[rolex50]

I was flying on a Delta flight from San Jose to New York, with a stop in Atlanta. This was a business trip and I was flying first class. When I arrived in Atlanta I was in a hurry because they don’t leave much time between flights. I had bought some bottles of alcohol at the duty free that I was told would be separately transported due to my first class status but that was a lie. I ended up breaking a bottle while trying to pack it into my already full carry-on that they told/made me check. I was hesitant to check it because I had very important documents for a meeting with a new client the next morning but I clearly had no choice and my plane was leaving within the hour. When I got to New York I was told my bag was in Boston. I explained that it was very important that I have my bag in the AM for an important meeting. I was assured that the bag will be sent out first thing in the morning and that I would receive a phone call twenty minutes beforehand as a heads up so I moved my breakfast meeting to a lunch meeting. At 11am I got a call that a courier would have my bag to me between 1pm and 5pm (which is clearly very different from what I was told). I couldn’t wait for my bag so I went to the meeting completely unprepared and lacking important documents. My business is only a month old and this client could be the difference between survival and failure. This fiasco cost my business hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. The icing on the cake was when I got home after the meeting my bag had arrived and it was broken. There were also two cartons of cigarettes missing that I had bought in the duty free. I sent Delta a long email explaining the situation and was simply told to follow some procedure for damaged luggage. What they couldn’t understand was that I couldn’t care less about the $200 bag, the $60 bottle of alcohol, and the two cartons worth about $60, but rather the fact that I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue. I understand that I cannot expect that money back, so all I was asking was for the money for the stuff that was stolen and broken and possibly a first class ticket voucher for being a loyal customer and first class passenger. Both requests were denied and I now finally have a moment to express my displeasure. I will never fly Delta again and I will strongly recommend to everyone I know never to fly them again!

[Silent Bob]

sooooooooo just to kinda sew things up here, you went and bought some duty free stuff, packed em in a bag with some important documents and then proceeded to check said bag (because you had to) only to have the bag end up in boston, losing you hundred thousands of dollars. When really it would have been waaaaay smarter to not buy the duty free at all or at least keep your documents in a different bag (even a plastic one). Delta is definitely at fault for misplacing your bag, but come on, who can you really blame for the fact that you lost so much money? Think about it, did you REALLY need the duty free stuff? Really!? I think this is a lesson learned ya?

[rolex50]

I'm not sure what lesson you would like me to learn. Is it never place important items in checked luggage? Is it never to shop at duty free? Let's not forget, I simply wanted my bag when I came off the plane and then was told they would be there first thing in the morning, then it was not and I when I did get my bag back, it was broken and with missing items. Is that really an experience that does not deserve merit? I don't disagree that I probably should have taken the documents and I did consider it but it wasn't a folder, it was about 30 pounds of paper that wouldn't fit in my briefcase that already had a computer in it. I guess I could have shared those details but didn't find it necessary.

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

ROLEX:

If your business is only a month old, it sounds like you might be flying again, soon. Also, if I read your post correctly, if the only thing missing was the duty-free purchases, and you had your papers, in time for your meeting, you would be seeing things a lot differently now.

The only things I place in checked luggage are things that can, cheaply, be replaced—underwear, socks, toiletries, etc. Anything valuable, that I can’t carry-on, goes by UPS. Yes, UPS can lose stuff too. But it has yet to happen to me. Besides, if UPS did business like the airlines who take passengers, they’d probably be bankrupt by now. If 100K, really, was at stake, then a couple hundred dollars would have been worth the cost to UPS, or Fedex, those papers, from San Jose, by next-day service. Assuming you were staying in the city of San Jose, rather than rural Costa Rica, I’m sure some sort of photocopying service is available in San Jose where you could have had copies made.

If you travel to Latin America, or the Carribbean, again, I would recommend Air Canada via Toronto. Air Canada is every bit as crummy as Delta, American Air, or United. However, in the case of Air Canada, you do have the option of complaining to Transport Canada. Unlike the US DOT, Transport Canada has slightly more leverage with Canadian airlines. However, don’t expect fast action. The “turn-around” time is counted in months!

If you, regularly, travel first class, Continental Air (International Business Class) is, probably, an equally viable option. If you look at the statistics, Continental appears to have fewer complaints than the other “legacy” airlines. If traveling from Latin America, book your flights so you clear Customs/Immigration in Houston (“IAH”). That airport is one of the newer ones in the country, and therefore, probably, has better Customs/Immigration facilities than Continental’s other major hub—Newark, NJ (“EWR”).

[Jetliner]

Originally Posted by rolex50

I'm not sure what lesson you would like me to learn. Is it never place important items in checked luggage?

That's what I'm going with. If it's that absolutely important than carry it on.

[billie789]

Yes, rolex50, we are saying Do Not, under any circumstances, place anything of value in your checked bags.

We made that mistake in Seattle last summer with Delta after a cruise. My wife put her jewelry in her checked bag, thinking it was safer to check a bag than lug it around. Huge mistake!

Not only did the bag not arrive in Salt Lake City when they delivered it to our house 2 days later, the jewelry was stolen.

I complained as much as I could and got someone in security at the Seattle airport to tell me that Delta's checked bag area has no security cameras and the handlers are free to rummage through bags as they please. Then, they make sure the bag is "misplaced" for a couple of days so that when it shows up at your front door, you don't have any idea who, in a chain of 15 more people, may have stolen your stuff.


Criminals!