SW lost our luggage

[sj24]

We ended up getting it back the next day but it was a real pia, they called me at 10am and said they would deliver it but it could take 4-6 hrs before we got it. I told them to hold it and I would pick it up at MCO (luckily we had a rental car). They gave us a $50 voucher for future travel but it expires in 1 year, has this ever happened to anyone else with SW and if so should I call them and try to get more? I know it could have been much worse but it really messed up our first day of vacation.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

We had a situation when we flew into BWI. They were doing construction at PHX and didn't have the normal conveyance belts operating to move the luggage to the planes. My bag did not make it to BWI. However, SWA delivered it to our hotel within a couple of hours after it arrrived on another flight. We were not offered any compensation or vouchers.

 

[pooch]

We ended up getting it back the next day but it was a real pia, they called me at 10am and said they would deliver it but it could take 4-6 hrs before we got it. I told them to hold it and I would pick it up at MCO (luckily we had a rental car). They gave us a $50 voucher for future travel but it expires in 1 year, has this ever happened to anyone else with SW and if so should I call them and try to get more? I know it could have been much worse but it really messed up our first day of vacation.

my carry-on. DH & DD both laugh at me as I make sure we could get thru arrival day and the day after with just our carry-ons. Most "lost" luggage shows up the next day. But I would never drive back to the airport. Let them bring it to me!!

 

[ccgirl]

We ended up getting it back the next day but it was a real pia, they called me at 10am and said they would deliver it but it could take 4-6 hrs before we got it. I told them to hold it and I would pick it up at MCO (luckily we had a rental car). They gave us a $50 voucher for future travel but it expires in 1 year, has this ever happened to anyone else with SW and if so should I call them and try to get more? I know it could have been much worse but it really messed up our first day of vacation.

Sounds like you have been sufficiently compensated. As comparison, my friend had her bag "lost" for 5 days. She finally got it back and they refunded her the price of her checked bag for one way.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

One of our bags didn't make it home in time. We didn't ask for any compensation - we were just happy to get the bag back. They delivered it to our home before they called to let me know it had been located.

I did find it very frustrating that they don't scan the bags at every encounter just like UPS or FedEx do with packages. It makes no sense to me that they can't look up the tracking number and tell me when the bag was last touched. DH was convinced we were never going to see that bag again.

 

[DebbieB]

One of our bags didn't make it home in time. We didn't ask for any compensation - we were just happy to get the bag back. They delivered it to our home before they called to let me know it had been located.

I did find it very frustrating that they don't scan the bags at every encounter just like UPS or FedEx do with packages. It makes no sense to me that they can't look up the tracking number and tell me when the bag was last touched. DH was convinced we were never going to see that bag again.

I had a bag delayed on Delta in January, I was on a non-stop MSP-PIT, I checked in about 3 hours early for a Friday evening flight. My bag went to Duluth! They do scan it at each point, when I looked it up the next morning it said it was in Duluth, later it was in Detroit, then at PIT. Not delivered until Sunday morning. No compensation.

 

[WicketsMom]

My bags have been lost three times (all by US Air) and we didn't get any compensation for any of those times. Once was when we were going to Park City and had a late arrival. they told us that they would deliver the bag to us somewhere between 12:00am and noon. We got no sleep that night because I was worried I wouldn't wake up when they brought the bags. They finally got there around 6:00am.

 

[sj24]

I picked up because I didn't want to have to wait around for 4-6 hours in the clothes that I wore the day before, wasn't a big deal, 30 min car ride and some extra tolls.

They gave us the $50 without even asking, biggest concern is that it will expire before we can use it.

 

[Uncleromulus]

A sad tale--but one of what, hundreds of thousands each year? One wonders how they can "lose" so much luggage.

But if I went behind the scenes, I'll bet I'd find out----

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

They lost our coming back from Disneyland December 30th. We flew to Philadelphia because we were spending New Years with my parents. They never called the next morning. I called them around 11:00 and they told me it was already in a van out for delivery. That upset me, because I would much rather have driven back to the airport to pick it up. The van didn't come until 8:00 that night -- in the middle of the New Year's party. It was so nice to run upstairs and change clothes, though.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

They gave us a $50 voucher for future travel but it expires in 1 year, has this ever happened to anyone else with SW and if so should I call them and try to get more?

