[Paulechols]

On May 11 th 2009 my GPS was stolen out of my checked baggage. I actually saw my baggage get on the plane in Fargo. I had a lay over in Chicago before my final destination Manchester New Hampshire. My bag did not arrive with me in Manchester. The United baggage rep said it was found on Pier 12 in Chicago. Evidently some United employee rummaged my bag and stole a fanny pack that had a Garmin GPS, GPS charger, dash mount and my cell phone car charger in it and left the bag not bothering to get it to the next cart for processing.

United at first told me they were not responsible and please fly them again. I wrote a letter to MR Tilton the President of United. He had a minion Customer service rep send me a 150.00 travel voucher and asked me to fly them again. I sent the President a copy of the email I sent to our corporate travel office asking them not to route me on United ever again and a copy of an email to our director warning employees of theft from United baggage.

What an insult to send me a voucher for 150.00 to replace 500.00 worth of GPS, Map updates, chargers and accesories plus a 40.00 leather fanny pack. I have vowed never to spend another dime with United if I can help it. I will also avoid Chicago if at all possible. Last year I flew 12 trips which was 20 flights for business. Eight of those flights were on United. Now in the grand picture of airline miles I am just a drop in the bucket, but you can count on me to make them loose 500.00 in profit from me before I ever fly with them again.

I have also passed this story on to all my friends and co-workers, many of whom fly for business. If United ever needs a bailout again I will be the first to contact my representatives in government and urge them to let this airline die and let the vultures scavenge the pieces. Surely a better airline would rise from the ashes. Any company that has the gall to charge money for handling luggage and then deny any responsibility for the luggage deserves to fail.

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by Paulechols

United at first told me they were not responsible and please fly them again. I wrote a letter to MR Tilton the President of United. He had a minion Customer service rep send me a 150.00 travel voucher and asked me to fly them again. I sent the President a copy of the email I sent to our corporate travel office asking them not to route me on United ever again and a copy of an email to our director warning employees of theft from United baggage.

What an insult to send me a voucher for 150.00 to replace 500.00 worth of GPS, Map updates, chargers and accesories (sic) plus a 40.00 leather fanny pack. I have vowed never to spend another dime with United if I can help it. I will also avoid Chicago if at all possible. Last year I flew 12 trips which was 20 flights for business. Eight of those flights were on United. Now in the grand picture of airline miles I am just a drop in the bucket, but you can count on me to make them loose 500.00 in profit from me before I ever fly with them again.

I have also passed this story on to all my friends and co-workers, many of whom fly for business. If United ever needs a bailout again I will be the first to contact my representatives in government and urge them to let this airline die and let the vultures scavenge the pieces. Surely a better airline would rise from the ashes. Any company that has the gall to charge money for handling luggage and then deny any responsibility for the luggage deserves to fail.

Unfortunately valuables in checked baggage aren't safe nor will the airlines take any responsibility for the contents of your bag. You'd be surprised how many people will claim they had a priceless Picasso in their luggage! You should be glad you even got the voucher. If your GPS unit was so important to you why wasn't is insured? Couldn't it have been just as easily stolen from your vehicle?

What bailout are you speaking of? Back in 2001?

[Paulechols]

Originally Posted by PHXFlyer

Unfortunately valuables in checked baggage aren't safe nor will the airlines take any responsibility for the contents of your bag. You'd be surprised how many people will claim they had a priceless Picasso in their luggage! You should be glad you even got the voucher. If your GPS unit was so important to you why wasn't is insured? Couldn't it have been just as easily stolen from your vehicle?

What bailout are you speaking of? Back in 2001?

As an engineer there is so much stuff I travel with that I have to check Tools and a lot of stuff I would prefer to keep with me. I did not insure the GPS because I did not anticipate it being stolen by airline personnel. When I use my GPS in a car it always stays with me. In the 8 months I owned that GPS it was always in my care. How dare you insult me by making this out that I did not do enough to insure the GPS. When I am forced to check my bags due to the nature of the content, When I am forced to check my bags due to limitations on carry ons, When I am forced to pay baggage and excess baggage fees and overweight baggage fees I should be able to hold airlines accountable. I can prove I owned that GPS and the SN and have emails proving I had just bought 69.00 worth of map updates two weeks before the theft. I am not a crook. I pay my way through life with hard work and being stuck on airplanes with crabby stews and late flights and lost baggage and now stolen property.

