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-   -   Has anyone permanently lost their luggage on an airline? (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/has-anyone-permanently-lost-their-luggage-on-an-airline-577242/)

AnnMarie_C Jan 26th, 2006 02:20 PM

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.

wliwl Jan 26th, 2006 03:26 PM

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?!)

Sunshinesue Jan 26th, 2006 03:47 PM

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

wliwl Jan 26th, 2006 03:57 PM

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.

wliwl Feb 17th, 2006 02:09 PM

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...

FainaAgain Feb 17th, 2006 02:35 PM

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 ;)

schmerl Feb 17th, 2006 04:04 PM

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!!!!

P_M Feb 17th, 2006 04:08 PM

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

escargot Feb 17th, 2006 04:09 PM

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...

mrwunrfl Feb 17th, 2006 07:06 PM

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.

SamH Feb 18th, 2006 05:50 AM

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.

wliwl Feb 18th, 2006 05:59 AM

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!

tracys2cents Feb 18th, 2006 07:33 AM

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?

Vittrad Feb 18th, 2006 09:27 AM

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).


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