Lost Luggage - 3 out of 4 flights since changes

[arminnie]

I've made two round trips since the stricter regulations on carry-ons went into effect. The first flight my luggage did not make the connecting flight (in spite of the second flight being delayed by an hour). I did not receive it for 12 hours, but I did get it.

My second trip was to WDW - a non-stop flight on a smaller plane out of an airport with 12 gates. My bag was totally lost and has never been found. My dream trip to Beach Club was a little crimped by this.

I was the lady in pitiful clothes that I found at the clearance racks at Walmart as I refused to buy the ugly $100 shorts at the Grand Floridian (only place I even found shorts). I even had to buy a new bag to bring home my purchases. Guess what - my bag was lost on the return flight also.

I flew over a million miles on business (literally) and never once had a lost bag. Now I'm 3 out of 4 (with one of them being permanently lost) since the changes.

Moral: start carrying on the bare minimum that you will need if the luggage gets lost. I was not the only one on these flights with lost luggage. The luggage people tell me that they are going crazy with lost bags.

 

[Tarquin]

wow- what airlines did you use? I know they give compensations for lost luggage, may I ask how much it was?

 

[NotUrsula]

Yep, and stash a copy of your itinerary inside the checked bags, so that if the handles get ripped off and it goes astray, they can find you. It can take months if it has to go through the HQ lost bag processing office. If they still can't figure out who it belongs to at that point, they sell it to these people: http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/

I've got business cards seeded in every pocket of every bag I own, and I sharpie-d our cell phone numbers onto the bag lining, too. (Naturally, since doing this I haven't had a bag go astray.)

I had a bag get totally chewed up by the bagroom machinery in a UK airport a while back; if I hadn't had all the info seeded all over the place I would never have gotten my things back. The airline said that if they hadn't been able to find a name on it they would have just thrown the stuff away, since there was nothing left of the bag to hold the clothing.

 

[ducklite]

I went one better than to Sharpie my phone on the lining...

I used WHITE OUT to write it on the hard plastic bottom of the bag!

Anne

 

[bab31]

I had a lost bag that had a luggage tag with my name address and phone number. Yeah, the guys in the lost luggage obviously cant read or are too busy to look at the luggage tag.... My brother in law who worked for that airlline finally was able to track it down for me, months later and it was returned to me with luggage tag attached!

 

[arminnie]

Good news - the bag from the 4th flight was found. Of course that's the $10 duffle bag from Walmart with the cheap junk in it, but at least it did show up the next day.

My first trip was on American. American actually got the bag to SF in a few hours, but the delivery service took 6 hours to get it to an airport hotel.

The second trip was on Delta. I am convinced that my bag was stolen at the airport as most of the luggage had arrived by the time I got to baggage claim. I also saw two different sets of police officers with "a person of interest" in tow being firmly escorted somewhere.

Some of the staff have acknowledged that Orlando is having a real problem right now. A woman that I met on the WDW bus said her purse was stolen as she was reaching for a second bag - in just a few seconds.

Don't think that you can recognize a thief as looking suspicious, the two that I saw being escorted out (assuming they were thieves) looked like very clean cut tourists.

 

[arminnie]

I stick business cards (with home address and number as I am retired) all over my suitcases. I put one right on top and tuck the others in pockets.

In regards to compensation for delays - nothing if it's at your home location or until 24 hours. Then $25 for each 24 hours up to $125. But you have to call everyday to ask for it, and they do not volunteer this information. You also must provide receipts by day.

I will file a claim for the truly lost (or stolen) bag, but the value of the contents will be at depreciated not replacement value so I don't expect much.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Good news - the bag from the 4th flight was found. Of course that's the $10 duffle bag from Walmart with the cheap junk in it, but at least it did show up the next day.

My first trip was on American. American actually got the bag to SF in a few hours, but the delivery service took 6 hours to get it to an airport hotel.

Did you know American calculates time differently from the rest of the world? Now, the other airlines may do the same thing, but... a sibling checked in online for an AA flight last month, no problem. For whatever reason, this person arrived at the airport with far less than the recommended time until takeoff, but far enough in advance to check luggage in at the kiosk... or so they thought. Luggage checked at, according to the time on the printout, exactly 45 minutes before take-off, as stated in the airline's baggage check requirements, stated here http://www.aa.com/content/customerService/customerCommitment/customerServicePlan.jhtml#cutofftimes (about 3/4 of the way down the page - I won't say which airport, but one of the 45 minutes ones). Sibling was then informed neither they nor the luggage would be on the scheduled flight... because "45 minutes" actually means MORE than 45 minutes - apparently, at least 46 minutes. Person had to fly standby all day on connecting flights, and the luggage arrived about eighteen hours later.

I stick business cards (with home address and number as I am retired) all over my suitcases. I put one right on top and tuck the others in pockets.

The only problem I have with this is, what if somebody steals, I mean incorrectly/accidentally 'appropriates' your luggage? Then they've (a) got your address and (b) pretty much know you're not home. Is there a friend's or family member's business address you can use? Do you have (or can you get, temporarily when you travel) a post office box or mail drop service?

And, OP - thanks for the warning. I think maybe I'll be using Federal Express...

 

[NotUrsula]

Oh, yeah, carousel theft is an issue, all right. I've always been amazed that MCO doesn't require a claim check match. Carousel security should be standard at any airport that gets a lot of int'l tourism. When dealing with unguarded carousels, the best strategy I know is using cruddy-looking luggage -- the better brands are the ones most often targeted by thieves. (These days, the bag itself can be sold at a profit on eBay, even if the contents didn't turn out to be worth much.)

My own airport has two terminals, one used by legacy carriers, and one by LCC's (mostly SWA.) Interestingly, the carousel area used by the LCC's is secured, but the main terminal's carousels are not.

 

[ducklite]

Some of the staff have acknowledged that Orlando is having a real problem right now. A woman that I met on the WDW bus said her purse was stolen as she was reaching for a second bag - in just a few seconds.

Don't think that you can recognize a thief as looking suspicious, the two that I saw being escorted out (assuming they were thieves) looked like very clean cut tourists.

This is actually nothing new. About three years ago a woman took my bag off the carousel at MCO. I immediately knew it was mine by the very distinctive luggage tags, despite it being an otherwise non-desccript black bag. I lept over the carousel and yelled "Hey, that's my bag" and she dropped it an ran. No fumbled apology, nothing, just ran. At that moment I knew that I ahd just prevented someone from stealing my bag.

That is why I get off the plane and go immediately to baggage claim, and wait as close to where bags come off the carousel as possible.

Anne

 

[agnes!]

I'm glad I ran across this thread, but it's made me want to pack all my clothes in a carry-on & then buy my liquid toiletries(toothpaste, moisturizer, etc) in Orlando next month.

agnes!