Airlines' Expert on Missing Bags Loses Bags 7 Times

I'll give my own example of how my airline lost--by my estimate--about 60 bags on a recent flight out of Toronto. I was inside the plane watching the bags being loaded into the hold when a cargo vehicle pulled up with about 100 plastic bins of mail (Canada Post). After those were loaded, the baggage handlers loaded a few more bags and then I could hear one of them yelling and signaling to the other "no more" and "too heavy". To lighten the load, they even took out a couple bags (but not any of the mail).

The vehicle with the remaining 60 bags simply returned to the terminal and our flight left. I got my bag at the destination but a lot of people didn't, and--not surprisingly--they didn't get a true explanation of why their bags didn't arrive.

If we knew the genuine reasons why luggage gets lost, I think we'd find that this is not so much a technology problem.

onreact-com• 17 years ago

Jut take the most important things with you on board. At least enough underwear for 3 days is the rule of thumb.

mynameishere• 17 years ago

They could give passengers an option to use UPS (for free) instead.

lnguyen• 17 years ago

United actually has an option that uses FedEx for "door-to-door" service (https://store.united.com/traveloptions/control/product?produ...). Granted it's not free. But then again very little is these days when it comes to airlines.

timcederman• 17 years ago

"That's why he advises fliers to buy a generous travel-insurance policy, which can actually make baggage problems financially rewarding. He has one himself." - isn't this just a form of gambling?

Airlines' Expert on Missing Bags Loses Bags 7 Times

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