So... airline luggage question

[LadyoftheRabbits]

Today I got back from Portland, OR via Minneapolis (to Milwaukee) on Northwest. When I got here, my checked bag wasn't here, and the woman at the desk checked the claim tag I had and said it had never even been scanned in Portland, but I did get it tagged there and turned into the security place for screening. She said they'd try to get it to me.

My question is... how likely am I to see it again? It has everything in it... my vacation photos, souvenirs, quite a bit I'd die if I lost. :(

[MonkeyFunk]

1. In my experience....

pretty likely. It turns up SOMEWHERE. I've never had anything lost for good while flying.

[LadyoftheRabbits]

2. That's encouraging...

At least it didn't get lost from Europe to Portland. :P

[JCMach1]

18. Have to agree... It is a regular deal for me to get separated from my bags

So far they have always turned-up.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. It will probably turn up in a day or two.

It sounds like for some reason the scanner didn't pick it up, but if the tag is on it they'll find it. It's probably still in Minneapolis (which could have happened if it didn't get scanned but did get on the plane). MSP is a main NWA hub, so they should be able to find it.

[LadyoftheRabbits]

5. OK

That sounds hopeful. I'm hoping it made it as far as Minneapolis, because then it's a quick jaunt over here. :)

[Haole Girl]

4. You'll see it again

Sometimes TSA thinks they see something & they put a bag aside. It just doesn't make your flight. Please try not to worry. :hug:

[LadyoftheRabbits]

6. Aww, thanks...

I'll admit I was pretty upset. The clothes... meh, but the photos = huge deal. :P But I'm not fretting too much. :hug:

[greatauntoftriplets]

7. Many years ago, I had a piece of luggage that didn't arrive....

on a rather remote Caribbean island at the same time I did. In fact, I spent a week with just the clothing I had worn there, and what I was able to purchase in the few stores that existed. This was a REMOTE and little visited island.

Two weeks after I returned, the doorbell rang in the middle of the night and it was United Airlines returning my bag. I have confidence that yours will be returned to you eventually.

Despite that, I enjoyed the trip. Happily, my camera and film were packed in my carry-on bag.

[LadyoftheRabbits]

10. Ooh, that sucks...

but I'm glad you had fun anyway. :P

[Scooter24]

8. I've flown hundreds of times

and never once had my bag lost or stolen.

My parents on the other hand have the worst luck. However, they have always located the bag within a day or two. That's why it's important to have your information tagged on the bag and also on a piece of paper inside.

[LadyoftheRabbits]

9. Yeah, thankfully

I wrote my destination and phone number on the tag before I left. :)

[mnhtnbb]

11. Lost bags have always found their way back to me, although it did

take four days for the last one to arrive. Our bags were taken away from us as we boarded
the last Delta shuttle to DC from LaGuardia with a snowstorm on the way.

We always fly carry-on (haven't checked a bag in years) and after that flight we could
claim that we'd even had carry-on bags lost!

I almost got myself thrown off a Delta flight a couple of years ago when I refused to let
the flight attendant take my carry-on bag. I begged passengers to please rearrange
overhead bins and let me put other bags under our seats in order to not check our bags.
The flight attendants just stood there--offering no help. An agreeable passenger helped
and we didn't have to give up our bags.

So, my guess is that you'll get your bag back--but be prepared to wait.

[Haole Girl]

12. I think I saw that somewhere...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgkvIbsJrD0

[mnhtnbb]

14. That's it! She's the one.

[LeftyMom]

13. Did you have your contact info inside it someplace?

I always have mine tucked away in two or three different parts of my bag, just in case the tags come loose.

[Chan790]

15. Have faith...

I got back a $2000 camera I accidentally left sitting in a waiting area after they moved my departure gate at the last minute from A-terminal to C-terminal (a solid 20-minute walk) in the Stuttgart airport last year.

I never really expected to get the camera back...I actually got lucky because security picked it up very quickly as abandoned-luggage, concerned it was a bomb.

[Nevilledog]

16. Reminds me of a funny story (at least it's funny NOW)

About 18 years ago I was at an office Christmas party and I had all my luggage and gifts in the trunk because I was heading to the airport to fly to Albuquerque for a nice holiday. A co-worker walked me out to my car.....but the only thing in my spot was my driver side window. Someone stole my BRAND new car, with all my luggage and gifts. We went back into the office and I called to police to report it stolen. The conversation went something like this:

Phoenix Police dispatch: Hello, what's the nature of your problem?
Me: Someone stole my fucking car.
Phoenix Police dispatch: Are you sure?
Me: Ah....yes. It's not in my parking spot. Only the window is in the parking lot.
Phoenix Police dispatch: What is the license plate number?
Me: It doesn't have one yet. I bought it a week ago.
Phoenix Police dispatch: Have you failed to make a payment?
Me: I haven't had to MAKE a fucking payment yet.
Phoenix Police dispatch: We will enter it into the system, please give us a way to contact you.

I give them my sister's number and tell them that's where I'll be staying the night because I have missed my flight to Albuquerque. They wanted my home number also "for their records."

Co-worker takes me home so I can pack some more clothes. It takes us about 20 minutes to get to my apartment and my answering machine is blinking. I hit play and the first call is the Phoenix Police department telling me they have located my vehicle. I proceed to do the shortest fucking happy dance ever because the second message on the machine is the Phoenix Police department telling me they were wrong, it wasn't my car.

So I head to my sister's house and get another flight to Albuquerque for Sunday (this all started on a Friday night). I hear nothing all day Saturday and for some strange reason decide to call my home answering machine and VIOLA, the Police had recovered my vehicle on Saturday, but did not call the number where I told them specifically I could be reached. I find out what tow yard the vehicle was in (the teenagers that stole my car had wrecked it too...sigh). So I call the tow yard and the guy tells me it will cost me $50 bucks for him to open the yard (it was closed on Sundays) so I could see if my luggage and presents were still in the vehicle. So sister takes me over there and the guy was ALREADY at the yard opening it for someone else and the fucker still charged me the $50 bucks (what a dick). Anyway, my luggage was still there and some of the presents. I was feeling so much better and got to the airport nice and early with my newly returned luggage ready to finally make it home for Christmas. I check my luggage for the brief one hour flight to Albuquerque.....and the airline LOSES MY FUCKING LUGGAGE!


It was a bad weekend.

[LadyoftheRabbits]

17. Update...

Bag is here! They put it on a different, same-day flight here and it's already been delivered. :D Thanks for the replies! :hi: :D

[1]

19. one time. my bag wasn't there. but within 24 hrs they dropped it off at my front door...

luckily it was on a return flight home, so i didn't miss it all that much.

be of good spirits. i'm sure your bag and you will be reunited soon.

they are pretty good about this stuff...