Lost luggage Holland America Alaska Cruise Aug 2015

[Fouremco]

I have heard of people having someone else's luggage in their cabin and not saying or doing anything about if for days.

I remember reading that post. Incredible!

[Simplysls]

I was actually thinking the same thing Cruz chic, why wouldn't someone from whatever airlines it landed at just look at the information both on the pink luggage tag as well as the information card on the back of the suitecase? It seems odd that no one has done that. All her information is right there. I feel like this could be resolved if we had people more dedicated towards looking into problems & doing some research. I get they are busy, but come on...just read one of the MANY information cards attached to that luggage, it's that simple.

 

The only other thought that crosses my mind is that her luggage was picked up by another passenger or stolen from the carousel...I hope not, but it does cross my mind after going on 48 hours now. Plus, what's the tracking system like in other countries? What do they do with misplaced luggage? Are they more lax on their procedures and rules when it comes to that type of stuff? Ugh, wish I could fix this...

 

Side note: my poor parents have been through a lot lately, my dad having two surgeries due to his M.S. the past few months. I just want to help, but don't really know how. If I could find this bag, it just might make a small difference..

[sail7seas]

I have heard of people having someone else's luggage in their cabin and not saying or doing anything about if for days.

 

I remember reading that post. Incredible!

 

I've heard of such selfish, inconsiderate, nasty behavior. I have wracked my brain to think of a suitable punishment for someone who would do that and I'm relieved I couldn't wish something that bad on anyone. It would scare me if I came up with something really awful. :eek: :D

 

[Zippercat]

If not done already, it might be a good idea to post on the Roll Call for her cruise. It seems possible that, like the bag she did get, someone else's name was placed on her bag....and they might have been on her cruise.

[ren0312]

Someone may have already liberated the contents and sold them on a flea market for cash. Were there any valuables in the lugage that could fetch a lot of money? You could certainly sell the lugage at a 2nd hand market plus the contents.

Edited August 25, 2015 by ren0312

[ren0312]

I was actually thinking the same thing Cruz chic, why wouldn't someone from whatever airlines it landed at just look at the information both on the pink luggage tag as well as the information card on the back of the suitecase? It seems odd that no one has done that. All her information is right there. I feel like this could be resolved if we had people more dedicated towards looking into problems & doing some research. I get they are busy, but come on...just read one of the MANY information cards attached to that luggage, it's that simple.

 

The only other thought that crosses my mind is that her luggage was picked up by another passenger or stolen from the carousel...I hope not, but it does cross my mind after going on 48 hours now. Plus, what's the tracking system like in other countries? What do they do with misplaced luggage? Are they more lax on their procedures and rules when it comes to that type of stuff? Ugh, wish I could fix this...

 

Side note: my poor parents have been through a lot lately, my dad having two surgeries due to his M.S. the past few months. I just want to help, but don't really know how. If I could find this bag, it just might make a small difference..

 

If it landed in Nigeria or Indonesia then you can say goodbye to your luggage. The authorities would have helped themselves with the contents by now. If you lost your luggage at the airport you only have minutes to spare to find it before someone finds it first.

Edited August 25, 2015 by ren0312

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP

Sure was hoping that when I opened this thread this morning that there had been some good news.

It doesn't look good. So much time has passed and still no suitcase.

Sorry to hear about your father and his health issues.

[cruz chic]

I have heard of people having someone else's luggage in their cabin and not saying or doing anything about if for days.

 

Yup, that's what I was thinking of.

[chefestelle]

Don't give up hope yet but maybe file that claim for compensation. Cold comfort but it may be the last option for you to help. My grandmother was hospitalized once in the states years ago. I picked her up from the airport with a borrowed vehicle. The aide who transferred her over handed me her luggage as well. I got her home, opened the suitcase and discovered men's clothes! I called the airline and got bounced around til someone told me to bring it out there. It was quite a distance and I was now carless. I urged them to pick it up to no avail. Took me three days to get back out there. Unfortunately, there was no ID on the luggage and though I asked them to pass my number on to the owner I never heard from them. To make a long story short, bureaucracy may be tying up that luggage somewhere, so hang in there!

