Lost luggage costs airlines $3.8bn - Your experiences?!

[Kurt A]

Lost luggage rises 25 per cent in 12 months

More people than ever are taking to the air – and more than ever are having their luggage lost by airlines, a new report has found. Geneva-based aviation IT specialist SITA revealed that 42 million bags were lost by airlines in 2007, 25 per cent more than the previous 12 months.

SITA said the problems affected two per cent of checked luggage in 2007, with each piece of mishandled baggage costing carriers $90 – a total of $3.8 billion. “Once again the past year has seen an increase in the amount of baggage mishandled worldwide,” SITA chief executive Francesco Volante said, adding that the industry could ill afford such a huge outlay.

He blamed airport congestion due to growing passenger numbers, tighter turnaround times and increased security for the increase. The report said that “most” bags were reunited with their owners within 48 hours.

Mishandling of luggage during transfers at airports was responsible for 49 per cent of loses, down from 61 per cent in 2005. Failure to load bags accounted for 16 per cent of losses, while ticketing errors accounted for 14 per cent. The statistics came from SITA’s automated tracing system which is used by 400 airlines and ground handlers.
-tw

I was unfortunate to be one of those statistics in the 16% category in December 2007. I flew CX from SYD to HKG on 22Dec, spent two days in Hongkers before heading to Europe on LX; all without my checked bag which included my skis.

Considering it was right over Christmas, I guess I was a super lucky 'owner', having my bag found still sitting at Sydney Airport, though then couriered by CX to my German address within 5 days from my original departure...

Unfortunately for them, CX had to make arrangements for my bags' onward journey to Dusseldorf, then a private courier out into the countryside where I was residing. There's some additional expenses!! Guess it pays to pursue the Airline concerned as much as possible.

True or not, and of speculation, though of note, and very interesting/or staggering some would say; was the alarming figure a CX airport manager quoted to me, which referred to amount of unclaimed/lost baggage that currently resides at Sydney Airport, from various carriers. That number being in the high hundreds. How many of those bags are yours?

Scary to note that my bag could have been one of those 'lost forever bags', even after I hand delivered my lengthy ski bag to the oversize baggage carousel for personal scanning and specialised delivery to my aircraft... beats me why it sat there for 4-5 days.

Would love to hear your experiences, as opposed to rants ;)

[David Knudsen]

We had 4 bags lost somewhere between Memphis and Las Vegas (had to change planes in Dallas) - Delta Airlines were quite helpful and the bag was delivered to our hotel by courier in Las Vegas about 12 hours later. It's more than I expected to happen, the way customer service is heading I'm surprised we didn't get a phonecall saying "Yeah we've found your bags, you can come pick them up from the airport whenever you're ready"

[Grahame Hutchison]

I have had my bags remain behind in Heathrow twice because of short connection times, once with QF and the other with BA. On both occasions the bags were delivered to my home in Sydney the morning after my arrival.

No complaints about the service or the communication from the airline.

[Nick W.]

My sister and dad were travelling to Cuba in late December, routing was Sydney - LA - Mexico City - Havana, and the bags didn't get on the LA-Mexico City leg. Not good, seeing they were alreayd a bit skeptical about the Havana flight. Bags arrived as they arrived at the airport, about to buy new clothes at a story.

very luck!

My bags have been split/cut/ripped/squashed many times on the flights I have been, but i'm sure that's common-ish

N

[Olle Q]

My experience is more on the lucky side, even though I flown a lot criss-cross around the globe, it´s now more than 20 years ago.
Both times in the mid eighties and both times at LHR coming back from Canada to Sweden via LHR, probably have to blame it on short connection times.
But may bags were delivered to my door the day after in both cases.
So I have nothing to complain about really.

Cheers all and have a nice weekend:)

[Mark Grima]

I ve never had any bags missing. I have however had a bag turn up at an airport before me!

Back in Sept 2000 flew UA SYD - JFK via LAX. When booking our tickets flights LAX - JFK were very full so we had to miss the first flight that we could hve got and get on the second. It seems however that the first flight was actually empty enough to take our bags! When we got to JFK at not much before mid night we walked to baggage claim and saw our suit cases there in a nice little pile before the carsoul had even started to spew out the bags from the flight we were on :-) Great we thought... not quite, one bag was trashed torn to shreads, worse still it was one we borrowed off my uncle for the trip.

So off we go to the nearest UA desk, they look at the bag and say something to the effect of "Yeah it happens all the time, here is a letter with an address, take it there tomorrow and get your self a new bag completly FOC!"

So we walk to the shop expecting it to be similar to a Kmart type of experience and hand over the letter.The shop assistant walks around to try to find the most similar suit case. Luckily my uncles bag looked very expensive, in reality it was not (worth about AUD40.00) the shop assistant hands my dad the bag we can have and we trudge back to the hotel. I have a play with it and find the price tag still attached....USD550.00, with out a word of a lie. At the time the exchange rate was bang on 50c.