This is why I almost always take carry-on luggage only. Yes, my family has had luggage lost (although not by SWA). Once my husband had his luggage lost by BA; it went missing on his way to Brussels from JFK and was found 3 weeks later (after he got home). He was reimbursed for all of his expenses, including a new suitcase and clothes, which was over $600. My son had his bag lost this past December by Aer Lingus on a trip to France. His bag was lost for 5 weeks (he never got it during his trip). He also got all his expenses reimbursed, over $500.00.

I think you were more than amply compensated for a very short inconvenience. Most people get nothing but their bag back after such a short period of time.

But I would never drive back to the airport. Let them bring it to me!!

I agree. They are supposed to deliver to you. Why should you have to drive to the airport for their mistake?

 

[pooch]

I picked up because I didn't want to have to wait around for 4-6 hours in the clothes that I wore the day before, wasn't a big deal, 30 min car ride and some extra tolls.

I agree. They are supposed to deliver to you. Why should you have to drive to the airport for their mistake?

because she didn't pack extra clothes in a carry-on!! Isn't this the motto of the Transportation Boards?!?!?

 

[Lewisc]

SW gave you the choice of getting your luggage delivered or a $50 voucher. I would have had them deliver the bag. You don't get to re-negotiate the deal. You accepted the voucher.

 

[Missytara]

This happened to us a few years ago; coming back from Europe. We booked our trip 1-1/2 years in advance (cruise) and I did not realize that BWI was going to be going through major construction on their international terminal. So we ended up flying to PHL to pick up our flight overseas.

It was me, my best friend, and her daughter. My best friend's husband called us on the ship and said her mom had taken a turn for the worst in her longtime illness. First we thought she should take a flight directly from PHL, to VA, but we realized it was quicker to go to BWI, drive back to DE and then she would drive home to VA.

On the way back, we had to fly a puddle jumper. They left every hour, on the hour, from PHL to BWI. We landed at BWI, and got to the baggage carousel. Mine came, her daughter's, but no sign of my friend's. The lady at the US Airways office told us that often in puddle jumpers, they just put it on the next plane. We waited through two more planes, but no luck. Finally at around midnight, we decided to drive back to DE.

Around 6:00 am, they arrived with her bag at her doorstep.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

because she didn't pack extra clothes in a carry-on!! Isn't this the motto of the Transportation Boards?!?!?

I have no idea what this post means.

 

[Lewisc]

I have no idea what this post means.

OP got the call from SW at 10a. SW said the bags would be delivered in 4-6 hours. 2p-4p. The OP didn't want to wait for their luggage. Presumably there was stuff in the luggage they didn't want to wait for.

Was the OP staying in a WDW resort? SW probably would have give the bag to DME to deliver. 3 hours would be a good guess.

 

[pooch]

I have no idea what this post means.

She had to go to the airport to pick up her luggage because she didn't have any extra clothing with her and didn't want to wait the 4-6 hrs in yesterday's clothes for them to deliver to her. One of the strongest suggestions on the TB is to pack for emergencies such as this in your carry-on. Thought that was pretty clear with the quotes in my post.

 

[sj24]

SW gave you the choice of getting your luggage delivered or a $50 voucher. I would have had them deliver the bag. You don't get to re-negotiate the deal. You accepted the voucher.

They never optioned the choice of delivery or voucher, I chose to pickup because I did not want to have to wait for delivery. I had no idea that they were going to give me a voucher until it was handed to me. Just figured maybe could get a little more out of them, sure it will not hurt them financially.

 

[sj24]

OP got the call from SW at 10a. SW said the bags would be delivered in 4-6 hours. 2p-4p. The OP didn't want to wait for their luggage. Presumably there was stuff in the luggage they didn't want to wait for.

Was the OP staying in a WDW resort? SW probably would have give the bag to DME to deliver. 3 hours would be a good guess.

We were not staying on property, using timeshare and actually stayed that night in Davenport Fl. because could not check in until next day, so we were moving which would have made the bag delivery that much more difficult.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Unwritten rule #1 of the Dis Trasportation boards -- load up your carry-on with emergency essentials so you won't have to go nekked when an airline loses your luggage.

We flew out of a small airport in the midwest and the plane was overloaded -- had to switch to another plane to redistribute weight, and our new boarding passes were marked with a red crayon. (Did not give us much confidence in that airline as the plane took off in a rain storm over Lake Michigan.) And yep, you guesed it, we arrived back in the real world of electronic bar codes -- without our luggage. The lost-and-found guy at the grown-up airport looked at the crayon markings on our paperwork and just shook his head. Our luggage eventually caught up with us. It's always easier when it's dirty laundry that arrives home late, instead of essential clothing the first days of a vacation.