When Your Bag Doesn't Arrive With You

[PR1977]

Just finished a short 8 day trip....had a fantastic time as always.

However, after over 30 years of flying and probably approaching 400 individual flights, on arrival in BKK on 1st June at 18.30 I found that my checked in bag had not arrived.

I wasn't surprised by this, as my connecting flight from Dublin to London took off 2 hours late, which even by Aer Lingus' mediocre standards is pretty pathetic. I did well to just get myself from Terminal 2 to 4 to catch my Etihad flight which was taking off at 20.45 after landing at 19.50 instead of 17.50 as should have been the case.

Anyway, reported the bag missing at the Swampy Etihad counter, made a report and got a copy, provided e-mail address, phone number and my hotel details (D Hotel). On arrival at D hotel I e-mailed my room number to the contact details given. I did, of course, have my luggage receipt with barcode which I presented to the representatives.

Within an hour I received an e-mail and text confirming my bag had been located, I then received further texts and e-mails updating me on the location of the bag as it was put on Etihad's next flight out of Heathrow and then Abu Dhabi and final messages confirming arrival of the bag at BKK and confirmation that it was on it's way via taxi. D hotel was also called to confirm the bag was on it's way and it arrived at 21.00 on the Sunday night, 24 hours after me.

All in all absolutely fantastic work from Etihad, I really couldn't have asked for better service.

So I just thought I'd write this to let fellow BMs know that if your bags do go missing it ain't the end of the world; I'd never experienced it before (as I'm sure many fellow BMs haven't either) so didn't really know what to expect.

One thing I will be doing in future is bringing a couple of shirts, shorts, basic toiletries etc in my hand luggage - I tend to travel with a very small flight bag only as cabin luggage - so will take a rucksack instead going forward. I bought a couple of shirts and shorts in the Soi Buakhaow night market and some basic toiletries in the 7/11 etc for a few hundred baht but I was more annoyed at the 20 or so minutes that this took and the delay to the start of my mongering as a result than the actual cost!

[ricktoronto]

16 minutes ago, PR1977 said:

 

All in all absolutely fantastic work from Etihad, I really couldn't have asked for better service.

FYI you can, it is called having your bags arrive when you do. 

[PR1977]

Just now, ricktoronto said:

FYI you can, it is called having your bags arrive when you do. 

In the context of the bag not arriving in the first place.

[spacemonkey]

Kuwait Airways lost my suitcase back in September, on arrival at BKK. Spoke to one of the airport staff hanging around baggage reclaim who led me over to the counter at the back, filled out a form, she made a few calls, gave me 2500 baht cash and a copy of the paperwork, then told me my luggage would be on the next flight and delivered to my hotel the next day. 

This was around 12pm, by about 10pm the same day I had a taxi driver call me and received my suitcase shortly after.

To be honest I didn't give a monkey's. I always pack my essentials and a change of clothes in a backpack for carry-on and that 2500 could have probably bought me enough clothes, or close enough, to last the 17 day trip anyway. 

 

[Roadglide]

International flying basics...bags do miss flights, so your carry on bag should have enough clothing/meds/required items to let you make it 24 to 48 hours after arrival.

[Luv2Phuket]

Just now, Roadglide said:

International flying basics...bags do miss flights, so your carry on bag should have enough clothing/meds/required items to let you make it 24 to 48 hours after arrival.

Agreed, with the lone exception that I travel with ALL of meds in my carry-on on the way to BKK.  I'm Type 1 diabetic (insulin dependent), and I can't risk them losing that.

On the way back, it's not as big a concern, as I usually have plenty of meds at home.

[Buddy Edgewood]

It's not the end of the world to lose your checked luggage, but it's still a shitty way to start a holiday.  I'm on holiday to sabai sabai, the last thing I should be worrying about is where my checked luggage is.  Therefore, after numerous incidents of lost luggage, I only take carry-on, no matter how long my stay is.

[Ziplee]

My last trip, a lady was told she had to check her carry on. We were on a puddle jumper with a connect flight to China. She said “No have to far to travel” they put the tag on her bag.

As soon as she got in the jetway, she rips the tag off and stuffs it in her purse. She took it on the plane no problem. Now I know what to do if they try that with me.

Me, carry on only. 

[neilri2001]

Quite a few years back i flew China airlines via Amsterdam on three consecutive flights due to very good fares in business class. On two out of the three flights my luggage didn't make the connection. The first time i was caught out but since then i have always carried a spare shirt / set of underwear / other essentials in my hand luggage. On both occasions the luggage was forwarded to my hotel but both times the locks were broken and someone had very obviously gone through my case looking for valuables. In 40 years of travelling these are the only times that my luggage hasn't arrived on the same flight as me. 

[kansuwan]

My real fun experience:

Luggage lost en route LHR to Delhi;  

Luggage arrived at Delhi 24 hours later, only to be "lost" at the airport....despite being well-labelled.  

Fortunately my host was the same size as me and had a well-stocked wardrobe.  

 

[hatguy]

Happened to me from Bangkok to Osaka. My bag turned up the next day but as it was January 7th or something it was freezing cold outside the airport. Thai Air had to lend me a coat which I wore home. 

First time that happened but Thai dealt with it well. Got an apology from them by email. Didn't expect any free miles. 

[OoJohnnyoO]

Few years ago three mates and I flew with Malaysia Airlines which had a 1 hour connection in KL. One of my mates and I had done the same flight the previous year with no issues.