Cheers

M

[Andrew McLaughlin]

Flying back from Toulouse last June, we flew BA coming home. Just as we were pushing back from our gate at CDG after a three hour layover there, I happened to glance out my window and saw three suitcases belonging to me and two fellow aviation writers sitting on a baggage trolley next to where we parked.:confused: My bag was full of all my notes I had taken during the visit, all the detailed Airbus product brochures they hand out on these visits, as well as my camera flash and other camera and computer accessories.

We had a tight connection at LHR which was exacerbated by having to hold for about 20 minutes on approach and then being parked at a remote gate at T4, but we made our connection with about 5 minutes to spare. When we got back to Sydney on the Monday morning, of course there were no bags, so we reported them lost to QF's baggage services.

Four days later and after numerous calls to BA and to QF baggage services, I came home from a meeting to see my luggage sitting on my front door step! No note, no phone call, no apology, just my bag sitting there! :eek:

I subsequently sent a complaint letter to the local BA office, and never received a reply. :rolleyes:

[Andrew P]

21 Mar 1991, CX260 London (Gatwick) - Paris (CDG) J class 747-200.

Took this flight with me 2 children (8 & 6 years old at the time)

Had 2 bags, one for me & one for the kids.

Arrived CDG, no sign of the kids bag on the carousal.

Anyway realised after 20 minutes bag was lost, so discussed situation with CX local airport staff. In end, they gave me at the airport US$300, and would advice later about the bag. (Both of us expected bag to be still on the plane and on the way now to Hong Kong)

About 14 hours later, has a call from CX in HKG, saying bag had been found in Hong Kong, and would be returned on next flight.

Problem was I was off to New York, so in end bag was sent direct to NY, (via Pacific) and picked up in New York 2 days later. Lucky

Banjo

[Andrew P]

27 May 1990, AA SYD - London (Gatwick) via DFW J class DC10-30

Flight had an 8 hours connection time in DFW but bag checked all the way through.

So in the 8 hours , hired a rental car and went looking for JR ranch & the School Book Depository building.

Bag arrive at Gatwick, with all locks broken, but nothing taken, only items were personal items and legal papers for the job. Bag had been tampered while in transit in DFW.

Complaint to AA ground staff, result was offered anew bag (better quality Delsey)

Still using the Delsey suitcase today, old bags took back to Hong Kong and got repaired for about $15, now under the house.

Banjo

[D Chan]

True or not, and of speculation, though of note, and very interesting/or staggering some would say; was the alarming figure a CX airport manager quoted to me, which referred to amount of unclaimed/lost baggage that currently resides at Sydney Airport, from various carriers. That number being in the high hundreds.

The CX airport manager is correct. I think BA is probably worst in terms of lost bags. Just curious if you guys have seen the shop on the International Arrivals level. It's amazing to note how many lost bags there are. There are more in the basement too.

Also an advice for travellers out there. If you are travelling on an international airline out of sydney and your flight is cancelled after you check your bags in, you might be rebooked onto another flight by that airline. They might tell you that your bags will be retagged down at the basement, but there is a very high chance that the bags won't travel with you on your rebooked flight.

Tight connections (min connection time) are another no-no. A very high chance of bags not showing up at your final destination. You might make it onto your connecting flights but your bags most certainly won't.

[Andrew M]

January 2006
MEL-AKL-LAX on NZ
LAX-DEN-ASE on UA

Bags made it to LAX, went through the security point and they were already tagged to ASE.

Had about 4 hours beween the LAX-DEN flight and then 1 hour between the DEN-ASE flight

Sitting on the DEN-ASE flight, it was interesting watching the bags get loaded onto the plane, one person slipping around on the ice, while two other people watched. One person helped for a but, before they decided that enough bags weer loaded so they stopped. We ended up getting pushed back and many bags were left behind.

ASE - Waited and waited for our bags, and 1 out of the 4 turned up. About 1/3 of the flight were missing bags (no surprise there)

Got a "lost bag form" from the UA desk and went back to the hotel, where they gave us a few little things to help us out, like toothbrush etc etc.

Checked my travel insurance documents and as it was now 4 hours after the flight, I was entitled to spend $1400. Of couse $1400 in Aspen, Colorado doesn't go far when the girlfriend is in Ralph Lauren....... Purchased a few ski clothes and other stuff we needed.

Called the 1800 number over the next week probably 50 times, twice we got through to someone in the USA call centre and it was only on those calls that my bags were located.

As 48 hours were now passsed without bags, we could spend another $1400.

One bag came to us on day 3, the other two on day 6!

The cost of me calling the 1800 number and the time spent by the call centre agents on the phone to me would be fairly high. I didn't persue any compensation from UA, and just used my travel insurance.

[Scott Loveday]

January 2007

LGA-YYZ
Flying with AA

After an argument over fare price with a town car driver meant that we were slightly late to check in, this was the scene at La Guardia moments after we joined the check in queue...

40

Fortunately gold FF status meant we could use the AA first class check in counter, because the economy lines snaked around the inside and outside of the building, right out where kerbside check-in normally is. It was chaos.

Baggage screening equipment - which at LGA is located in the terminal in front of check in due to a lack of room out the back - had broken down. No bags were being screened, therefore none were being loaded onto aircraft. Somewhere in there are is our luggage.

