RAC lost luggage

[curiouser]

Our bridal party all stayed in a 2-bedroom at Kidani this past week for our wedding. They all departed this past Tuesday and two (who flew together - Continental -> CLE) of them had their luggage lost after checking with Resort Airline Check-in. They were able to find bridesmaid's luggage after discovering it flew to Atlanta on a Delta flight; groomsman's luggage is still missing. Continental states that they have no record of the luggage, nor does Kidani. Groomsman has been in contact with both CO and the manager of Kidani - is there any other source we should have him contact? At what point should he stop searching for his luggage and look into compensation?

This may be all we can do, but I know there are many seasoned travelers here and we appreciate any and all advice.

As a side note, another groomsman checked in with RAC and his bag was tagged and handed back to him. At MCO, Continental told him that wasn't a valid CO baggage tag and they had to re-check his luggage. Sounds like there are some issues with RAC at Kidani.

 

[dzorn]

Does he have his baggage claim ticket from Kidani?

Denise in MI

 

[SnackyStacky]

I've used RAC twice and TWICE have had HUGE nightmares with it and will NEVER use it again.

My point in posting that is that both times, I complained to the resort manager and both times I got a "Sorry, it's an outside company. Nothing we can do." So I don't know how much, if anything, Kidani will do. Hopefully they can put you in touch with the company they outsource through.

I also think dzorn has the right idea - and should dig out the luggage claim tags issued by RAC when the bags were checked in.

 

[curiouser]

I just asked; they were not given a claim ticket and I don't think that they realized that they should have been given one. Their bags were put to the side and they were told they'd be "taken care of". I also just found out the bag contained the video from our wedding.

 

[DebbieB]

I used RAC at Boardwalk last December and the bag tag and claim check looked the same as if I had checked in at the airport (Delta). Maybe their system was down? The problem is, who do you seek compensation from? With no claim checks, there's no proof that they were even checked in. Did they get their boarding pass at the same time? Some airlines put the bag check # on the boarding pass.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I just asked; they were not given a claim ticket and I don't think that they realized that they should have been given one. Their bags were put to the side and they were told they'd be "taken care of".

Without pointing fingers at your bridal party or at the RAC skycap, it seems there was some sort of misunderstanding.

Using RAC is just like using curbside check-in at the airport: You wait your turn at the RAC location; the RAC skycap looks up your reservation; the RAC skycap puts luggage routing tags on your bags and gives you your boarding passes and luggage claim stickers; you double-check the luggage claim stickers to make sure the flight information and destination are correct; finally, you tip the RAC skycap (customary $1-2 per bag).

When it's used this way, RAC is a rather foolproof system. RAC delivers the bags to Orlando International in secure cages. Then the airlines take over.

 

[dburg30]

Welp, I have to be the 'fanboy' and ask. How do you know it was RAC's fault and not the airline? especially on the one that wound up at the wrong airport? RAC doesnt load them on the plane, the carrier at MCO does.

The one that got routed to the wrong place, what did the claim check say? it sounds like that one had a claim check? Was the airline / destination listed correctly?

 

[curiouser]

I'm getting the details second hand, just trying to help out. We've used RAC more times than I can count and never had a problem. This will not stop me from using DME or RAC. I am not blaming anyone, I am trying to find additional measures available to locate the lost baggage and/or when it just becomes a lost cause. Is there anyway to contact BAGS, Inc.?

From piecing together information, I am wondering if they were supposed to recollect their bags b/c they didn't pre-pay them? When we went (with the couple in question) this past January RAC allowed to us to pay for the bags at check-in. They may not have realized that this had changed. Still, how would one bag have ended up on a Delta flight to Atlanta? The whole situation is very confusing.

 

[dudspizza]

I wonder if the guests checking in had something mixed up or if RAC was having some issues.......

If RAC is used properly, it should go just as Horace described. It confuses me that they got no claim tickets and the one guest was told his bag was tagged but he had to drop it at the airport.....

Something just isn't adding up here.....

 

[Uncleromulus]

Not getting a claim ticket seems to be the major puzzle here..
We used RAC a # of times now and only once was our luggage "misplaced"--But as others have suggested, it could just as easily been the fault of the airline. No real way to know for sure..
And noting that lots of luggage gets lost even when it is checked right at the Airline ticket counter.

 

[SnackyStacky]

The two times I used it, the issue was the same both times.

They couldn't get a luggage claim tag to print out for ONE of three bags. Both times they asked us to wait, and both times we wasted 90+ minutes as these folks tried to figure out what the issue was. After all that time, I still had to take bags to the airport.

I have to wonder if something like that happened here - where a tag couldn't be printed out? Possibly it was tagged with a Delta claim?

