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Lost luggage. Really, Really Lost.
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
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 4)
Ms.Monica Sep 18th 2006 6:41PM
I am guessing that most of those 420,000 bags ended up in the trunks of employees and others in the trunks of miscellaneous crooks.
That girl they all know and love,
Ms. Monica
Judy Sep 18th 2006 6:56PM
So sorry about your loss...........I hope it did not ruin your vacation.
Kate Sep 18th 2006 6:52PM
I recently flew from San Diego through Phoenix and Atlanta to Newport News. I had a good 2-3 hours in between each of my flights and checked in 2+ hours early. I changed airlines in Phoenix. I arrived the next morning in Newport News; my bag hadn't. I went to the ticket/bag counter and after a few minutes was told there was no record of my bag in their system despite the little sticker I was given with the bag number upon checking in in CA. The number actually referenced some woman who was traveling from Brussels to Curacao. Because there was 'no record' of my bag, I wasn't able/allowed to file a lost bag claim on either of the airlines I flew on (and therefore had no tracking number). I had visions of my bag being carted off to some remote homeland security place and blown up b/c it was 'unregistered' and 'unknown'. 24+ hours later and several exceedingly unpleasant customer service interactions (the only exception was the Newport News personnel behind the counter--they were lovely), my bag arrived intact--ONLY because it had my contact information on it and the destination sticker on the bag was routed to Newport News, as it should have been. I was very lucky.
Bottom line: I'm going to consider fedex-ing my bags, at least domestically, from now on. If I do check bags, I will make sure that the counter personnel verify the tracking number prior to giving them my bag. I'll also make sure that my renter's insurace is up to date--that would have been my only recourse for compensation.
barbara reed Sep 18th 2006 6:54PM
WEll mabe people should just pack there clothes in the ugly bag and knowbody would want to steel the bag, if not just bring on a carry on bag with stuff! ya i know not always practicle!
Linda Sep 18th 2006 7:08PM
Before barcoding became the norm, I lost my luggage on four consecutive flights. In fairness to the airlines, I always got it back, but I really did feel as though as was cursed. On one occasion, I watched them put my bag next to my husband's bag, but only his arrived. Amazing. I now always place a copy of my itinerary into the bag, and my bag has three luggage tags.
Tess Sep 18th 2006 7:10PM
Been to the lost luggage store in Scottsboro Alabama. Anything you can imagine taken on a plane is there and sold. There annual ski sale is amazing, I here. Good luck and I hope it dosen't go there...your stuff will be sold. Great place to find a deal on leather jackets.
Evelyn Badger Sep 18th 2006 7:17PM
My husband and I flew from Columbia,SC to O'Hare and had to change flights to Houston Tx. Our return flight in reverse. Our plane departing from Houston was really late, so they booked us onto another airline. When we got to O'Hare and made our connection, our baggage did not. We filed a lost luggage report and our luggage was on the next nights flight. The airport had it delivered to our home, 60 miles away. The poor man delivered it about 11:30 that night in one of the worst thunder storms that we have had.
Cal Sep 18th 2006 7:23PM
I don't understand why FEDEX and/or UPS doesn't open a check-in business right next to the airline counter so passengers would have the option of transporting their baggage (at a fee) by a safer, more reliable and insurable method.
Jaime Sep 18th 2006 7:29PM
Arrive today from Philadelphia to West Palm Beach, FL and no luggage. I arrive to airport 3 hours early. As of now still airline don't know where my bags are...
james cumen Sep 18th 2006 7:44PM
2 months ago i was going to miami for a cruise, yep you have already guessed it they lost my bag, they told me it was in amsterdam, so they promised to send it to me asap, so i had to buy new clothes for the trip, so when i got home a few days after the cruise i recieved a bag believed to be mine, meanwhile it was a case with horse tranquilizers and a pack of gum
james Sep 18th 2006 7:48PM
well my luggage was lost while i was going to miami from a cruise, it was sent to amsterdam. when i got home i recieved a case with a blow up mannequin and a pack of gum
Lorri Sep 18th 2006 8:01PM
My son's luggage was lost on a connecting Delta flight from Phoenix, AZ to Las Vegas, NV to Atlanta, GA during Christmas 2004 holidays. We called the Delta service center at Hartsfield (Atlanta) for days and days. The person answering the phone always had the same accent and I thought I always got the same rep. Turns out the rep (the whole service) for lost luggage at Delta in Atlanta is located in India!! They had no clue where his luggage was. When my son flew back to college in early Jan 2005, we went to file a claim for lost luggage at Delta and waited hours in line. Fortunately, they accepted our claim and we received a check for the maximum $125 about 4-5 weeks later after submitting receipts for newly purchased clothing (about $275). Then, before his flight back, we were shown rooms of rooms of unclaimed lost luggage, about 30000-50000 of pieces of luggage at Hartfield. In room two, after 45 minutes of looking we actually found his lost luggage! So he was able to take it back to college. Unbelievable!
