lost luggage

[andy1]

Hi,I would like to tell you of our experience last year when my 14 year old son arrived with us at Sanford but his luggage did not.Our party of seven landed at Sanford,we were the only flight in on that day.As we waited at the luggage claim it son became obvious that we were a suitcase short.I immediately thought it had been stolen.We went to see one of the officers on duty,a woman called Nancy.She asurred us that the suitcase was not stolen just routed somewhere else.Nancy told us that each bag has a tracking code but it would take some time to find it's location.We were insured for £100 per bag if lost, but this was little consolation when it's the personal things that you take that you start to miss first.We were given some paper work and contact numbers and set of to get our car,as we left the baggage claim area a Travel City rep approached us and said he had ben waiting for us as he had an upgrade to a vila but as we were such a long time he had to let it go to someone else.This made us fel even worse now.Our first priority now was to get my son some essentials ie. toothbrush,underwear and some casual clothes
We then went and explained our dilema to our tour company rep Travel City at Lake buena vista.When we got back to our hotel there was a message waiting from Nancy,saying that the bag had ben traced to Birmingham England.Over the next few days Nancy kept us informed ,even on her day off.After five days we were reunited with the lost luggage.All the people involved,Nancy and Travel City reps were extremely helpful and reassuring and as Nancy said to me,ahe had worked at the airport for ten years and not once was missing luggage ever stolen just re-routed and she was right and like the mounties Nancy always gets her bag.We were fuly refunded on our insurance claim but had to remember to keep all reciepts.We are going with Travel City again this year as they were so helpfull and did put our minds at rest.The motto of this tale is really make sure you are covered for this kind of loss.Andy

[Andy & Arlene]

Two xmas's ago, one of our cases and a safe we were bringing over for our villa never arrived on our flight. They were both heavy items and we had to put them through separately. It was probably just as well they never arrived as everything would not have fitted into the mid size car we had hired.

Anyway next morning, we got a phone call saying our items would be delivered within the next 2 hours and right enough they both appeared soon after. I think it was United Airlines we flew with then.

[Herbie]

About three years ago we were flying Virgin and got to Orlando to find that only 2 out of 4 suitcases arrived. We were told it was lucky we had two! Trouble was one contained all my daughters clothes and the other was a case full of Pampers nappies. Nothing for my wife, son or I apart from the clothes we had on.

Vigin told us they could track the suitcases down (but not that day) and authorised us to buy some essentials. They eventualy tracked the cases to Greece ! They then had to arrange for a BA flight that was going to NY to take the cases. They arrived okay in NY but then got lost going down to Orlando!

Eventually the cases turned up five days later rather the worse for wear. Virgin were very good and had the cases repaired and settled up for all the things we had to buy.

Anyone else got some horror luggage stories?

Herbie

[blott]

Yes, but not to do with Florida... I watched my suitcase being run over by one of the luggage trucks on arrival in Spain and, not surprisingly, the whole contents were ruined as the case broke and the contents were strewn everywhere with tyre marks all over them! My travel insurance paid out for it although I never got the right amount for the value of the contents.

Once, on a very windy day in Gambia, Customs decided to search my suitcase prior to departure on a trestle table on the tarmac. [:0] Needless to say, as soon as they opened it, the contents got taken by the wind and Customs were chasing my dirty laundry all over the runway (no washer or dryer in the accommodation there)!

[Ray&Sarah]

Ray had his suitcase go missing on a trip to Montgomery in the US, for work. He was flying Delta and they were most unhelpful. They only autorised the purchase of essentials "Toothbrush, toothpaste, disposable shaver and a change of pants and socks" (not even shaving foam!) His luggage turned up 4 days later on the day he was due to fly out, by which time he was becoming a bit self-concious that he must smell. He was on business and had to attend meetings in his crumpled travel clothes. Delta would not authorise him to buy anything else! He did get the money back for the essentials but they would not hear of any other expenses or compensation. Ever since he has flown with a bag that can be classed as hand luggage and refuses to fly Delta.

[Floridalover]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by hayter
Ray had his suitcase go missing on a trip to Montgomery in the US, for work. He was flying Delta and they were most unhelpful. They only autorised the purchase of essentials "Toothbrush, toothpaste, disposable shaver and a change of pants and socks" (not even shaving foam!) His luggage turned up 4 days later on the day he was due to fly out, by which time he was becoming a bit self-concious that he must smell. He was on business and had to attend meetings in his crumpled travel clothes. Delta would not authorise him to buy anything else! He did get the money back for the essentials but they would not hear of any other expenses or compensation. Ever since he has flown with a bag that can be classed as hand luggage and refuses to fly Delta.
[/quote]

I'm the same, if it don't fit in my trolley bag, I don't need it and I've managed a 2 week round the world trip, both hot and cold climates, doing that. It has another advantage, people refuse to sit near you so you always have spare seats next to you

Just Kidding on that last bit[}]

[chrisj]

We had a case go missing on the way back from New York a few years ago, Didnt bother me it
was full of dirty clothes, Got a phone call the next morning saying it was now at Heathrow and
the man was on his way, We live 6 miles from heathrow. He turned up at 9pm, almost 11 hours
after the phone call, Not bad for a 6 mile trip [V]

[Floridalover]

I did have a bag miss my plane to Sydney once. Being an airline employee I had no recourse either apart from the basics and it took 4 days to get there....on the flight I was flying home on.By that stage I had already checked in and was on my way back[xx(] I got my bag back 2 days later....hence my rule of trolley bag or no bag

[Ray&Sarah]

The thing I found amazing was that my case ended up following me around the states that week, after it originally turned up in LA. I didn't think it was possible for luggage to travel on planes where the owners were not present for security purposes!

[Floridalover]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by hayter
The thing I found amazing was that my case ended up following me around the states that week, after it originally turned up in LA. I didn't think it was possible for luggage to travel on planes where the owners were not present for security purposes!
[/quote]

Doesn't seem to be a problem in the US. I had a bag go to LaGurdia from Miami without me 2 years ago whilst I ended up at Newark....but my connection to London was from JFK ! I ended up visiting all of New York's 3 airports within 2.5 hours and still made my flight back the UK[:I]
BA will not take bags unless the passenger is on board.