Has anyone permanently lost their luggage on an airline?
 

Just wondered how many people have lost their suitcase forever on an airline?

What's the longest it's been missing?

It's been 4 days now and I'm just wondering how long I should hold out hope... :(

Yes!

My husband lost a case full of dirty laundry on his return from a business trip to Hilton Head last year.

The suitcase was almost brand new. It was a gift from a friend and expensive.. I was quite pleased the laundry was never found!

I think it was an AA flight and we had to list the contents and value on a claim form...the maximum reimbursement was $2000 and we came close to the limit!

I hope your son's case turns up soon...but ask for an insurance claim form anyway. These things take time and he might have to wait a couple of months for the reimbursment!

Yes! It's been since 1995 and I've yet to see the piece of luggage I so entrusted to the Delta agent at Dulles for my flight to Ft. Lauderdale.

The suitcase itself was pretty pricey but other than that, not too much of value...everything was replaceable. Since it was vacation, it was just full of college days t-shirts (ov course there was the sentimental value but it was just a t-shirt). I did have some fav shoes and cute dresses for going out but again, it was all replaceable. I did have to fight with the local Delta reps in FL to get $$ to buy tolietries and clothing for my vacation but the hotel was also very helpful (MarriottHarbor Beach Resort).

I filled out the paperwork when Delta decided I was probably never going to see my luggage again and did get full value for all the items I lost.

Good luck with your missing luggage!

Slightly off-topic... do you remember the thread where Marilyn said her friend lost a shoe while ON the plane and though a stewardess tried to help to find it after the flight it was never found?

Maybe you have lost (delayed or misrouted) luggage... how about your bags arriving before you do. So much for bag matching and/or security.

Last week I was flying on a pass returning from RDU to LGA. Bad weather all the way up the East Coast. So, with delayed passengers and crews being rolled over the next flights out... I was last in line. Not a pleasant 9-hour day. In fact, at 7:30 all flights were delayed into NY, so I was ready for the looney bin. When flights reopened, couldn't get on flight to LGA, JFK or EWR, so was rebooked on a flight for the next morning. I did, however, check about where my bag might be and was told it was in LGA.

Waking the next morning at 00-dark-30, I had no intention of dealing with the airport again, so instead booked a flight for Saturday morning.

Sure enough, no problem on Saturday and when arriving at LGA, there was my waiting suitcase.

Might be any day or never. You just never know!!!

I haven't, but my stepmom has. She called every day for a week and the airline kept telling her it was coming. Finally after a week they said they couldn't find it but she would be compensated. She was given $400 as reimbursement for the suitcase and all of it's contents. This was in 1988, but even then it wasn't enough to replace everything.

After a million miles flown, I have never had lost luggage.
ONCE my luggage was supposed to be delayed by 3 hours and AA gave me a 100.00 allowance to get something for a meeting I was rushing off to.
My bags were delivered 1 hour later and I got to spend the 100.00 at Macy's shopping!!!

Not missing permanently thank goodness, but my bag went to Cairo once instead of Munich. It was scheduled to arrive at the Munich airport the next day, and when I went to retrieve it, the woman behind the counter said, "Are you Mrs.____? It was a large lost baggage office. We never figured out how she knew who I was without asking.

I read an article in a travel magazine with a horrifying statistic about how much luggage is lost (USA) never to be found again. I was amazed. Unfortunately I can't quote the statistic and hopefully this will not happen to you!!! In my own experience it has always showed up (eventually). Good luck.

Not lost forever, but I did have my checked in luggage not show up once. I was flying from Jacksonville to Dover on a DIRECT flight and didnt have any carry on luggage. My luggage never made it on the plane so after freaking out the airline said we had $100 to spend on stuff we needed.

So that lesson has taught me to bring a carry on with essentials even on direct flights.

