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Most Baggage Lost Ever!
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There are some records that should never be broken. Take, for example, the dubious aviation record set in December 2004: US airlines "mishandled" 432,000 bags during that month.
Just when you thought air travel couldn't get any worse, the US Department of Transportation announced that last August a new record was set when 437,000 pieces of luggage were "lost, delayed, damaged or stolen" during this 31-day period.
A big part of the problem was the new regulations involving dangerous liquids that forced many people into checking baggage they normally wouldn't have checked. This resulted in a simple equation: more bags checked = more bags to lose.
But, come on folks! An average of 14,100 bags a day? That's a pretty big dose of incompetence if you ask me.
Filed under: Airlines
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 14)
gil lombard Oct 12th 2006 12:39PM
Flew AA from Bradley in Ct. to Bonaire with a layover in Puerto Rico of 7 hours. Upon arrival in Bonaire found camera case empty. Total claim $7,038.00. After 5 months of fighting received $1,499.00 from AA. Always was allowed to put case in overhead but theuy refused to allow the same case this time. They were about to call security when I relented. refused to allow a lock and had to put in large pile. Showed them articles of theft in PR in recent months but they just don't care.
Mike Moser Oct 12th 2006 12:32PM
Whomever said that they are "sure the airlines don't give a damn" was right. On another note; Don't think for a second that the TSA even cares if it is hiring people who either have a conscience or a criminal record. They're all crooks. Never check your bags EVER. Travel EXTRA light!
kim Oct 12th 2006 12:40PM
Why don't you all consider paying a reasonable fare instead of what you paid for the same flt 20 years ago. As the overall cost of living has gone up, airfares have gone down. Airline workers now make less than fast food service employees. People who clean your toilet make more than they do. You get what you pay for. Pay a decent wage and you'll get decent help and perhaps employees who may care about you're baggage!!!
Pat Oct 12th 2006 12:40PM
I agree with the writer that wrote about the TSA locks. We bought the new kind that show a red flag when the lock has been open. We have taken them on three trips so far, the last to Germany and none have been disturbed. If something is ever taken it comes back to the TSA inspectors as they have the keys to open them.
Shirley Layne Oct 12th 2006 12:43PM
I travel at least 4 times a year, and usually the cheapest way possible. I must say, I've been very lucky with my baggage. Only once, Alaska Air lost my baggage, but had it back at San Jose within a few hours....not bad, since they also gave me a $100.00 voucher towards future travel (not that I used it). Also, though, I have been chosen more then once for further scanning. Each time, my clothes were actually repacked better then I had originally packed.
Not to make it all sound too rosy, my daughter did have her very expensive perfume mysterically disappear from her side pocket of the duffel...perhaps not the best place to put it??
I have also been lucky enough to open my luggage upon arrival at my destination, only to find a slip of paper from TSA, but nothing has ever been amiss...just neatly repacked.
If this is an inconvenience on the side of security, I am all for it, and can only hope each of us remembers the basic common sense of travel these days. DO NOT PACK IRREPLACABLE ITEMS. If you must have such things, then may I suggest shipping them and and insuring them for their monetary value, or else please carry them with you..
Jeanne Oct 12th 2006 12:55PM
Perscription meds should be split up among your luggage. My carryon was stolen in the secure area of the Frankfort airport. All my meds were in one place and gone. Next time, some will be in purse, some in carryon and some in checked luggage, I may loose one of those, but at least I would have enough of my diabetes meds until I could get some replacements.
Also, remember to place color copies of your passport in your luggage and carryons, it helps if you get that stolen. Why both--if you are at Franfort and continuing on to Switzerland for example, you do not have access to your checked baggage. Good Luck!
rick Oct 12th 2006 12:46PM
First of all, maybe I am lucky but i have flown over 200,000 miles in 14 months and never had a thing lost or stolen. All my flights were on Northwest...maybe that says something. Second of all, those whining about losing valuables are the ones that put in a checked bag anyway. You wouldnt give you car to a total stranger and say take care of it, nor your kids, so why on earth would you do it with anything else valuable. I have even flown with people who have left their medicine in the checked baggage when they needed it on the flight and once we even had to land so that the customer could get his heart medication. Use your brains when you pack, buy a tsa lock and get on with your life.
JOE Oct 12th 2006 12:50PM
COMING BACK FROM MY HONEYMOON IN ST. LUCIA, MY WIFE HAD PACKED A BAG WITH GIFTS IT IT. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO BOSTON, THE BAG HAD BEEN RIFELED THROUGH AND 6 GIFTS FROM THE SANDALS GIFT SHOP HAD BEEN STOLEN. PROBABLY TOTALING $500. I HAD ALSO HIDDED AN ANTIPSYCOTIC DRUG I NEED TO TAKE 4 TIMES A DAY IN ONE OF MY CHECKED BAGS. HALF OF THEM MADE IT BACK WITH ME AND I CANNOT FILL THE SCRIPT FOR 2 MORE WEEKS. NICE JOB TSA.
