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

-tw

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"

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.

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

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:)

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

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:

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

DFW
 

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

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.