I'm not sure where to post this, but hoping someone might read, file away the info in a back corner of his brain, and someday might be saved some grief! Friends of mine just returned from London, where she spent the first 4 days with no luggage and he spent almost that much time on the phone with the airlines. Somewhere between ATL, Washington, D.C., and London her bag disappeared, apparently without a trace.
On day 4 as he was removing the baggage tag from his suitcase, he looked at the number (which he had now memorized!) and realized "That's HER number!" The airline puts tags randomly on family members' luggage, and although he had his bag with all his clothes, all along it was HIS number they should have been searching for.
As soon as they input HIS number, they found HER luggage still sitting in D.C. (Another problem, but at least they found it.)
This has never happened to me, but if my luggage disappears, I will sure check ALL our numbers! Buon viaggio!
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8383 posts
I would never have thought to check the other numbers. Thanks for posting this.
It also has me making a note to self, "Pack Light and carry it on"
Posted by
Home_Sweet_Home :-)
507 posts
As of our last trip each piece of family luggage carries an RuMe ID luggage tag.
https://www.rumeid.com/page/what-is-rume-id
The tag is stamped with a QM code that can be read with a smart phone. One registers the code online, & can list their trip's itinerary. Should a piece of luggage be left behind, a person w/a smart phone can scan the code and find which destination it needs to go to.
When one goes on another trip they go online to the registered tag, erase the last itinerary, and type in the new itinerary.
Yes, I have been w/o luggage for a day or two.
Auf Wiedersehen!
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8145 posts
I broke one of my own personal rules April, 2014 when I checked a bag. It got left behind in Prague with my car keys in the pocket.
We spent 2 long days waiting for the bag to show up in a fleabag hotel at the Atlanta airport--without a car.
I'll never check another bag again.
Posted by
Portland
3600 posts
The half your clothes in each suitcase idea is a good one, that I've used occasionally, for outbound flights. As for the posters whose car keys were in his delayed luggage . . I was able to learn from someone else's experience to have my house and car keys in my carry-on. We were doing the paperwork for delayed bags at SFO when I heard another passenger moan to the agent that he was supposed to stay at an apartment, not his own nor a friend's; and the keys were in his checked bag. It had never before occured to me that it was extremely unwise to put keys in checked baggage. Lucky me to learn 2nd hand, and thanks to the poster who reminds everyone to avoid that particular travel pitfall.
Posted by
Washington
919 posts
So sorry to hear these stories. Definitely place super-important stuff in your carry--on (keys, prescriptions).
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
Good tip about keys. I always put them in my wheeled carryon, which occasionally gets gate-checked, but now I think I'll put them in my personal item for the flight.
Posted by
TX, USA
528 posts
After leaving our house and car keys in his, my husband's checked bag, and his bag being delayed, we learned our lesson. Lucky for us, I had my house key. We had to take a taxi from airport, but at least we could get into our house. The bag was delivered the next day, so only one extra day was added to our parking fee. We now make sure to keep them in our personal carry on bag. Plus, just like with backup debit cards, I carry backup house and car keys. It might sound like overkill, but we don't want a repeat of our experience.