[Etihad Representative]

Good Morning all ,

I need all of your wealth of knowledge on an issue if possible.

Who is ultimately liable for unchecked baggage left on board a flight usually? I know as an airline worker, i should probably know the answer to this , however i find nothing in our Conditions of Carriage. My former Airline mentioned this clearly, however not to be this time!

I have asked for an answer from my airline, and am waiting, however was curious to hear from you lot too

Thanks Guys ...

[PHXFlyer]

A carryon bag left on-board would be handled no differently than a pair of glasses, cellphone or laptop. (Yes, people do leave laptops on planes!) If it's not checked it's not tagged and therefore not "in the system." The airline wouldn't deliver the bag either. You'd have to go back to the airport to claim it.

[Etihad Representative]

Thanks for that PHX, What about just one item ? say for example, I left my laptop on board (No I havent FYI ) ... am I right in thinking that on most airlines, the passenger would have no recourse? In the UK I know that to be true but the US I am not sure about.

[jimworcs]

I cannot see how the airline could be liable. The item was always in the control of the passenger and leaving it on board is negligent. It would shock me if any court or regulator could find that items which are in the possession of the passenger is the legal responsibility of the airline.

[The_Judge]

Oh I'm sure they would somehow be found liable. They're responsible for weather and about everything else so why wouldn't they also be in charge of people's personal belongings that they leave behind.

[Jetliner]

It does not matter if it's a bag, glasses, computer, ipod, etc - if you bring it on and it is not given to the airline to handle, the airline is not responsible.

[The_Judge]

Customers should be responsible. We all know that....... but in reality, they blame everyone but themselves.

I left my book onboard.......well, if the connection time wasn't so close, I wouldn't have to hurry. I forgot my passport in the seat pocket (yes...it happens ALOT) well, someone should have told me to check that. I've had that excuse given to me.

I could go on and on and...........

[jimworcs]

"they" blame everyone but themselves!! All customers? Most travel and the airline never hears from them, either because the trip went smoothly or because they don't make a fuss.. a tiny minority are vocal...

[The_Judge]

Never said all customers. Customers that have no problems can give no blame. I am referring to ones that have problems. Many times, not all times, these problems are easy to fix or can be avoided by FOLLOWING THE RULES and LISTENING. Instead, they get into a situation where they need help and blame others for getting there.

[The_Judge]

Found this just posted on another site. Pretty much makes my point. It is a bit long winded but nowhere in his/her rant does he/she take any responsibility.

http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=53556

[jimworcs]

Well, Judge, I am afraid that link does not make your point.. in fact it makes the opposite point. The customer left his mobile phone on the plane. All he wanted to know was whether the phone was handed in. He was not blaming the company, not claiming compensation...just wanted to know, was it handed in. He got delta type service. Failure to return calls, the run around and lies, obnoxious "customer care" staff and when he finally found an employee who had more than 2 brain cells, she resolved his query, ie. she confirmed that no-one had handed the phone in. Whole event over. Judge.. you seem locked into thinking the customer is attacking the airline just by asking a simple question. Here is what happened when the employee responded to his questions appropriately:

a very nice lady who has nothing to do with lost property at all jumps onto her database and within seconds establishes that my cell phone type has never been found on any Air NZ or Quantas flight in the past three months! As simple as that. Thank you very much and have a nice day! That's all I wanted to know

Had AirNZ called him back first time and told him that, it would have been over, the customer would have been satisfied and the whole saga needn't have happened. The folly of airlines cutting customer service to the bone is that it leaves customers angry, frustrated and ultimately takes up more time trying to solve the problems not just of the original complaint, but mopping up the mess left by the morons who can't seem to resolve the problem first time. I can't see anything wrong with what this passenger did.

[The_Judge]

I've got an extra pair of glasses I can mail you, Jim, if you can't see it. I'll be happy to send 'em out.

In the very first paragraph of the review link I provided, the passenger is already complaining about how to contact Air New Zealand. No mention that he is the idiot who forgot his phone, just blaming an airline for how the contact is to be made.

He then gets into name calling after finally reaching someone.

He then goes into a spew about his flight issues but fails to say they did a good job getting him and 4 other people on another airline with no waiting in lines for reissuing tickets. He then has the audacity (sp?) to blame NZ after the fact cuz he had no paperwork showing his itinerary.

He then calls another employee a female dog and complains about his phone conversations.

After which he gets ahold of superwoman who can apparently check 2 different airline's lost articles in every city over the past 3 months in just a few keystrokes. That, to me, is the best part. No way in the world this employee gave this guy correct information. These items that are found are logged MANUALLY by each city and then either sent to a central area after a certain amount of time of donated to a designated orginazation.

In fact, there was a period of time that the airline I worked for was so fed up with lost articles that management said to just get rid of them. We didn't have the staff to deal with the paperwork and phone calls received. Didn't last long but it was a great time to be working there.

[jimworcs]

Not all airlines operate by the very low standards of the US market, because in other countries airlines often have to make a profit and can't go bankrupt and emerge as the largest air carrier in the world. For example, the number 2 airline in Australia was allowed to go bankrupt, without the federal government rescuing them.

Now, as to your cynicism that the employee could not have found that information, different airlines operate different systems for handling lost property. The US airlines are operating their services over a continent sized country, so handling items in such a system is highly complex. NZ is smaller than Oregan.. not quite so hard to have a central "lost property" register. Qantas does not operate services within or beyond New Zealand, all their flights are handled via Air NZ, as part of a joint operating agreement made between Qantas and Air NZ in 2002. They purchase aircraft together, don't compete and handle each others operations in their respective countries. Qantas and Air NZ also have cross ownership stakes. Therefore it is not outwith the bounds of possibility that they have joint computer systems. Even if they don't, as Air NZ handles Qantas in NZ, that their records are joint.

His complaint was about the handling of the question.... he was not blaming anyone else for his lost property. He was re-routed and was not given paperwork to have a record of the re-route.. but then the airline demanded that he have the proof. I can't see anything wrong with that complaint.

I still want the glasses though.

[jimworcs]

I have no idea why that is in giant letters.. I did not do it deliberately.. and I cannot figure out how it happened.... if anyone knows what I did, let me know!!

[The_Judge]

You you did it deliberately. And I thought it was pretty funny.

[jimworcs]

I genuinely didn't although the effect is funny cos of the "glasses" thread. I can't find a font size menu anywhere.. it is a total mystery how it happened! Honest!