Ever Lost Baggage?

[LiuXia's Husband]

I just got back from a 'conjugal visit' with the wife in Chengdu. Too bad my oversized wedding picture didn't. Made it thru customs. Seems it got "lost' between SFO and PDX. I'm not sure how a clearly marked over-sized package could get lost. Pretty sure the replacement will be OK, but just curious if anyone else has lost any bags from China. After about a half million airmiles, this is my first lost bag. And since this was an international flight, the airline has a very low liability, a la $300 max (35lb x $9.07/lb). I am going to ask United for free travel instead of money. Any suggestions or ideas?

[ahhming888]

I'd be calling them up left and right complaining until they can get the problem solved. I remember watching some dateline show about those baggage handlers at airports. They don't care about your stuff to be careful with it or they prob look in it for themselves. If it was a big piece of luggage it can't just magically disapear. There's got to be some explanation behind how it is missing.

 

When I went to see Wen last month one of my piece's of luggage got lost. I was traveling united from sfo to HK. Didn't hit me untill I was the last one standing at the luggage carousel watching it move with nothing on it. The luggage was a pretty good size piece that had a bunch of stuff I had brought back for Wen's family. It was so big that they some how forgot to put it on the plane in sfo. Stuff like this makes you wonder about those baggage handlers sometimes. Well they had it delivered to our hotel the night since that was the next united flight. Im just glad we didnt have to go back to the airport and get it.

 

I try to carry on as much of the important things as I can only checking in luggage with clothes etc...

 

Don't thing I'll fly united international again next time though, not because of this. My last trip was on Singapore Airlines which was an awesome flight over there and back. I decided to try united, but should of payed the little extra for Singapore.

[keelec]

It has been years since I've lost any luggage.

 

I am continually amazed at how much luggage that gets handled and so rarely does it get lost.

 

The first time I had luggage lost, was in 1987. I was coming home from Italy. They had the old type of string-tied luggage tags. Apparently the tag fell off of my bag, so someone in baggage handling just found a tag that had fallen off of someone else's bag and tied it on mine. Thus, rather than going from JFK to Eugene on United, my bag ended up heading off on Delta to California. The bag showed up about a week later (thanks to having my address and phone number written on a tag on it). If I hadn't had my address on it, there would have been no way to ever find it.

 

On my next trip to Italy, they lost my bags going. Thus, I arrived with only the clothes on my back. Fortunately, they found the bag within a few days and I just had to make an extra trip to Milano to pick it up.

 

Many of my recent trips have been direct flights, point to point where it is much more difficult to loose the bags. Unfortunately that may be changing as there are fewer direct flights originating in St. Louis.

 

I like the Russian airports. You take all the bags through security. Then you head off to check in and get the boarding pass and turn in the bags. Each flight has it's own line for the boarding passes. Thus, the bags for each flight should be able to all stay together (thus it is much harder to loose anything) at least on the leg originating from Russia.

 

----- Clifford -----

[Dean Hall]

Funny you should mention this.

 

I have flown to China countless times as well as Europe and S. America.

 

About 100,000 miles per year.

 

The only place I have ever lost luggage in the last 300,000 miles has been United at SFO. And only on incomming flights from China. And only what was clearly Chinese luggage.

 

When I brought my step son back in June, the luggage made it through customs, then we re-checked it and never saw it again.

 

So my step-son arrived literally with the shirt on his back.

 

I think there is a spot the Chinese luggage thief in baggage at SFO.

 

Dean

[frank1538]

Reminds me of a true story. A buddy and his family (wife and two small daughters) had traveled to Arizona - with about six suitcases. Upon the return to Atlanta, there was no luggage to claim - lost.

 

I asked him if he was upset. Hell no, he said. I didn't have to lug six suitcases out to the car, and the airlines delivered them to my house the next morning while I was drinking coffee and reading the paper. Couldn't have asked for anything better.

[Chinese Wife!!!]

I asked him if he was upset.  Hell no, he said.  I didn't have to lug six suitcases out to the car, and the airlines delivered them to my house the next morning while I was drinking coffee and reading the paper.  Couldn't have asked for anything better.

My story is similiar: Southwest had my bag on the next flight, delivered that night (almost beat me home to Pahrump) and gave me a $100 certficate. Didn't have to tip the bell hop (or taxi driver for the bag) or rent a luggage carrier. I could get use to this kind of service- but NOT a really lost bag. Sister lost all her babies stuff on a red eye once Richard