Oh, yes. I went to Florence, and my luggage went to Pisa, never to be seen again. I was going to be in Italy for two weeks. Thankfully, the clerk at our hotel sent me to a wonderful department store outside the historic district of the city where I was able to get enough stuff to make it through the trip. I did get reimbursed eventually, but I don't remember how much.

There was a news show (CBS Sunday Morning or something similar) on not too long about about the Unclaimed Baggage store in Alabama. Perhaps those who have lost luggage could check there! The store has a contract with different airlines to purchase unclaimed luggage sight unseen and then transport it to the store and sell the contents. It makes me wonder if the airlines really put forth any effort to locate the owners of the lost luggage or would just rather sell the unclaimed luggage because it's easier on them, and they make money!!

jill_h:
I'm thinking it can't be cheaper for them. My son listed everything in his suitcase and it came to $2300! They reimburse up to $2500, and you need a receipt for any item over $100.

I'm annoyed at this point because he needs his glasses and his winter jacket! They gave him $100 and he replaced his electric razor.

I mean, where could it be?! The lady at US Air said to me today, "Well I wonder if it is in some other airline's luggage dept." Yeah, I wonder too!

isn't u.s. air the airline that lost all of the luggage last christmas? i remember flying to florida from new orleans last christmas and seeing piles upon piles of random luggage.

My son lost his luggage on a US Air flight a year ago. They kept promising to deliver it, but it never showed up. US Air claimed to seldom, if ever, lose luggage permanently, and said that it was probably stolen at the luggage area in the airport. He did get reimbursed.

A lesson learned here, never and I mean never put glasses or any other medical needs in checked in luggage. Always put glasses and any medical items in your carryon baggage.

Unfortunalty luggage can be stolen, people grab a bag or two at the baggage area and no one ever checks (in my experience) to see if the luggage you have matches your luggage claim slip. It is a wonder more luggage is not "lost".

I'm sure you know teenagers loveitaly! :) They think nothing will ever happen to them (why is that??).

And so, no matter how many times I've told him that stuff, he just throws everything in and off he goes. The interesting part is that this is a kid who has traveled a lot. He's never had a bag even delayed before. And, to be honest, I don't think I would have really thought it likely that the airlines would PERMANENTLY lose one's luggage.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how packs in the future.

But, I can just see how he'll think. "It couldn't happen to me TWICE." Can't you just see that???

Arggg.

Hi wliwl, yes I do know how teens are, unfortuantly b(

Just had a stern talk with the 19 year old grandson yesterday His car has been making a "funny noise" and he never "had time" to take it in the to auto dealer to have it checked. End of my lecture was "when the small problem because a big problem and you don't have the money for the huge repair bill, good luck! Imagine you won't be too happy without a car to get to college or work".

By 5:00pm I was told he immediately got the car to the dealer and the problem was taken care of within 30 minutes.

So "maybe" there is hope, ya think?

Take care and have a beautiful holiday.
And don't give up, some day you can chuckle to yourself when your young man becomes a father and rants and raves about "know it all kids". Revenge is sweet!!!

Well, if anybody's interested, suitcase is still lost and no money has been received yet. US Air just stinks! The 'funny' part - he replaced all his stuff and got a new suticase and they mis-routed that on his return trip (it was delivered after about 40 hours). Talk about a screwed up airlines.

Oh cripes wliwl, does your son know to make sure that when the tag is put on his luggage that he checks it to make sure that the airport where he is flying to has the correct initials.

And hopefully he knows to put his name and a contact address and phone number on the outside of his luggage as well as inside his luggage. Well guess that he knows that or he wouldn't have gotten his luggage back 40 hours later.

Time to change airlines I would think. Or is the third time the charmer? Hang in there!!!

Yes, I am interested, had been following the dialogue, and would like to know the end result. I'm really sorry your suitcase was lost.

LoveItaly:
Ha! This time I put on the ID tag with two cable ties and the thing it came with! Plus I printed out all his info on cardstock and put it in the outside pocket.