How dare you suggest that anyone should be happy to be ripped off of 500.00 be it GPS or cash and get a 150.00 voucher that the person will never use. If it is you that is providing me with the 500,00 I am out then you might have some rights to address this with me. Other wise you should stay out of issue you have no financial stake in.

I was actually speaking of the bailout that United wanted prior to filing bankruptcy when three years ago?? The judge should have sold off the airline and paidd off the creditors and original stock holders.

[mars6423]

I dont believe that PHXFlyer was insulting you or making it seem like it was your fault or any such thing

it seems to me that he was just pointing out that checked luggage isnt always safe and that things get stolen. Many times it isnt the airline staff that steals things, it is the airport staff that have greedy hands. And he also pointed out that if you can it is a good idea to insure valuables with travel insurance or some other form. He/she wasn't going after you

and if you were offended about PHXFlyer sayin stuff bout people claiming things that were not truely theirs, than you read it wrong. They were just sayin that people not including you, will say anythin to get money or vouchars or some form of compensation.

And

[Paulechols]

Originally Posted by mars6423

I dont believe that PHXFlyer was insulting you or making it seem like it was your fault or any such thing

it seems to me that he was just pointing out that checked luggage isnt always safe and that things get stolen. Many times it isnt the airline staff that steals things, it is the airport staff that have greedy hands. And he also pointed out that if you can it is a good idea to insure valuables with travel insurance or some other form. He/she wasn't going after you

and if you were offended about PHXFlyer sayin stuff bout people claiming things that were not truely theirs, than you read it wrong. They were just sayin that people not including you, will say anythin to get money or vouchars or some form of compensation.

And

I am very upset over the situation and I may have miss read his intent. I work hard for everything I get. Nothing is given to me and I do not expect it to be. Five hundred dollars is important to me. I do expect airlines to be responsible for my bags I check with them especially when I have to pay them extra above and beyond most passengers. I am in a position where I do service a customers needs as a systems engineer. I was taught a long time ago that every problem that comes up is also an opportunity to show how good the company is. It is a chance to wow a customer with great customer service. We were taught to do more than the customer expects. It takes a longtime to gain a client but it can takes seconds to lose them. Stealing from me is a good reason to lose me as a client. Refusing to make me whole after my loss reinforces my feelings. Only a fool would continue to do business with someone that treats you that way.

[mars6423]

dont get me wrong, it does suck and its happend to me

i think that you are goin a great thing by working for what you get, i believe thats how things should be, i am not a fan of "freebes/people givig things just for a reason". I congradulate you on your work ethic and thats the way it should be

i hope you the best and i hope that your not in that situation again

[PHXFlyer]

I'm sorry you mis-interpreted my post. I'm guessing you read my "sympathizer" label and felt I wasn't on your side. (Thanks again, MOD! Free speech...PISH POSH!) I realize your loss was real and was only pointing out that airlines can't entertain every loss claim they receive because of all the people who try to scam them. You must also realize that even though you paid $500 for your GPS unit if it wasn't brand new in the box it wasn't worth $500. Have you contactedyour homeowner's insurance. Perhaps they can help.

I know several people who travel with valuable "tools of the trade" and they ship their tools via FedEx rather than check them on an airline. FedEx guarantees delivery and insures the items you are shipping.

[Silent Bob]

PHX the anger that Paul let out towards you was as the mods intended, which is why the label is given so that when those that do come on here and complain, if we reply we will be bashed or attacked, without folks looking at reason. I would rather have the label of "Frequent Flyer" which makes more sense, but.... meh.

But Paul, you cannot blame the airline outright simply because they are not the only ones who have their hands in their bags. You also have to look at TSA whose employees are also prone to having sticky fingers, them even more so because they have X-rays that look into your bag and if they see something they like, they can just open it up. So I would go after both parties, though you'll never get a definitive answer from either party and they'll blame each other claiming "they did it". sad but true.

Hey welcome to the sympathizer club Mars, what did you do to get punished? hehehehe