[Fouremco]

While on the Air Canada website on a totally unrelated reason, I came across this handy template for the information you'd place inside your bag:

 

http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/baggage/images/baggage_postcard.pdf

 

There are probably other out there, but thought that this might be of use for some CC members.

[Simplysls]

After nearly 72 hours, the help of social media and a countless amount of effort we have located my moms luggage in New York. It will be flown to Denver tonight, where my mom & I will personally pick it up.

According to the gentlemen in New York, her bag flew on Alaska Air and JetBlue. It never once flew with Delta (the original, correct airlines). I'm not sure as of yet if it traveled anywhere else. Apparently, according to Holland America there are "quite a few bags" this has happened too. My mom and I have pieced together at least 9 that we know of. There are still 3 bags from our cruise transfer in New York that have yet to find their way home. We have notified Holland America of this.

 

Im not sure of the current state of the bag, or if all the contents is still inside, but I'm hoping all is fine...

 

I just want to personally thank everyone who helped me and responded well as the advice and tips on what to do. If it hadn't been for Social Media my moms bag probably wouldn't have been found. Thank you again. I appriciate all your support, kind words and helpful hints.

 

I have learned a ton the past few days not only about transfers from cruise ships, but airlines themselves and what I personally should do to insure my bags safety in the future. Here are some of my suggests and the things I've learned - I'd like to pass to you this info; the weary, innocent traveler:

 

1. Purchase luggage insurance for trips that go outside the United States

 

2. Buy a suite case tracking devise that slips into your baggage which is connect to your phone so you can find your own bag should something happen via a GPS.

 

3. Take pictures of the contents in your luggage as well as the outside of the luggage itself before you travel

 

4. Place a list of items and their description on the inside of your suite case, along with your name & contact information, in addition to your 'bags' destination. Keep a copy for yourself so you have proof of everything you took for future reference - you WILL need this should your bag go astray

 

5. Make sure all contact information for your bag is securely fastened to your bag and the information card is filled out with the correct phone & address

 

6. Be weary of cruise ship transfers. I'd suggest holding onto your bag even though it's a pain. It's better to keep an eye on your stuff

 

7. File a missing bag report right away once you realize your bag is not on the carousel when you travel. DO NOT leave the airport with no paper trail. Make sure you notify everyone

 

8. Carry on board with you ALL your jewelry, electronics and anything else that could be to value to you, including medication. The airlines only compensate $3,300 for lost domestic flights and only $1,742 for international

 

9. Continue calling the airlines & cruise lines after you have returned home. I have found "out of sight, out of mind" plays a big role in this hide-and-seek game

 

10. Return to the airport of where your bag was suppose to have landed. One trip might not be good enough, ask if you can look in their "lost luggage closet" with them to ensure your bag is truly not there. Bring them a photo of your bag so they know exactly what they are looking for. A small description like "it's red" isn't good enough. They actually need to see it

 

11. Double check the airline has written down your correct contact information, especially your phone number should they find your bag. It's likely they switched a few numbers because of careless human error

 

12. Try to touch base with other airlines. Contact the baggage service of as many airlines as you can think of. It's a really lengthy process, but one you won't regret. (I have that info should anyone need it, lol)...not funny. It's very possibly there was a tagging error and your bag may have gone on a completely different airlines than you

 

13. Try with all you can to just travel lightly & pack only want you need. By doing this, it's possible you can just carry your suite case onboard with you so it never leaves your sight

 

14. Do NOT wait for the airlines or the cruise ship to find your bag. You will have to do some legwork here. More than likely, your case has been tucked away with all the other 'lost bag' reports and they are not really looking into it. It's best to do all you can and as quickly as you can. The longer your bag is missing the worse it gets. For example, SouthWest airlines only holds onto a lost bag for 5 days. Once that time has passed they are no longer "responsible" for your property. Bags are usually found within 48 hours.

