United Airlines and delayed luggage

[dajop]

Ok a bit of a rant here, but in the US I usually fly AA around the US domestically. And NEVER had a luggage problem with them, after dozens, probably 30-40 flights. Tonight I had my second ever UA flight .... and second time my luggage didn't make it (first time ORD-YWG on a RJ this time ORD-STL again on a RJ... a pattern emerging?). Is that the norm? I think I should have forked out the extra $15 and flown on AA tonite instead. Oh well such is life.

 

[serfty]

These FT threads may assist if your separation becomes too long:

Lost Luggage Compensation Thread - FlyerTalk Forums
Lost Luggage Help please - FlyerTalk Forums
Lost bag - poor service trying to find it - not sure what to do next? - FlyerTalk Forums
The Ultimate Baggage Lost / Delayed / Stolen / Damaged Thread - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[markis10]

As they say in the financial markets, past performance is not an indicator of future performance .

I have not lost a bag with QF in years until last week, and they lost the same bag twice in 48 hours, sometimes you just cannot help bad luck, at least I have a nice pair of qantas branded shorts and shirt from their emergency kit!

 

[clifford]

Ok a bit of a rant here, but in the US I usually fly AA around the US domestically. And NEVER had a luggage problem with them, after dozens, probably 30-40 flights. Tonight I had my second ever UA flight .... and second time my luggage didn't make it (first time ORD-YWG on a RJ this time ORD-STL again on a RJ... a pattern emerging?). Is that the norm? I think I should have forked out the extra $15 and flown on AA tonite instead. Oh well such is life.

I can understand your unhappiness, but you have to realise that you flew United Express (UX), which is basically a bunch of small airlines with generally poor staff, procedures and finances.

Maybe in future don't book a UX flight (I expect you won't).

 

[dajop]

I can understand your unhappiness, but you have to realise that you flew United Express (UX), which is basically a bunch of small airlines with generally poor staff, procedures and finances.

Actually I didn't put it down to staff, procedures etc, rather the fact both times were on a full flight on a regional jet with weight restrictions meaning luggage had to be offloaded (in fact the first time it happened they told me as much).

Anyway alls well that ends well, unlike last time when it didn't get put on the three following flights and thus didn't get to me before I left, this time it did and arrived at 2am the same night. That was OK by me, no real dramas this time, but nevertheless, serfty, thanks for the links.

One curiosity - I think priority baggage was the problem :!: I didn't notice a single priority tag on the carousel and simply thought it was because there is no such thing (I always get confused about who does and doesn't have priority baggage for those with status on partner airlines). But lo and behold my bag did have a priority tag - I wonder if the other 8 or so ppl queuing at the baggage counter also had priority, as it would seem odd that I was the only person on the flight who had priority baggage, and 8/70 is probably right.

 

[BAM1748]

I wouldn't be too hard on United, flown them many times without anything lost. In fact in 20 years of flying only ever had a bag lost once, QF in Adelaide and it was back with me in 48 hours.

If you move say 25,000 people per day, half have 2 bags that's 37,500 bags. Say 2.5% get lost for 24 to 48 hours before they are found, that's nearly 1,000 bags per day. It's going to happen to you sooner or later.

Matt

 

[Maca44]

In 2001 on a flight from San Francisco to Seattle UA lost my bag for 48 hours, but authorised for me to purchase emergency clothing etc. I spent US$180 and they did not flinch, delivered my bag to Ellensburg which is 90mins east of Seattle without a problem. Apart from this, many years ago when flying SYD-BNE for a holiday in Tangalooma resort QF sent our 2 bags to Perth, and they too authorised funds for emergency clothing, but only spent about $90. Two times in 35 years of flying is not bad, but it does happen which is why I am now a carry-on only convert.

 

[straitman]

If you move say 25,000 people per day, half have 2 bags that's 37,500 bags. Say 2.5% get lost for 24 to 48 hours before they are found, that's nearly 1,000 bags per day. It's going to happen to you sooner or later.

Matt

Is the 2.5% a random or accurate figure :?:

I would be hoping the % misplacement is a lot lower than that.

 

[dajop]

Is the 2.5% a random or accurate figure :?:

I would be hoping the % misplacement is a lot lower than that.

Maybe the 2.5% includes delayed luggage, I would certainly expect that the misplacement figure is a lot lower than that. Luggage can be delayed (as opposed to misplaced/lost) for several reasons - the most common being missed connection, or in both my UA cases delayed due to weight restrictions (or so they say). In these cases airline has a reasonable idea of where your luggage is, or at the very least why it isn't where it should be.

Personally I've, touch wood, never actually had an airline admit to lost luggage - I've had 5 delays - 2 due to misconnects (QF), 3 due to weight restriction offloading (QF and 2 UA). That's out of probably 500 or 600 individual journeys (ie expected luggage retrievals), so not bad. Just pointing the curiosity (bad luck) that my rate is 5/600 in total - but 2 out of 2 on UA. Small sample size admittedly.

 

[BAM1748]

I think there is two type of stats in the industry for this.

One for lost forever bags which is about .5% to .8% and the other lost for a few hours (ie didn't make the same flight as the passenger and can't be located immediately) about 1.5% to 2.5%.

The second "misplaced" catagory has a 99.8% recovery rate within 48 hours on QF domestic. (as checked with Qantas)

Matt

 

[pandafyed]

Ah, I flew with UA back in 2001. They lost my mother's bag, ripped open the side of my bag and my sisters back came back without the contents??? Horrible experience on that flight as a whole. Never ever going to fly with them again!

 

[trooper]

The same stories an be told about any airline... I fly *A almost exclusively (including UA/UX) and yet the ONLY bag I have ever had go astray was on a QF flight...

Luck of the draw.

As for UA (well, UX more specifically) I arrived at ABQ on Sunday last to check in for a CRJ-700 flight to LAX.. then on to AKL and SYD on a separate NZ ticket..

I had three bags, one of which was oversized. The UA (Skywest) check in agent couldn't have been more helpful or pleasant... Very keen to extend all *G entitlements... and more than happy to check everything through to SYD...

Priority tags on everything too....

Most seamless return trip I reckon I've ever had...

Of course ABQ is a particularly good airport IME.....