CanadianNorth From Canada, joined Aug 2002, 3371 posts, RR: 10 Posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 16 hours ago) and read 2513 times:
Hi everyone!
I have just returned from a 2 week tour in Europe. The flts were really nice and enjoyable. However, on the way there Lufthansa lost our luggage. We had 26 people in our group, all checked in early and had multiple hour connections at both YVR and FRA on our trip from YXY-YVR-FRA-FCO, and none of us got luggage till at least 2 days into the trip. They did find mine in the first load so I wont rant on about that. However, I would like to know why they lied to our group a few days later.
At this point in the trip we had 5 bags still lost. We called Lufthansa and they told us they found 10 of our bags, and they'd send them right away. The next day 3 bags arrived at our hotel. One bag belonged to a member of our group, the other two were baby stollers which belonged to poeple who none of us ever heard of.
This obviously ment they didn't know where the other 4 bags were but said they knew exactly where they were. So my question to you guys is does anyone have any ideas as to why an airline like Lufthansa would lie to us about our luggage?
Cruiser From Canada, joined Apr 2005, 998 posts, RR: 8 Reply 1, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 2442 times:
No offense, but when in comes to luggage, you just have to think of the sheer volume that the airline deals with. On any given flight, there are probably 300-400 pieces of luggage...it has to make it through the baggage system and be properly routed (including going through scanning and security), it has to be thrown into the bin for your flight, that bin has to make it to the airplane (and be loaded on the correct airplane!), and then it has to be unloaded and thrown onto the correct carousel at the other end. Add in connections (which often cause problems!), checking-in early, and unusual sized objects, and you can see how complex the task truly is.
Furthermore, the tags on your bags are only read approximately 85-90% of the time by scanners. Your bag could be lost because it was only scanned when the initial label was printed...as a result, LH only had the check-in scan for the bag.
Its a big bad world out there and unfortunately, one small little error will route your bag to the wrong place...or just leave it sitting on a belt. It happens, so just get over it! Take only a carry-on if you are so worried about it the next time.
James
Leahy on Per Seat Costs: "Have you seen the B-2 fly-by at almost US$1bn a copy? It has only 2 seats!"
SA7700 From South Africa, joined Dec 2003, 2916 posts, RR: 20 Reply 2, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 2428 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD MODERATOR
Quoting Cruiser (Reply 1): No offense, but when in comes to luggage, you just have to think of the sheer volume that the airline deals with.
Quoting Cruiser (Reply 1): Its a big bad world out there and unfortunately, one small little error will route your bag to the wrong place...or just leave it sitting on a belt. It happens, so just get over it! Take only a carry-on if you are so worried about it the next time.
If you want to give yourself out as an airline, get paid to carry pax, their luggage and cargo; then you have to "deliver the goods" or be able to take a hiding when you did not deliver. If a surgeon performs an operation on you and make a small little error, which causes you discomfort, you are most likely going to report him/her to a professional council or sue. It is not simply a case of sh@t happens, get over it.
Rgds
SA7700
When you are doing stuff that nobody has done before, there is no manual – Kevin McCloud
Poitin From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 8 hours ago) and read 2354 times:
Quoting Cruiser (Reply 1): Its a big bad world out there and unfortunately, one small little error will route your bag to the wrong place...or just leave it sitting on a belt. It happens, so just get over it! Take only a carry-on if you are so worried about it the next time.
James
Right on!
There is an old saying about umbrellas -- you never need them if you have it with you. The same is true of your carry own. My checked luggage never gets lost if I don't need it disperately. Since I always carry a change of underwear and other vital supplies like my medicines with me in a carry on -- my bags never get lost. It's all a matter of karma, actually.
Cruiser From Canada, joined Apr 2005, 998 posts, RR: 8 Reply 4, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 8 hours ago) and read 2342 times:
Quoting SA7700 (Reply 2): If a surgeon performs an operation on you and make a small little error, which causes you discomfort, you are most likely going to report him/her to a professional council or sue. It is not simply a case of sh@t happens, get over it.
Dealing with a life is much different than dealing with material goods. Furthermore, there is no such professional body in the airline industry...a very weak comparison in my opinion. But seeing as you are in the medical profession, I am sure that you would know that...
James
Leahy on Per Seat Costs: "Have you seen the B-2 fly-by at almost US$1bn a copy? It has only 2 seats!"