 

15. Use social media as another tool to find your bag. It's good to let everyone you can know about this. Especially contact other airlines using social media - that's the only reason my mom has located her bag

 

16. Fill out information online such as airportlostandfound.com and easyjetworldtracer.com - it's some of the largest databases for lost items worldwide

 

17. Avoid rushed check-in's and connections. You might make it on time to your flight by running, but more than likely your bag will not

 

18. Keep in mind the airlines has 21 days to find your missing or delayed luggage, after that it is considered 'lost' and you'll need to file a claim. Do not wait on doing this. Follow every step in the order your are instructed. The airlines are more willing to work with you if you 'follow the rules.' You should also be compensated for everyday you were without your luggage up to the 21 day marker. Make sure you are familiar with all the rules and regulations of the airline you are traveling, so you have all the accurate information

 

19. Find online blogs related to your trip, airlines or cruise. Post your 'lost luggage' story there, along with a picture of the suite case. A lot of people will read & some will respond. Anything helps

 

20. Finally, keep in mind that luggage considered 'lost' after 21 days will more than likely be sold at an auction to companies similar to goodwill. There they will riffle through the contents of your bag & sell it for profit. Not all airlines do this, but most do. To avoid this, keep doing everything you can. Work at finding your bag everyday. It will take hours & hours, but it's worth your time. Once your personal items get auctioned off you will never see them again. 21.8 million bags were 'Mishandled' last year alone. Granted, the majority of those found their way back to their rightful owner, but some did not. Don't let your bag be one of these, as it is very possible.

 

Hope this helps future travelers. Keep in mind that 80% of mishandled bags do get found & reunited with their owner.

 

Thank you again,

Sarah

Edited August 25, 2015 by Simplysls

[Mar56]

Sarah thank you for coming back and letting us know about finding the luggage. Also a big thank you for your tips noted above. I have printed them out.

 

And yaaaaayyy re the found luggage.

[cruz chic]

I'm so glad your moms luggage has been found! Thx for the tips. I had my own luggage situation on the way to a cruise a couple years ago but luckily it was found after several days. It's not a fun experience. Your mother is lucky to have you!

[Simplysls]

Thank you so much Mar56. You have been so great! I appriciate all of your support.

I'm glad you found my 'suggestion' helpful. I've learned so much the past few days. I hope it can help you out with all of your future travels.

 

I had no idea how this whole 'lost luggage' thing worked exactly. I hope my struggles and lessons learned helps at least one future traveler.

 

Always,

Sarah

[Simplysls]

Thank you so much Cruz Chic!! You also have been so helpful and supportive. Couldn't have done this without all this great support.

 

I'm sorry to hear you went through a similar sistuation. It's such a 'lost' and 'helpless' feeling. I'm happy your luggage was found.

 

Thank you so much again!

Always,

Sarah

[Fouremco]

Wow, that's quite a comprehensive list! :)

 

I hope for your mum's sake that the located luggage is intact and that all of her possessions are safe and sound: one final stage for you to report on.

[Simplysls]

Thank you Fouremco!! I'm hoping the same about her personal items...keeping positive hopes. I'll let you know later tonight.

 

Thank you for your support too!! Means a ton, truly.

 

Sincerely,

Sarah

[sail7seas]

So happy to hear your Mom will be reunited with her suitcase. Hopefully, all the contents are intact.

 

Your list of tips is excellent but I wonder if you would share just how you shared about the suitcase on 'social media'? Did you post on the airline's FB, your own FB. I not all that sophisticated to know the best way to get your message out there. :o

 

[madera1]

So happy to hear your mom!s luggage has been found. Thanks too for the tips.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Barrheadlass]

I thank you for the tips too. Air France kept my luggage in Paris for a couple of extra days after I flew home last year, and I was a wreck. So glad you located the luggage!