AA had to rebook every single person in the queue because no-one was able to get to their scheduled flight on time. Our check in rep had a tough time too, because my ticket was a paid J ticket but my wife was travelling on a Round-the-World QF FF award ticket. He virtually had to rebook everything for us - took him nearly an hour.

Eventually got on a flight to YYZ and didn't expect any of our baggage to make it. Miraculously, our 9 month old daughter's gear (portable cot, suitcase and pram) made it on the same flight. Our suitcases didn't arrive for two days, eventually via fedex to the door in the outer suburbs of Toronto.

So a bit of mixed fortune.

[Matt D]

Have had some bad experiences with BA transiting through terminal 4 at Heathrow from a long haul to short haul - one memorable one was a 4 hour Terminal 4 layover between acft 3 gates apart and the luggage didn't make it.

On a positive note my baggage successfully made it through Heathrow Terminal 5 this afternoon without any issues at all !

[Simon Hoby]

The only issue I have had was with QF domestic, not long after Ansett had folded in late 2001.

I was travelling ADL – MEL – BNE – LRE. My suitcase had been checked for all the way through as it was QF all the way. However, when wandering through the BNE domestic terminal on my way down to the QF link gate 1, I was my case on the carousel doing the rounds! I checked the tag, it quite clearly stated LRE. :eek:

I took my bag to the counter and explained what happened. They apologized profusely and sent it on it’s merry way. However, when I arrived in LRE, there was nothing for me there! It came the next day on the next flight.

I wrote a complaint email to QF. In the email I implied that QF had not care factor as they were currently the only national carrier. I made veiled threats of changing to DJ as soon as they were flying the kind of routes that I got around on. It took four months, but I eventually got 2 x $100 Myer vouchers, so I felt placated. It still shouldn’t have happened though. :)

[Bernie P]

A couple of years ago, my BIL had moved up to Brisbane to live as part of his work. They moved up there with their two cats, or so they thought...

Upon arrival, (they got there a day earlier to settle the kids in) the cats arrived in seperate cat creates. One got checked ok, whilst the other was "lost" missed the flight they were told. It turned out that the cat was on the same flight, but was sitting out on the tarmac (somewhere, I am not sure where, but was found by DJ ground crew) in full summer sun for a couple of hours before being noticed. Needless to say, the cat was not very well, and was later put to sleep at a local vet without as much as an apology from anyone...

[D Chan]

It turned out that the cat was on the same flight, but was sitting out on the tarmac (somewhere, I am not sure where, but was found by DJ ground crew) in full summer sun for a couple of hours before being noticed.

Shocking story - should really complain to the airline and ask for compensation!!

[Philip Argy]

SITA Report released last week:

Once again, the past year has seen an increase in the amount of baggage mishandled worldwide. It also brings fresh hope, however, in the shape of new initiatives such as IATA's baggage improvement programme, and signs that the widespread adoption of RFID for baggage is no longer a question of 'if' but 'when'.
SITA's 2008 Baggage Report explores the latest trends in baggage processing and management across the global air transport industry, and reviews the latest available figures for lost and mishandled baggage.

Full report available at:
http://www.airport-technology.com/downloads/whitepapers/baggage-cargo/file442/type424/

[Andrew W]

LHR to AKL BA15/QF 163 10-Apr-08 - I arrived in Auckland for a wedding the next day, but alas no bag with suit. But I had no clothes for the next 24 hours. Air NZ in AKL were great in letting me hire a suit, but no help for anything in the next 24 hours! The bag arrived the next day but to late for the wedding. My bag was in Sydney with no tags as to where it was supposed to go, they tracked me from the name and address tag. Now why they did not look that up ealier with my QF FF number to see what other flights I had booked I will never know, but hey I got it in the end.

Alitalia on the other hand in August 2005, Rome to Dublin, well never seen the bag since.

[Philip Argy]

When I travelled first class from BOS to SJU on AA a couple of years ago to catch a cruise ship they lost all my luggage, so I spent an entire 7 day cruise with no luggage - just living in a pair of Carnival Cruise branded t-shirts and shorts because I was told I would be re-united with my luggage "at the next port". When I returned to San Juan they delivered my luggage to the ship, explaining that it had just missed the flight from BOS and they had had it sitting there since an hour before the cruise ship had left! So my 12 expensive ship to shore calls that were met with a negative answer when I enquired as to its whereabouts were lies designed to avoid AA having to organise for my luggage to meet the ship at any of its 5 ports.

When I checked in to then go to LAX I asked if they could please send one bag to LHR and the other to SYD. The response was "We can't do that, Sir". I said "Why not, you did last time!". Went straight over their head I'm afraid.

[Tim C]

Flying DPS-PER 3 years ago with chance of fog on arrival into Perth. So GA imposed a weight restriction and didnt load about half the pax's baggage to save fuel. Bags delivered to house next day after being rerouted through Sydney on a GA DPS-SYD A330 then to QF on a SYD-PER 330 expensive exercise.

Cheers