Who have ever lost luggage at airports? (gift, hours)

[snowmountains]

Originally Posted by Scooby Snacks

Doesn't your experience count as lost luggage?

By loss I mean you never recovered your luggage. To me that would be total nightmare if you had something valuable in it.

Originally Posted by emcee squared

Certainly, and I once found something in my checked luggage when I got home that wasn't mine.

Count yourself lucky that it's not anthrax, drug, bomb...

Originally Posted by Catdancer

We noticed nobody checking baggage tags and my first thought was. What keeps people from walking in off the street and just walking away with somebody's bags?

That's what I thought, too. It's amazing most luggage end up in the right hands.

[GotHereQuickAsICould]

Alitalia airlines lost my SIL's bag and that of her traveling companion. After several hours at the airport, Alitalia staff offered them a thirty dollars. SIL pointed out that with this amount they could either buy some underwear and shorts or a suitcase to carry the items but not both.

Finally, after much arguing, the clerk gave them each forty bucks and brought out two battered rollarounds. Clearly, luggage from some other unlucky traveler.

They were going on a cruise and had bought Travelsmith reversible dresses, strappy sandals, quick dry panties and one thing and another for a mix and match wardrobe. Gone. All gone.

They went to the market where there were no rayon, reversible gowns or strappy sandals to be found. The blouses were all polyester, low cut with ruffles. They tried on a few items but felt like streetwalkers, so ended up buying fisherman's sandals made out of tires and men's t-shirts and shorts.

It turned out to be no big deal as everyone else but the crew was at least 80. There was no dancing the night away under the stars with an exotic Greek fellow. Though several of the crew members made constant passes at them and one licked her friend's foot while she was asleep on a deck chair. She borrowed a pair of socks to wear after that.

But there was good news.

After the cruise and and tours and all as they checked in for their return flight, seems their luggage had turned up. Alitalia wanted not only the forty bucks back, but the battered rollarounds as well.

Though I suppose, technically this does not count as lost luggage such it did turn back up in time for the trip home.

[stan4]

I have never had luggage "lost" (they have found it every time sooner or later) when I did not fly direct.

[emcee squared]

Originally Posted by GotHereQuickAsICould

My SIL had that happen to her.

When I read about the LAX baggage handlers getting arrested for theft, I thought of her and wondered if they'd stolen something and then a security guard or supervisor came by, so they shoved it in the first suitcase that came by.

Could very well be. This bag was coming from AMS, where I know they have heavy security. When I opened it at home, it had a Koran and a calendar of Muslim holy days on top. It was really strange.

Originally Posted by ssww

Count yourself lucky that it's not anthrax, drug, bomb...

I work in the industry and what you suggested could certainly happen - being an unsuspecting mule.

[stan4]

I meant to say no lost luggage ever on a direct flight.

I think the trick is changing planes.

[vwgto]

Always keep personal identification inside the bag, and keep those claim stickers they give you (back in the day, they used to actually check those before you could leave the baggage claim area). We have had our bags misplaced several times, but they have always been able to trace and find them.

[TiredOfyycCold]

Never completely lost - but "delayed" twice... both times on non-stop flights

First time: direct, non-stop flight from Toronto to Vancouver (where I lived at the time). I had forgotten that I had stored my car keys in my suitcase so I wouldn't lose them during my time in Toronto... LOL. Of course when my bag didn't show up and I had no way to get my car out of the airport parking lot, the helpful person at Air Canada decided to lecture me on the "stupidity" of putting my car keys in my checked baggage. Yea - that lecture was helpful and appreciated. How about you don't LOSE MY FREAKIN BAG!!!!

Second time was on a direct, non-stop flight from Calgary to Montreal. I was flying to attend a week of job training which started at 8 AM Monday morning and I landed at just past midnight on the Sunday due to a flight that was delayed by 3 hours. Obviously it was impossible to buy any clothing given the time frame....

I had worn "comfortable" clothing on the plane... old jeans, sneakers and a ratty sweatshirt. Nothing like turning up for your first day of employment at a fortune 500 company dressed like that with NO MAKEUP on to boot The 10 people I was training with, the trainers and the PRESIDENT of the company were a little taken aback with my appearance.

My bag turned up at the hotel at dinner time the same day... too little, too late. Still not sure how you lose a bag when the plane doesn't make any stops

Now... I NEVER check a bag.

[Backintheville2]

Originally Posted by Catdancer

Fifteen years ago, the wife the wife and I flew into San Diego from Hartford about a week before Christmas. We waited forever and ended up filing a lost luggage report for 3 good sized bags. New clothes for the holidays, Christmas presents, good clothes and shoes etc.

We noticed nobody checking baggage tags and my first thought was. What keeps people from walking in off the street and just walking away with somebody's bags?

Sure enough, 3 weeks later after we'd gotten home, that was the airline's guess. Our baggage was never found. There was some kind of monetary compensation but it was no where near what all our stuff was worth. We ended up spending most of our vacation/holiday money on getting new clothes to wear while we were out there but it put a real damper on the holiday.

I have not checked in a bag since. Hopefully the security procedures are a lot better now.

Having formerly worked as a Baggage Service Representative for an airline, I can tell you that your experience happens more than you'd think, especially around the holidays.

If we had time, we would sometimes go out to the luggage carousels and randomly check tags with people. With the amount of people flying during the holidays, that wasn't always possible. Even then, some people were offended by us doing that. We'd just explain that there is often theft this time of year and we are trying to cut down on it. But it was often a losing battle.

It happens more at some airports than others, and there are security procedures that some have established. But it always amazed me how much it happened.

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by ssww

Have any of you lost luggage at airports? How did it end?
I fortunately never have, but once I didn't get my checked luggage at the luggage claim, and it turned out they put it on another, later flight. It's a lot of hassles. The next day they delivered it to my home, but I found the locks had been cut by the custom security check.

Once on a flight from the U.S. to Lisbon. I arrived in Lisbon, my luggage had been sent to the Netherlands, thank you.

Filing a claim/query was fairly easy and not too time-consuming. The luggage was delivered to my hotel the next day. The locks were not broken and the contents was as I had packed it; however, I always thoroughly tag my luggage with my local destination on the tags and I change the slip in the tag holder as I fly from country to country. Perhaps that specific tag and an xray of the luggage both in NYC and the Netherlands, plus a record of the claim were sufficient to prevent forcing the locks. Dunno.

So only once in fifty-five years of flying in the U.S. and abroad. Not bad a record for the airlines.

[snowmountains]

I forgot to mention, after finding the locks broken, I complained to the airline, and they reimbursed me for the new lock I bought. I'm doubtful the same treatment will happen again these days.