I would ask the Kidani manager for a supervisor from the company that's used for RAC. I think they may be able to help you a lot more than anyone at Disney or Continental will be able to.

In terms of the wedding video - in the digital age - is there any possibility the videographer still has the digital master and can create another copy for these guys?

 

[curiouser]

Just in case anyone wants an update, we were able to actual talk to the best man rather than exchange texts. They checked in at RAC at Kidani where they were able to pay for/were charged for their bags per CO baggage fees. They watched their bags get tagged and loaded into the cages. Best Man asked if they should receive any sort of claim ticket and was told that they were all set and the bags would be sent to the airport. Fast forward to one bag on a Delta flight in Atlanta and the other bag still MIA.

He spoke with Kidani and ME again Monday night and asked to file a claim. Not surprisingly, ME has now decided to scurry into action and asked for 72 additional hours to locate the bag before they start the claim paperwork.

 

[Brian Noble]

The company that runs RAC is called BAGS. If you can get Disney/ME to work with you that will be helpful.

Any documentation---at all---is going to help. Proof of payment of the CO baggage claim, for example. But, without actually having a claim ticket for checked luggage, you are going to have to depend on the willingness of the contractor/Disney to work with you.

 

[goofy4tink]

Guests need to understand that RAC is exactly the same thing as checking your bags curbside, at the airport. But the 'curb' is much further away. There is no way you should ever leave your bags there without getting a claim receipt first. That's just nutty. I can't imagine what the RAC people were thinking when they told someone they didn't need a claim receipt. Even if RAC got the bags to the airport perfectly ok, what would happen (as obviously something did) if the airline itself lost, or misdirected the bags?? You have no 'proof' that you checked a bag.

If something happens at RAC and you can't get a claim receipt, then you should take that bag to the airport yourself...check it right at MCO.

 

[NotUrsula]

Any chance that they are still at Kidani? If there was no flight tag on them I'm wondering if there is a possibility that someone left them with bell services as an unidentified bag.

Bottom line is, never hand over bags to anyone anywhere without getting a claim check receipt. For all you know you've handed them to a thief, and you have absolutely no legal recourse without an official company receipt.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The company that runs RAC is called BAGS. If you can get Disney/ME to work with you that will be helpful.

The company used to be called BAGS Inc. (short for for "Baggage Airline Guest Services, Inc.").

The company is now called Plus. The RAC service is still part of their Bags operation: http://www.airportbags.com/bags/

It's interesting that the Plus website no longer mentions Disney, even though the RAC and valet services that Plus provides to Disney are significant business for Plus. Disney is just very protective of its brand. Disney wants to prevent or control any perception of public endorsement of other company's goods and services by Disney.

Any documentation---at all---is going to help. Proof of payment of the CO baggage claim, for example. But, without actually having a claim ticket for checked luggage, you are going to have to depend on the willingness of the contractor/Disney to work with you.

That's a very good suggestion.

Also, the passenger was undoubtedly given a boarding pass and was probably given a RAC boarding pass folder. There may be valuable information printed, written, or adhered on one or both of these.

 

[dudspizza]

Also, the passenger was undoubtedly given a boarding pass and was probably given a RAC boarding pass folder. There may be valuable information printed, written, or adhered on one or both of these.

That was my first thought at the small baggage claim tickets are many times stapled inside of the envelope that the boarding pass is inserted in to.......

Best of luck to the wedding party at finding their luggage... there has been some very nice, constructive information given here. No one would want this to happen to them on such a great occasion.

Duds

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

There is no way you should ever leave your bags there without getting a claim receipt first.

The other lesson here is that there is no way you should ever pack valuable, irreplaceable things, such as original video media, into checked bags.

Checked bag receipts take various forms depending on the airline. For example, in the case of JetBlue, it's printed right on the boarding pass. Some airlines rely on stickers that the agent pulls off the luggage routing tags and sticks onto a boarding pass or ticket jacket. In other cases, the tags are stapled onto the ticket jacket.

 

[Rpsemont]

On other item to note - which I admit, I never remember to do, is to put name, address and phone in the luggage as well as on the tag (assuming you do have a tag on the luggage). Then if your luggage ends up somewhere, they night have a way to contact you.

Prior to reading this thread, I never thought through how many places luggage could end up if checked through RAC.

 

[curiouser]

There is definitely valuable information here and I thank you all for your help. A very strong lesson learned, indeed! I think we just trusted Disney a little too much and now we know to be more aware.

As far as the video - the best man used his camera on a tripod to film. He changed memory cards and stuck the full one in his suit coat pocket. Suit went into check luggage and.. you know the rest. It was an easy mistake to forget it was in his pocket with all of the excitement of the night. I'm very sad, but c'est la vie if it truly is lost. If video was that important to me I would have hired a professional videographer.