The trip-back-to-school trouble started when US Air changed his flight THREE times the morning of his departure. The first change we were almost to the airport and they called me on my cell phone. So, we go back home and leave later. Then they yanked him at the gate (after luggage was checked) and sent him through Philly instead of Reagan.

The common thread to the screwed up luggage is the Philly airport. Apparently it has a very bad reputation for US Air and luggage.

Anyway, I subsequently wrote US Air (after a MILLION phone calls) and told them I not only want my $2100 claim settled but I want the whole ticket refunded too. They changed that itinerary no fewer than 8 times. The first change forced him to reschedule a final exam!

Of course I never hear anything from them.

I told my son that I'M ALL DONE chasing down his luggage from now on. If he chooses to check through luggage when he comes home it's his risk. (So fake isn't it -- when I get stuck buying him new stuff?!)

Look here:
http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/

Sunshinesue:
OK, that site made me SO nervous! I really expected to see my son's brand new (with tags still on it) $250 North Face ski jacket on there (I didn't). It's creepy to think that somebody is probably looking for all that stuff!

Thanks.

I think people should know that if US Air loses your luggage you are pretty much on your own.

I just got a call from someone at America West. They have taken over all of US Air's claims. I have to start the claim process all over again!!!

It's been 9 weeks...

Oh, Wliwl, did you see the lost leg thread? The key ingredient is missing from your suitcase, that's the problem!

But now we know who's suitcase is getting x-rayed again and again. Do you hear me Tracy ;)

On the news today they said the US Air has the worst record for lost luggage. This past year they lost 10,000 bags a day. No, that's not a typo--ten thousand bags a day!!!!

schmerl, when I read your post I found it impossible to believe. I was sure you were mistaken, and you meant 10,00 bags/year. But then I looked it up, and it WAS 10K/day. Geez!!

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?i...907&page=1

on the news they just did a special on lost bags and said there is some website unclaimedbaggage.com
where you can go and actually purchase lost bag items !! and they have a free standing store that is something like a city block long in Alabama.....who knew? So how long do they keep them before no one claims them.....and who doesn't want their bag? just thought I'd post this.....under interesting...

No, that is not what the article says. USAir didn't lose 10,000 a day. It said that US airlines, all of them, lost 10,000 a day. That is still amazing.

UAirways had the highest rate, 10 per 1000 passengers. At that rate they would have to fly 1 million passengers a day to lose 10,000 bags.

The highest number of bags lost was Delta. That comes out to an average of 1,571 bags per day.

wliwl, sure hope you come to a good conclusion to your missing bag dilemma.

Only two times did I not arrive with my bags: NRT - CLE on United...duffel bag arrived at home next day. Made clearing customs in Chicago a bit easier. PIT - MBJ bag missed connection in MIA between ..you guessed..USAir and Air Jamaica. Can't say I was surprised as I don't know how I made that connection myself that day. That bag arrived two days later.

Well, I was thinking that the irony of it is that is appears that US Air not only lost the bag, but lost the claim I filed too!

Southwest lost a bag of mine a few years back, the paperwork was extensive, needed my whole criminal history etc, how many times I'd made lost-bag claims in my life etc.

It's amazing that with barcodes on every bag...they are still losing so many bags a day. I understand them getting lost, but seems like any airline should be able to scan the barcode and get the luggage correctly routed immediately.

They tell us that those hotel key-cards know our entire life history, but they can't get name and address onto a bar-coded luggage tag?

Any THIEF can steal your identity with little problem, but U.S. Air can't get a clearly-addressed bag to its destination?

My father had a bag lost for good once. They sent him money to buy new clothes and a new bag and his bag never did re-appear. It makes me wonder what happened to the bag, is there another man wandering around wearing my father's clothes? I once accidently took the wrong bag from the airport, but upon my discovery immediately took a taxi back to the airport and collected my own bag feeling awful for the poor person who was probably at their wits end trying to figure out what happened to their stuff (hopefully they were able to deliver this bad to its rightful owner quickly).