While waiting at baggage claim in Swampy I head off to use an ATM, head back and see my mates talking to a lovely lady in a fluro vest. As I approach they start laughing and say my bag missed the connection, I tell em yeah right fuck off. Then the lady says sorry Mr Johnny you bag not make flight go to the office. Must've had a face like a stunned mullet cos my mates were pissin themselves. Their bags made it so we collect them then head over.

Person at the baggage office tells me my bag will be put on the next flight which is due to land in 2hrs, I ask if they can send my bag to Pattaya as our driver (Meow taxi) is waiting for us. They say sure no problem as long as I don't have anything to declare, which I didn't. Give them my details, a description of my bag, then head off to Pattaya. 3hrs after checking in my bag arrives at reception.

First and only time I've had a luggage mishap, only a 3hr delay, not too bad could've been worse.

[Kandinski]

Can't tell if its standard for travel insurance but mine allows purchase of up to EUR 500,- of necessities if luggage are delayed more than 4 hours on outbound flights.
In avarage I have had 2-3 incident a year for the past 10 years or so and never had problem claiming max amount. PIR (property irregularity report) and receipts have to follow claim and money on the account in 1-2 days.... nothing beats free boxers & socks

[Arnie85]

Its Thailand, you can get a whole new wardrobe for $50. 

[P_Paul]

lucky me so far.....I had many travels for work purpose with the change of connecting flights...but never had to face missing baggage problem, though many of my colleagues had to suffer for the same.

I basically carry a bag for a laptop but little bigger than usual laptop bag which will have one pair of the dress(formal if a business trip, casual if vacation), documents, medicines, mobile charger, cash/cards, some very small and mandatory stuff like perfume, comb, hand sanitizer,  etc.

though Pattaya has got everything that you need daily, still, believe it is an extra burden/discomfort if you missing your luggage

[Explorer8939]

The worst is lost luggage at Domodedeva airport in Moscow. One tiny office there, and apparently lots of lost luggage. The office was swamped, the wait was 2 hours to see someone.

my luggage showed up 2 days later, at my hotel.

[striderman]

it may help if you take a pic of your bags with your phone. then if the worst happens at least you have a chance to describe the things rather than say it's black with a zip.

[Rocketboy]

18 hours ago, Ziplee said:

My last trip, a lady was told she had to check her carry on. We were on a puddle jumper with a connect flight to China. She said “No have to far to travel” they put the tag on her bag.

As soon as she got in the jetway, she rips the tag off and stuffs it in her purse. She took it on the plane no problem. Now I know what to do if they try that with me.

Me, carry on only. 

When I worked at Delta if we told customers they needed to check their bag it was for one of two reasons.

The bag was too big, or there was no overhead bin space available. Also checking bags at the last minute on the jetway can cause delays. 

Most often the flight attendants would inform us that we needed to check bags. Also our system depending on the aircraft type shows a predetermined number of bags to check before overhead bin space runs out.

Each of those tags has a number on them that are registered in our system when we put them on your bag. 

When we take the paperwork down to the flight attendants and pilots to close out a flight we know exactly how many bags were checked.

We input every tag into our system as soon as we check them at the gate or down on the jetway. The guys from the ramp who collect bags on the jetway scan them as well before loading them. 

On our intl flights its more stringent. They know when a bag tag number is missing and I can guarantee you that flight will not depart until the physical bag is located!

Our smaller (puddle jumpers) can't accommodate regular size carry-on bags thus the need to check them. On those planes the bags are brought up on the jetway at your arrival city. You don't have to go to baggage claim. 

Believe it or not most gate agents remember every bag that they tag. If there was space in the overhead and you asked the flight attendants they would probably let you bring the bag on.

But, they would take the tag off themselves or inform us and we would as that is a security issue. That number has to be deleted from the system. If no space available they won't let it on. We've caught many a customer ripping the tags off down on the jetway! 

[usexpat46]

On ‎16‎/‎06‎/‎2019 at 02:33, ricktoronto said:

FYI you can, it is called having your bags arrive when you do. 

It happened to me about 10 years ago flying with United Airlines.  Was told to go to the Thai Airlines office and they would handle the problem which they did, bag arrived at my apartment the next day.  Notified United Airlines customer service by email and they apologized and gave me some United Airline miles to my frequent flyer account.  On future flights I was always hopping that the problem would happen again.

[Trance354]

In most cases, at least when traveling to SE Asia, you want to bring the minimum with you. For instance, last trip, I took a single carry-on bag.  I returned with 2 pieces of checked luggage, having done some serious shopping with local tailors, and the various night markets. While I understand why one might bring a checked bag, with items not allowed in the carry on bag, I would plan not to have the checked bag in the first place. Just my take on it.

 

In Pattaya, at least, most everything needed for wardrobe can be bought off the rack or made in quick time. I will be arriving next month with the clothes on my back, a sample for my tailor for boxers(because I tried getting off the shelf boxers last year and that ... didn't work out) and a pair of the most comfy pants I've ever worn, to be duplicated by the tailor, in cashmere, cause why not.

[Ziplee]

4 hours ago, Rocketboy said:

you asked the flight attendants they would probably let you bring the bag on.

They were going to check my bag and the one check-in girl said BKK, I said Bangkok. She said ok you can take your bag on. Never did see the Chinese woman again, I think she was stuck in the back somewhere, but she was pretty upset.

After that, I just book the closest seat to the front for those puddle jumps to the main hub. That way I can get on before they start that bag check.