[Simplysls]

Hi sail7seas,

 

Thank you for your kind words. I too hope all the contents is inside safe & sound!!! We'll see...

 

I'd be happy to share how I 'got the word out' via social media.

 

All social media, except Vine (I think) has the ability for you to contact other people directly to share messages, photos, etc.

 

You must join each form of social media below. It's fairly easy to join & set up a page with each. There's usually step by step instructions. Happy to assist if needed.

 

Twitter for example allows you to connect directly to the airlines themselves. In your message, include the @ symbol. For example, I touched base with JetBlue. In my tweet, I wrote @jetBlue and listed all other airlines I could think of so they all would get my same message and luggage picture. (For example: @delta, @united, @frontier @americanair, and so on). You can research other ways to connect by directly going to, for example, Delta's Twitter page. I typed in @delta and was directly routed to their Twitter page, where I discovered there was a delta assistant. I wrote directly to them as well by getting the Twitter address, ie: @deltassit. Twitter however, was my least helpful form of social media regarding this sistuation, as I have yet to hear from anyone to correspond with.

 

Facebook worked the best. If you log into FB there is a search at the top of the page. There I typed in each airline I could think of and was directed to their personal home page. If you scroll down there's usually an area that you can click that reads 'post to page.' Click that and write what you'd like directly to their page. You can also send them a private message, by going to the top of their FB page and clicking 'message.' Your message will be sent to them privately. Another good thing to do is when posting info about a messing bag, make sure that post will be seen by the public. Change the settings before posting it if you have certain security settings on. Allowing your message to be viewed publicly will reach out to more people than just those who are your FB friends. You want this message to get out to everyone if possible.

 

Instagram is mostly for pictures, but you have the ability to write a caption under the photos. Where Instagram differs is the way you can contact certain groups of people. Once you post a picture you can include certain groups your photo. If you type in #lostluggage, your photo & contents will be directly linked and posted to anyone who has ever typed in that hashtag. Your picture is now included in a group of basically everyone who has lost luggage. I used the hashtags: #lost #lostsuitecase #lostluggage #lostandfound #airplane #delta and so on. You can also direct your picture to certain people and pages as well by tying in @delta and that info will go directly to them along with anyone you also include.

 

LinkedIn helped me research contact information of VP, CEO's, etc of each airline. Sometimes you can get lucky and get a more direct contact number, but most of the time it's the Centeral 1-800 number.

 

Also every airlines has a separate baggage phone number. Again, it's usually an 800 number, but worth calling. From there they usually will direct you to their lost luggage department. And you can give them all the pertinent information. Some airlines had a nationwide database for info containing lost luggage. I had the one who did take all my if I and directly add it to their database. Anyone in that company could pull up the last luggage database & see that I was searching for a certain bag. Some airlines, such as South West didn't have a lost luggage nationwide database unfortunately, but most did.

 

I hope this isn't too confusing and helps a little. Let me know if you need more clarification, as this can be a bit confusing - completely understandable. I'm happy to help you should you need any assistance with regards to this.

 

Always,

Sarah

[Simplysls]

So happy to hear your mom!s luggage has been found. Thanks too for the tips.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

Thank you SO much!! I'm happy to has been located too. Hope the tips come in handy!!

[Simplysls]

I thank you for the tips too. Air France kept my luggage in Paris for a couple of extra days after I flew home last year, and I was a wreck. So glad you located the luggage!

 

Thank you, thank you. I'm happy this puzzle has almost been solved!! Hope the tips come in handy in the future. Sorry to hear about your bag!! It's a really awful feeling & I would never wish anyone to have to go through it. It's too bad mix-ups like this happen...

 

Appriciate your support!!

[sail7seas]

Hi sail7seas,

 

Thank you for your kind words. I too hope all the contents is inside safe & sound!!! We'll see...