Richard Morey Oct 12th 2006 12:53PM
I've been a frequent flier for 40 years and had never had a piece of luggage go missing before the last couple of years or so. I find it alarming that I can no longer check any luggage without it becoming a gamble: "will I ever see this again?" So far I've been lucky and I have always had everything returned to me within days, but it's always an anxious time going without my necessities. I've now taken to just traveling with a backpack as a carry-on and nothing else. My expensive Samsonite suitcases were all destroyed anyway with the extraordinarily bad handling they've had in the last 2 years: all locks broken off, wheels broken off, dents, scratches, tears. Since they disallowed locking the cases I took to just taping them closed so they don't pop open in transit and still they were abused and broken! I feel like I'm being terrorized by my own government. Have the foreign terrorists already won their campaign?
GF Oct 12th 2006 12:53PM
I had a lovely little note from TSA greeting me when I opened my suitcase upon returning home to LAX from a wedding in Wisconsin, indicating my bag had been randomly selected for a search. Coincidentally, a brand new bottle of perfume and a professional hair straightening iron (total value over $300) were missing from inside my suitcase. After nearly two months, they finally approved my claim; however, they depreciate the items and I am only being offered half the amount I paid. Very irksome considering I only checked my bag because of the new policies.
june day Oct 12th 2006 2:55PM
WE FLEW JET BLUE FROM TAMPA,FL.TO BANGOR,ME. I GUESS WE WERE JUST FOOLISH TO TRUST ANYONE..OUR NEW 500.00 DOLLAR CAM CORDER WAS STOLEN RIGHT OUT OF OUR LUGGAGE,THE WORST PART WAS THAT WE HAD ALL OUR TAPES OF OUR GRANDCHILDREN IN THE CASE,EVEN THE BIRTH OF OUR LAST GRANDDAUGHTER,WE CAN BUY A NEW RECORDER,BUT WE WILL NEVER GET THOSE TAPES BACK...SHAME ON THE PEOPLE THAT DO THAT
@ndy Oct 12th 2006 1:00PM
AA lost my luggage from DENVER to LAX - i waited for 3 hours at the LAX terminal.. and the AA attendants had "no idea" where our luggage was.
When it came back, it was all beat up - locks were broken. After 3hrs, and beat up luggage I left the airport. Never flying out of LAX again.
robert bearfield Oct 12th 2006 2:40PM
i recently lost/stolen some stuff, after 3 months hasseling with american airlines, they told me it went through TSA and i had to contact them.
yep, the TSA have X-RAY machines and can find a ring anyplace in the bag. CARRY IT ON.
but, american airlines are the most incompetent people to get in touch with. stupid SOBs.
g Oct 12th 2006 3:03PM
i flew southwest this august and my bag was taken by a beligerent drunk comming off a flight from vegas. The dumb drunk ass bitch took my bag without even looking at the luggage tags. My bag was over 2x the size of hers and my bag was blue, hers was black. I spent 2 days in Southern California in the dead ass of summer with no luggage while this dumbass took her time getting the bag back to me. Why do the airlines even bother with giving check luggage barcoded recipts if they are not being utilized to prevent theft and loss.
Joe Oct 12th 2006 1:09PM
How safe are we really? If we can not trust the airline industry to protect our luggage how can we expect them to protect our lives. Obviously there is a breakdown in security within the airline baggage handling industry. If they can remove items from a bag they add an item just as easily. A co-worker had a bag stolen without a trace on a recent trip to Las Vegas. Yes, the airline paid the claim in full after 12 weeks but the lost of the trust in the baggage handling security still bothers me.
Joseph L. Reschman Oct 12th 2006 1:13PM
I have flown many times on different airlines. The last time we were coming from Italy we waited approxmatily one hour and a half. We went to the Costomer area and checked. Sure enough our baggage arrived before we did. Nothing was lost.
Why can't bggage be check at the time we are checking our tickets to board the plane. I know it will take some time for baggage to be checked. However, we will know what time to report for our flight. This way we could lock or baggage and hopeing no one else to check the baggage again. This is my suggestion. If you can I would like to have an answer. Check my e-mail address.
Jeff B Oct 12th 2006 1:19PM
Ya know what? Sounds like a lot of you guys don't get off the farm much. "woman Perfume"? Another Lilleth sure that everyone wants to sniff her undies? A moron packs a laptop on checked luggage.. Sorry.I don't buy into your stories, girls.
Sam the Man Oct 12th 2006 1:19PM
We should all go back to transportation prior to air travel and let them eat their aircraft for lunch!
peggy sossman Oct 12th 2006 1:21PM
i'm so suspicious of the tsa people, cause they aren't paid enough to buy what they want or need, hence, the thievery. i carry on what i know i can't replace at the other end, medication being one of them. never have i had anything stolen, no lost and i fly a lot, just good luck i reckon.
since regulations about carry-on items is being relaxed a little bit, feel free to carry on what you want and if they take it away from you, make sure it is cheap and you can replace on the other end. sorry to hear of all your losses.
peggy sossman Oct 12th 2006 1:20PM
i'm so suspicious of the tsa people, cause they aren't paid enough to buy what they want or need, hence, the thievery. i carry on what i know i can't replace at the other end, medication being one of them. never have i had anything stolen, no lost and i fly a lot, just good luck i reckon.
since regulations about carry-on items is being relaxed a little bit, feel free to carry on what you want and if they take it away from you, make sure it is cheap and you can replace on the other end. sorry to hear of all your losses.