Comments on: Delta Airlines Uber-Fail

By: Christine

Christine — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:11:02 +0000

Whitney!!! That’s crazy, I love your stories though – I just see you reacting as this stuff is happening and think that you should really be in a tv show. My bag was lost only once. It was on the flight to Albany to take the New York Bar Exam, though, and it was the bag with all my books to study from – yikes! It arrived the next day and I passed so no harm done . . . except maybe the emotional trauma!

By: Annie

Annie — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:03:32 +0000

Pretty much every time I’ve checked baggage and had a connecting flight, my luggage was lost.

I’m downright paranoid about it- staring at the tarmac hoping to actually see my bag make it onto the plane.

I’m impressed (though not really surprised since your fam is very airline savvy) at how much tracking you could do to find your bag. I always feel so helpless. Next time we lose one, I will call you first!!!

By: Whitney Claire

Whitney Claire — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:36:29 +0000

@Melissa I guess they figured since they got our bag back to us they had no reason to reimburse us for everything we bought! Actually their $250 was quite generous since their policy is only $125. But how can you expect to spend only $125 on clothes and essentials to last you 7 days???

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:32:50 +0000

Wow, what a story. I have seen you talking about it on twitter and was meaning to ask for details. I can’t believe they didn’t reimburse you for more of the things you had to re-purchase!

And I’m so glad you got your hairdryer back …
Melissa´s last blog ..Why I recommend my hairdresser to everyone I know

By: Whitney Claire

Whitney Claire — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:16:34 +0000

There’s something to be said for checked luggage. When we left out of Dulles it was a mad-house and everyone and their mother’s brother’s uncle was trying to get home (or where ever) for the holidays. And EVERYONE wanted to carry on their luggage. So they all had those roll-aboards that people love so much these days. Except if you’re traveling only half-way across the country people don’t realize that the overhead compartments aren’t really all that spacious. AND what’s worse is that no one wanted anything at their feet, so they were trying to store their roll-aboard AND their other item in the overhead compartments. I thought that I was going to see a fight break out near the back of the airplane at one point. People try to shove the hugest, most over-stuffed roll-aboards in those overhead compartments. The people in front of me actually took CLOTHING out of their bag, shoved it under the seat in front of them and then tried to stuff the bag in the overhead compartment. I mean please, people! There is such a thing as “gate-checking” for those things!

So, I’m cool with people bringing their clothes and stuff as carry-on luggage so long as they’re realistic and courteous of others. Gate-checking is perfectly safe and I wish more people would take advantage of it.

By: Whitney Claire

Whitney Claire — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:12:03 +0000

Thanks for your concern Melanie! The boots back safe and sound. Arrived on Jan 3. But can you imagine trying to shop for replacements at the Mellor Park Mall?!

By: limpetfan

limpetfan — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:00:29 +0000

This is why I REFUSE to check my bags! I have become the master of mini toiletries and rolled clothing because I do NOT want to deal with having a bag get lost.
The story about the bag sitting in unclaimed luggage makes me think of the time Alex and I went to Aruba, though. Alex loves checking his luggage, so he checked his large duffel bag on that trip. We got off the plane, met my mom, and then we waited… and waited… and waited for that damn bag. It never came out. But the reason it never came out was because it had somehow made its way to JFK BEFORE we did – on a flight from Aruba that left 2 hours before ours! The bag was sitting in the unclaimed luggage office, which was a relief, but also irritating because if we had known that we wouldn’t have been standing in front of the luggage carousel for 3o minutes like dummies.
limpetfan´s last blog ..The Worst Day Ever

By: Melanie

Melanie — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:58:56 +0000

I have family in El Dorado too, and I cannot imagine being stuck there with no luggage. Hope you get your boots back really soon!

By: Whitney Claire

Whitney Claire — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:43:17 +0000

Yeah, I’m normally a pretty savvy traveler like that. But this trip was a little different. I took my violin with me so that my grandparents (who will probably never come to Virginia again in this lifetime) could hear me play. The violin, needless to say, took up one of my carry-on items. And in order for the case to fit in the overhead compartment (because there was no way that thing was getting gate-checked, you would have had to pry it out of my cold dead fingers) it had to be a teeny-tiny little case. Not much fits in there other than the violin, two bows, and the smallest humidistat and hygrometer known to man-kind. There was no way that my makeup or my hairdryer was gonna fit in there. My other carry-on was my purse. And while it is an understatement to call it “generous” it would not fit my “essentials” without weighting me down too much. Thus is my sad sad story. Please wait a moment while I get out my violin and play it for myself!

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:07:13 +0000

That sucks! I’m always scared of losing my luggage. Since flyers get two carry-ons (one laptop bag and one personal) I try to pack some necessities in one of them… just in case. So sorry to hear about the luggage loss though.
Chris´s last blog ..Holiday in Hawaii, Day 2