 

I'd be happy to share how I 'got the word out' via social media.

 

All social media, except Vine (I think) has the ability for you to contact other people directly to share messages, photos, etc.

 

You must join each form of social media below. It's fairly easy to join & set up a page with each. There's usually step by step instructions. Happy to assist if needed.

 

Twitter for example allows you to connect directly to the airlines themselves. In your message, include the @ symbol. For example, I touched base with JetBlue. In my tweet, I wrote @jetBlue and listed all other airlines I could think of so they all would get my same message and luggage picture. (For example: @delta, @united, @frontier @americanair, and so on). You can research other ways to connect by directly going to, for example, Delta's Twitter page. I typed in @delta and was directly routed to their Twitter page, where I discovered there was a delta assistant. I wrote directly to them as well by getting the Twitter address, ie: @deltassit. Twitter however, was my least helpful form of social media regarding this sistuation, as I have yet to hear from anyone to correspond with.

 

Facebook worked the best. If you log into FB there is a search at the top of the page. There I typed in each airline I could think of and was directed to their personal home page. If you scroll down there's usually an area that you can click that reads 'post to page.' Click that and write what you'd like directly to their page. You can also send them a private message, by going to the top of their FB page and clicking 'message.' Your message will be sent to them privately. Another good thing to do is when posting info about a messing bag, make sure that post will be seen by the public. Change the settings before posting it if you have certain security settings on. Allowing your message to be viewed publicly will reach out to more people than just those who are your FB friends. You want this message to get out to everyone if possible.

 

Instagram is mostly for pictures, but you have the ability to write a caption under the photos. Where Instagram differs is the way you can contact certain groups of people. Once you post a picture you can include certain groups your photo. If you type in #lostluggage, your photo & contents will be directly linked and posted to anyone who has ever typed in that hashtag. Your picture is now included in a group of basically everyone who has lost luggage. I used the hashtags: #lost #lostsuitecase #lostluggage #lostandfound #airplane #delta and so on. You can also direct your picture to certain people and pages as well by tying in @delta and that info will go directly to them along with anyone you also include.

 

LinkedIn helped me research contact information of VP, CEO's, etc of each airline. Sometimes you can get lucky and get a more direct contact number, but most of the time it's the Centeral 1-800 number.

 

Also every airlines has a separate baggage phone number. Again, it's usually an 800 number, but worth calling. From there they usually will direct you to their lost luggage department. And you can give them all the pertinent information. Some airlines had a nationwide database for info containing lost luggage. I had the one who did take all my if I and directly add it to their database. Anyone in that company could pull up the last luggage database & see that I was searching for a certain bag. Some airlines, such as South West didn't have a lost luggage nationwide database unfortunately, but most did.

 

I hope this isn't too confusing and helps a little. Let me know if you need more clarification, as this can be a bit confusing - completely understandable. I'm happy to help you should you need any assistance with regards to this.

 

Always,

Sarah

 

This is fabulous, Sarah.

Thank you so much for sharing exactly how to go about it.

I have printed this post for reference lest I need it for one reason or another.

Very generous of you to outline all those steps.

 

May all your travels be safe and may your luggage always go where you are going and arrive the same time you do. :)

 

[Simplysls]

This is fabulous, Sarah.

Thank you so much for sharing exactly how to go about it.

I have printed this post for reference lest I need it for one reason or another.

Very generous of you to outline all those steps.

 

May all your travels be safe and may your luggage always go where you are going and arrive the same time you do. :)

 

 

Thank you, I sure hope it helps and isn't too confusing. Again, I'm happy to help if you ever would like. I can give you some personal contact info if that's an option on this site, if not I can find another way. Let me know.

 

Hopefully you'll never have a need to use any of these lists I've created and that you and your bags arrive at the same place at the same time as well as you in the future too!! Happy and safe travels!! Thank you so much again for all the support!!!