Best practices for getting my bag back from the airline

December 24, 2004 5:57 AM

One of the airlines I flew yesterday lost my bag. Best practices for getting it back?

Flew United from LAX to Orlando. ATA from Orlando to San Juan. Cape Air (a little eight-passenger prop plane) from San Juan to St. Thomas. The Cape Air reps in St. Thomas said they'd take care of me, but, surprise surprise, haven't. I'm going to start calling airlines once I post this, but was wondering if anyone had advice.

posted by lbergstr to Travel & Transportation (2 answers total)

If you have your name & phone number on the bag there's a chance you'll see it again with or without all of its contents.

I rarely ever check bags anymore but both of the last times the airline lost my bag it eventually turned up. Southwest lost my bag on a friggin' nonstop flight.

When I did a flight with a connection and separate airline I found out that it is the responsibility of the airline that took you to your final destination to get you bag. Since you were on 3 airlines [calling UA and ATA wouldn't hurt at this point].

[on preview, since you're dealing with 3 airlines' baggage systems it will probably take a while to track down. Your bag could be in Orlando, San Juan on a baggage carousel before being notice. Or it could be still be in LA].

Good luck. Hope there were no valuables.
posted by birdherder at 6:10 AM on December 24, 2004

this has happened to us several times, but always with large companies. we report it at the luggage collection place, leave an address, and it's delivered a couple of days later. if it's on the way out, rather than home, tell them you need some clothes (assuming you do) and they'll tell you to get some and keep the bill - you can get a refund if you go back to the airport with the receipt (eg on the way home).

ring maybe once a day to keep the pressure on - they generally know where the bag is and are tracking it. i don't think we've ever permanently lost anything.
posted by andrew cooke at 6:11 AM on December 24, 2004