Lost luggage question

I have never lost luggage but I went on a cruise with a couple who did. My memory is that they flew SAS non stop to Copenhagen. SAS forgot to load their luggage and they never got it the whole cruise.

They got something like $100 each compensation but I do not know whether they got it during the cruise or after the cruise.

And along with that, for some reason, they checked their carry on's and also did not get them.

Always be certain to bring a carry on with you onto the plane especially with your meds, your chargers and at least one change of clothes.

Simple math indicates that the more often your luggage needs to be moved, the greater the probability that it will be misdirected.

Having said that, the last time our luggage was delayed (by only 24 hours), the airline tracker showed that it had never been loaded onto our first flight and was still at our home airport. In a lifetime of flying, I've never had a piece of luggage lost, and have always received misdirected bags within 2-3 days.

I don’t think there is any rhyme or reason. I do think there is a slightly bigger risk with a connecting flight, particularly when you have an exceptionally long connection time.

I’ve had my luggage “lost” 5 times, but the last time was in 2000. Four of the five times it was delivered to my hotel or home the next day. One time it took 5 days. One time I was on a non-stop flight between Stockholm and Paris. My travel companion and I checked in together and our bags were right next to each other on the conveyer belt; her bag showed up and mine did not - go figure. Did the baggage handler load her bag and then go for a coffee break?

My main lesson learned is to pack everything that you need for a couple of days in a carry-on. I still check my bag, but I always have a change of clothes and several pairs of socks and underwear in my carry-on. I can easily get through 3 days of travel before I’d need to shop.

I do think there is a slightly bigger risk with a connecting flight, particularly when you have an exceptionally long connection time.

...or an exceptionally short connection time !

...or an exceptionally short connection time !

You took the words right out of my mouth, Kim! 🤣

katie, I do think you're right in that a non-stop will lessen your chances of losing your bag. I always insert an AirTag in my checked bags for peace of mind. That way you know they made it on the plane and if they didn't, you have advance warning and can take care of it as soon as you arrive.

While lost luggage can happen for various reasons, the more transfers you have, the higher the odds that eventually something will not show up when you do. However even though I have experienced it twice this year, it truly doesn’t happen that often. Just don’t put anything irreplaceable or life-sustaining in a checked suitcase - almost anything else you can buy.

Thank you for the range of perspectives. One of the reasons I asked is because (for some reason?), I don't want to put meds and a change of clothes in my carry-on. However, I have decided that it is the wise thing to do so I will be doing that.

Absolutely do that. I just spent 9 days without my suitcase and in April, I spent 4 days without it. Clothes are replaceable. Other things not so much.

Non-stop helps, but also flying between, or at least leaving, from a smaller airport helps. When I fly budget airlines in Europe, I usually check a bag, mostly to avoid baggage size and weight issues, but also because there is very little chance of delay on a short, direct flight, between small or medium airports.

Baggage transferred to a connecting flight or checked in at the last minute before the checkin counter closes usually gets lost. I use to work the lost and damaged luggage claim desk at arrivals in O hare airport. More times than not we had a list of the passengers who's bags did not make it before the plane arrived.

OP - Absolutely keep your meds with you in a carry-on or other personal item! Why would you NOT want to do that?

My mother once came to visit me and, for some reason (just not thinking, as she put it later) packed her meds in her checked bag. Wouldn’t you know it? For the only time in her 90 years of life, her luggage was lost/delayed for a couple days. Since she REALLY needed her meds, we went through a big hassle to contact her doctor, have all her prescriptions transferred to a pharmacy in my city, and go pick them up (and, of course, it was a weekend, making it that much more difficult!). At least this all happened within the USA. I don’t know how it would have worked out across the pond.

...or an exceptionally short connection time !

Ironically, I’ve had a number of really short connections where I doubted my bag would make the flight and it always did. One thing with short connections is the airline will often put one of those priority tags on the bag. I think this is partly why I have had worse luck with long connections. Or it could just be random.

Absolutely put your meds and a change of clothes in your carry on. If your bag does go missing, when you fill out the missing form ask the airline for an amenity kit. These usually have a toothbrush and some toiletries.

Also, make sure to put your name and contact info (I put my mobile phone number and email) inside your bag. Sometimes the tags come off bags.

You said, "One of the reasons I asked is because (for some reason?), I don't want to put meds and a change of clothes in my carry-on. However, I have decided that it is the wise thing to do so I will be doing that." I'm glad to hear you've made that decision.

Many years ago, we flew from Seattle to Montreal via Vancouver. In Vancouver our bags were put on the floor in a large group and we couldn't get them to go on through security to catch our plane to Montreal until we went through immigration control. By the time we got to the bags, my husband's had disappeared. It was a black duffle, fully labeled. Mine was there just fine, but it wasn't so ordinary.

I'd told him to put his meds and a change of clothes in his personal item. But nooooooo! He packed his underwear and socks in his personal item. The meds were in the duffle, along with the rest of his clothes.

We made a claim and kept checking with the airline, but his bag never showed up in Montreal. We were there 10 days. We had to buy clothes for him and a bag to bring them home in. We tried to get him more meds, but no pharmacist would do that, so he had to do without. At least he only took one pill back then.

About a week or so after we returned, his bag was finally found and returned to us. It had gone to China! Apparently, a passenger with that destination had picked up his bag and left theirs in Vancouver. Fortunately, they were honest and nothing was taken.

My husband learned his lesson and as a result no longer flies with a plain black duffle or puts his now multiple meds in any bag except his easy to carry on personal item. His primary bag is a Rick Steves orange convertible carry-on.

As for me, I've never liked black bags, but I have 2 anyway due to their small size and that they were on sale. I use a very bright luggage tag and some other unique method to make them stand out. My other 2 bags are a neon green one and a bright blue one. All are carry-on and I don’t check them unless I have to. All it took was for me to see bags being loaded on a plane to convince me to avoid that if I possibly can.

So far, even though I have had to check my carry-on when flying on smaller planes, it's only been on nonstop flights in Europe. I've never had a bag lost, but that's only been 4 flights that I can remember.