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Lost luggage. Really, Really Lost.

by Iva Skoch (RSS feed) on Sep 11th 2006 at 10:04AM

A few days ago, I blogged about my horrible experience at the lost baggage counter in Barcelona. Today, exactly a week later, I am already back home from a trip to Spain and France, still without that bag!

Although I managed to see Barcelona and drove up to the south of France, my luggage--it seems--saw a lot more of the world without me.

This is the sad story of poor me and my bag:

Monday - I arrive in Barcelona from Prague on Czech Airlines, direct flight mind you. My bag does not.
Tuesday - My bag arrives in Barcelona. Should be delivered to my hotel "asap".
Wednesday - I am am enjoying the Costa Brava while someone at Iberia decides to send my bag back to Prague.
Thursday - I am driving up to France from Spain. Czech Air promises they will send the bag to me in Bordeaux.
Friday - I break down and buy new clothes and toiletries. Bag does not make it to Bordeaux.
Saturday - Marathon du Medoc day. My bag is apparently on its way to Bordeaux, yet somehow it gets rerouted to Madrid and then San Sebastien, Spain, of all places.
Sunday - I give up and drive to San Sebastien. The bag is not there and apparently has never been there.
Monday - I fly back home. Czech Airlines tell me they have no idea where my bag is.

According to USA Today, out of the 3,7 million bags that got lost by airlines last year, 420,000 are lost permanently. Umm, it is a little hard to imagine where almost half million bags end up. Apparently in some lost baggage center in Alabama. With the new "liquid" regulation, the number of checked bags has gone up and one would assume the number of lost bags would go up as well.

I love traveling, but the recent developments in the airline industry make me more and more convinced that trains might be the way to go.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Gear, Europe, Czech Republic, France, Spain, Hotels and Accommodations, Airlines

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

alison luckenbach Sep 17th 2006 9:03AM

Have a listen to this recording of United airlines lost and found center.
http://www.music4musicians.com/united_airlines_lost_and_found.htm

nina Sep 18th 2006 2:08PM

I worked for an airline a while back and the best advise is... if your going to check your bag thru, write down on a peice of paper your travel dates, airline and flt information, what hotel and dates ( especially if more than one) your name and your office phone number or an emergency number to contact. Place it in the zipper part that is NOT locked so if they need to look (your outside tag fell off) they will find your information. best of luck on your next flight.

Karen Earner Sep 18th 2006 2:15PM

I can see every now and again a bag being lost if the person traveling is changing flights often.However what I don't get is when someone is on a direct flight and checks in with their baggage gets on the flight and arrives to find no luggage.If you go to check in and give your luggage what happens to it from their I was under the impression it went staight to the area that puts the bags on your flight.I can see if you don't get to the turnstyle fast enough and your luggage is going around and around possibly gets stolen or taken off and put to the side where it is shuffled around.Luggage getting lost in the airport if put on the correct flight is due to the people that work their who have no respect for your belongings and thats that.

Flavia Sep 18th 2006 3:39PM

This is the most unbelieveable conversation I have ever heard. Sadly, it mimics many conversations that take place with outsourcing of customer service. The hope is that the customer will become SO frustrated, that they will just give up and hang up. Millions of people have had this experience - listening to it makes you want to scream.

Sharon Sep 18th 2006 2:56PM

I don't understand how so much luggage is still being lost when they are supposed to be matching luggage to actual people on airplanes for safety. If makes you really wonder about the safety.

Sarah Sep 18th 2006 2:33PM

Once I saw a news show (I don't remember if it was Dateline, 2020 or another, but you get my point) anyway, it said that very few bags are actually lost by accident. After airline employees pick locks and pick through baggage and steal what they want, they re-route the bag somewhere totally off course so they'll never get caught. They had lots of secret video footage depicting that very thing.

Susan Sep 21st 2006 10:30AM

The airlines also lost my bags while flying from Miami to Barcelona via London Aug 25, 2006. I was going on a Mediterranean cruise departing Barcelona. I completed the entire vacation, no bags, and I have been back in Miami for 2 weeks with still no information about my bags. What now?

Dan Sep 18th 2006 3:00PM

I was flying back to Santa Maria California from Utah from a SNOW ski trip. My SNOW skis went to Acapulco Mexico, I got them back a few days later.