Suzanne Sep 19th 2006 12:27AM
I travel domestically and internationally with a carry-on bag, nothing more. With the new regulations regarding toiletries I plan to pack my usual suitcase and put all the now forbidden items in a backpack that i will check. That way when I arrive in Istanbul I'll at least have all my clothing and laptop. I can replace the toiletries and makeup if it goes on its own trip.
Mia wHITE Sep 19th 2006 4:04PM
Someone wrote a blog about "LOCKED LUGGAGE"!
Isn't it now part of SECURITY that passengers can no longer LOCK their bags? I carry everything important in a roll on and send the suitcase unlocked through.
I mayalso take digital photos of my luggage and what's inside before I ship it! Good Idea, No?
I think that their are bag handlers that are crooks,
and no doubt they steal bags and their contents. Their ought to be security cameras all over the place!
Martin H. Francis Sep 18th 2006 8:16PM
BELIEVE ME, AMTRAK is NO better. Last year, I took a cruise leaving from San Diego for Hawaii. I made connections with my bag in San Diego, though it required 4 changes of trains. On the return trip, however, my checked bag arrived in Springfield MA four days after I did. I had packed hastily, which I greatly regret. When I opened the bag it was obvious that it had been ransacked. Seven rings, my diamond-&-onyx in gold cufflinks, an expensive Russian camera, my new dress shoes, and all of my films, videotapes, and digital data cards of the trip were missing (except for those actually in the other cameras which were in my carry-on luggage). Total value = ca. $2350. I finally retrieved $100 from my insurance claim. Be sure that EVERYTHING you take with you which is of any value to you or anyone else is in your CARRY-ON luggage, however you may travel.
Barb Sep 28th 2006 11:33AM
Wow! I had to laugh when I read this...not because it was funny, but because I just came back from a trip to Madrid and Andalucia and....IBERIA lost my luggage for four days, ALWAYS promising to deliver it, but never quite managing to. We had to go to the airport in Seville to pick it up ourselves at the suggestion of the desk clerk at our hotel. She said that Iberia NEVER delivers and if we wanted our luggage, we SHOULD go directly to the airport.
Kris Esposito Oct 4th 2006 12:32PM
My boyfriend who is Egyptian was returning home from England on Egyptair on September 19th. The flight was direct from Heathrow to Cairo. Due to the current restrictions they told him he could not carry on his "carry-on" bag, which was a back-pack. Therefore, he had to check the bag. He was so exhausted that he forgot that he had coins and 500BP in the bag....big mistake. The bag didn't arrive with his other 2 bags in Cairo until the next day with all in tact except the money and a souvenir magnet. How on earth can he get the money back? Is there a video survellance camera that he should request to see from that day. Does he have any recourse?
Linda Oct 8th 2006 2:36PM
Our family has endured the frustration of lost baggage many, many times. As we prepare for a family cruise over Christmas we are thinking about shipping our luggage ahead of time as we will arrive a day early. But we have concerns about this as well. Not only is this the busiest time of the year for travel but also for shippers, mail, etc. We are very nervous about loosing our luggage & not having our personal items & clothing for our trip but we could also not receive them in time should they be shipped.
bunnyfoofoo289 Oct 12th 2006 9:13AM
I wish you could all work baggage for one week. Then you would seriously quit being the whiney people that you are.
Sandra Dec 6th 2006 2:23PM
Thanks to all of you for letting me read your experiences, and having a couple of laughs in such a frustrating time!! I have just returned from a business trip to Las Vegas to Charlotte via Us Airways. This was a direct flight, in which I checked in 2 1/2 hours before flight time. Gave my bag to curbside check in, tipped him 5 bucks. Thought I would get my bag when I landed. No dice. 6 days later, no one at US Air gives a crap. They hire the rudest and unfriendliest people!
To the bloggers that work for the airlines. If you don't like working there, quit. No one is making you work there. Otherwise, I hope the next time you go out for a nice dinner, you are treated like crap, they over charge you and they spit in your food. Maybe then you will know what it feels like to be treated this way.