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

[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.