.

 

[zavandor]

Thanks... 12 days to go and starting to have those irrational fears that all will go wrong!!

It's not irrational, or maybe I'm irrational as well
I always bring in my hand luggange enough to survive for 3-4 days. Better safe than sorry!

 

[mickeyforpresident]

It's not irrational, or maybe I'm irrational as well
I always bring in my hand luggange enough to survive for 3-4 days. Better safe than sorry!

Thanks!!!

 

[Cyrano]

It has happened to us twice.
On both occasions luggage was delivered to hotel.

Virgin were not very helpful and required receipts (up to £10 per person) for emergency purchases. This had to be claimed on return to Orlando airport for return flight.
Delta were excellent. Gave us a goody bag with t-shirt and toiletries plus up to $50 per person for emergency clothes purchases .

On the plus side our transfer at Atlanta and subsequent arrival at Orlando we whizzed through the airport without any baggage.

We now all carry a change of underwear and t-shirt in our hand luggage

 

[Minniesgal]

Airlines are actually pretty good at tracking lost luggage in fact there is an all airlines international database of lost bags.

What you do is if it doesn't turn up you report it with the airline that lost it and give them your contact details for the onward flight and they will take it from there.

My husband and son flew Thursday before Easter Brisbane-Glasgow. On arrival in Glasgow one 1 suitcase arrived out of 2. We were not too worried as half the flight had missing bags and we were told they were on the next flight later that night. Well ours didn't arrive that night nor all weekend. I was upset all weekend as it was all my sons precious stuff we couldn't replace. I called on the Monday and they said we think we have found it and if it is yours it will be here by lunchtime. We drive over and it was there. Turns out the tag with the bar code had come off on the first flight so they didn't know where to transit it too. However, it had my Singapore Airlines frequent flyer tag on it so then they reported it in the database they identified it as ours. Very lucky find.

 

[Minniesgal]

Don't know if my friends have been unlucky but they flew via AMS last November and lost a case on the way out.

They have just come back from 3 weeks, and on the way out they lost one case, and again, a case lost on the way back (out of 4 cases). All via AMS!! They did turn up but the latter case was in a state and is broken!

Crikey!

Hope everything goes smoothly for you.

Now this really annoys me. In Edinburgh when you report lost luggage there is a big sign stating that your suitcase is only a vehicle to transport your stuff and has no inherent value. I asked what that meant and they stated that they take no responsibility for damaged cases only lost ones.

 

[fitnessmouse]

Well here I am home today. Arrived yesterday in Brussels via Manchester and my suitcase was still in Orlando. They will deliver either today or tomorrow :-(
Luckily I am home and have most of the things I need, but still, it's annoying

 

[2Tiggies]

Now this really annoys me. In Edinburgh when you report lost luggage there is a big sign stating that your suitcase is only a vehicle to transport your stuff and has no inherent value. I asked what that meant and they stated that they take no responsibility for damaged cases only lost ones.

Is this the desk fo the airline? Or general airport information? I had a damaged bag in March and was paid out in full for a replacement suitcase. It took one phone call, a couple of photos and two emails and they paid out within a week. I claimed directly with the airline.

 

[dixonsontour]

Sorry to Hijack but congratulations Lee on your marriage and move to the US

 

[piccolopat]

We always pack our suitcases so each of us has half of our stuff in each of our two checked bags instead of one for him and one for me. I also take a carryon with one change of clothes and our bathing suits. This lessens the chance of a luggage problem being more than just an inconvenience since both of us have special size needs (him - tall and me-plus).

 

[Minniesgal]

Is this the desk fo the airline? Or general airport information? I had a damaged bag in March and was paid out in full for a replacement suitcase. It took one phone call, a couple of photos and two emails and they paid out within a week. I claimed directly with the airline.

No this is the desk that is specifically there to deal with lost bags