Matt Sep 18th 2006 4:33PM

Might want to do a better security check on airport workers instead of passengers! Seems they might be professionals in theft

Matt Sep 18th 2006 3:44PM

or stupidity

carol Sep 18th 2006 9:04PM

Always take train to Chicago. Will not endure OHare Airport.
Amazing how pleasant a trip can be that way. Leave late at night, be there in AM. Large comfortable seats, easy access to large comfortable bathrooms and snacks when and if wanted. Great scenery along the way (even if it is dark most of the way). and ... a heck of a lot cheaper fare.

Sara C. Siria Sep 18th 2006 3:20PM

My Husband and I have fallen unfortunatly under the Lost baggage Curse. On a trip to Mississippi from Arizona via Greyhound, as luck would have it our baggage (which contained electronics and toiletries)never made it back to us, this happened first week of July, greyhound are still "tracking it" over a month later. Adueu

Christina Sep 18th 2006 3:30PM

My husband just left Sunday for a business trip to Connecticut, from Orlando FL and as you can guess, No Luggage! United Airlines lost it and they didn't seem to even care that he is up there with nothing but a laptop. I think the Airlines should be held accountable for lost luggage and reimburse a customers money for replacing the items in the lost luggage. He is a business man and is the only one in those meetings without proper attire! I understand 9/11 safety and precautions, but I don't feel airlines are up to any great standard of customer service by any means!!

Jeanette Sep 18th 2006 3:59PM

Air Canada lost my husbands bag on a flight from Montreal to Quebec (how hard can it be?) we were on route to our ski trip, we had to buy ski stuff (expensive) or miss out on our few days of skiing! When we called to check on the bag our call was routed to someone in India who barely spoke English! nightmare!

Linda Sep 18th 2006 3:59PM

My husband lost a bag once and got it back 3 days later. The story I want to tell is of someone else's lost bag - - back when you could still go to the gate to meet arriving passengers my son and I were waiting for my husband's flight to come in at the Denver Int'l Airport. We were looking out of the big windows at the gate down onto the tarmac when a luggage tractor went by and a man's large garment bag fell off and opened up. Just a minute later a United Airlines pickup came along and we said "Oh good, he'll pick it up." But he didn't. He slowed long enough to get a good look at the bag and then RAN OVER IT!!!! He just left it there! We were absolutely shocked!!! Also I used to work for United Airlines as a reservations person. People looking for their bags would call US and accuse US of stealing the bags. We'd give them the number for baggage services but they would scream at US to find it for them. All I could think to tell them was "You wouldn't call Baggage Services to make a flight reservation. Don't call Reservations to find your bags!" They were sure we had some secret phone number that gave us a direct line to the baggage people and that we wouldn't give out, but we only had the same number we gave to passengers, nothing else.

Dan Sep 18th 2006 3:41PM

If you are flying and are checking a bag make sure to check in at least an hour prior to your flight. If you don't your ag may be late checked. If it is late checked the airline holds no responsibilty to make sure that your baggage gets on the flight that you are scheduled. Your bag will be placed on the first available flight to your destination. Also with the amount of bags that are being checked by passengers these days mistakes are bound to happen. Baggage handlers are human and might accidently place your bag going to MCI in a cart going to MCO. It is unfortunate but baggage handlers work long hard hours so that you and your stuff get there. They are human and bound to make mistakes.

Beechlady Sep 18th 2006 3:46PM

Ok, here's the deal. DON'T pack electronics unless you ABSOLUTELY NEED THEM (i.e. work. iPods and laptops that "make your left less miserable" don't count). Jewerly MUST be put in your carry-ons. This way, no one will "flag" your bag to be stolen when you check them in at the airport. If there's nothing of value in them, they won't bother it. The x-ray machines may be for OUR good, the the criminals use it for THEIRS! It's a sad commentary on our world today, but you do what you have to do.

marge Sep 18th 2006 3:46PM

I too had lost, or should I say delayed luggage on a direct flight from Chicago to St. Louis. Seems I made it to my flight on time but my luggage didn't. Had to wait upon arrival in St. Louis for next flight in from Chicago, one and a half hours later. My bags were on that flight. Seems to happen quite often I was told by the baggage handler in St. Louis.