CanadianNorth From Canada, joined Aug 2002, 3371 posts, RR: 10 Reply 5, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week ago) and read 2224 times:
Alright everyone, I'm going to clarify this a little.
Quoting Cruiser (Reply 1): It happens, so just get over it!
I'm not whining about my luggage getting lost. Shit happens, thats fine. They got my luggage to me eventually, Im happy. They deal with a rediculus ammount of luggage, and it really is amazing that they get as much right as they do. I was over it before it even happened. To be honest, I'm surprised they dont loose it more often.
What I am asking is if they don't know where our luggage is, why did they not just tell us they don't know where it is rather than making excuses and claiming its on its way?
WJ From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2006, 339 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (7 years 2 months 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 2158 times:
Quoting CanadianNorth (Reply 5): What I am asking is if they don't know where our luggage is, why did they not just tell us they don't know where it is rather than making excuses and claiming its on its way?
You tell me what your response would have been if an airline told you they had no idea where your bag is. Then you can figure out why they don't say it.
2 connections on an international trip involving an airline change? Lucky you got the bags at all.
Superhub From Hong Kong, joined Jan 2006, 476 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (7 years 2 months 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 2148 times:
Quoting CanadianNorth (Thread starter): This obviously ment they didn't know where the other 4 bags were but said they knew exactly where they were. So my question to you guys is does anyone have any ideas as to why an airline like Lufthansa would lie to us about our luggage?
Maybe they DID know where exactly they were. Except that the bags were scattered around different places. The 3 bags you got may be at FRA when you called while the other 5 were at YVR. Hence the 3 bags arrived first, and the other 5 were on the way from YVR.
They could have explained better to you by what they meant when they knew where the bags were...but I guess the agent did not bother/did not have time to tell you in detail.
9252fly From Canada, joined Sep 2005, 1344 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (7 years 2 months 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 2137 times:
Quoting CanadianNorth (Thread starter): This obviously ment they didn't know where the other 4 bags were but said they knew exactly where they were. So my question to you guys is does anyone have any ideas as to why an airline like Lufthansa would lie to us about our luggage?
I suspect they were sinking under the volume of delayed bags and were giving you the information that they had at hand. I would say that they probably knew where the bags were,it was a case of the bags moving through the system to catch up to you that was a problem.
Quoting Cruiser (Reply 1): Take only a carry-on if you are so worried about it the next time.
Good advice. Having some basic items in your carry-on to tide you over for a day or two is always good idea.
Quoting SA7700 (Reply 2): If you want to give yourself out as an airline, get paid to carry pax, their luggage and cargo; then you have to "deliver the goods" or be able to take a hiding when you did not deliver.
I'm to this day amazed that baggage makes it to it's destination and is reunited with it's owner. If you had the chance to see how the process works in a large hub airport,you would be astounded as I am amazed.
Quoting Poitin (Reply 3): Since I always carry a change of underwear and other vital supplies like my medicines with me in a carry on -- my bags never get lost. It's all a matter of karma, actually.
Well said!
Quoting CanadianNorth (Reply 5): What I am asking is if they don't know where our luggage is, why did they not just tell us they don't know where it is rather than making excuses and claiming its on its way?
The teamwork required to return you delayed baggage is reliant on human beings,what more can I say?
Superhub From Hong Kong, joined Jan 2006, 476 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (7 years 2 months 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 2111 times:
Quoting 9252fly (Reply 9):
I'm to this day amazed that baggage makes it to it's destination and is reunited with it's owner. If you had the chance to see how the process works in a large hub airport,you would be astounded as I am amazed.
I am amazed too. I was even more amazed when I only had 15 mins to connect at MSP (the incoming flight was severely delayed) and my baggage made it to my final destination with me.
HPRamper From United States of America, joined May 2005, 3664 posts, RR: 8 Reply 11, posted (7 years 2 months 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 2076 times:
Quoting Superhub (Reply 10): I was even more amazed when I only had 15 mins to connect at MSP (the incoming flight was severely delayed) and my baggage made it to my final destination with me.
I had the exact same situation, except at DTW, and my baggage didn't make it
I almost laughed when someone called our ops (erroneously) to complain about their late luggage. The woman was going on and on about important medicine in it. I wanted to snatch the phone and tell her, "That's what your carry-on is for!"
SA7700 From South Africa, joined Dec 2003, 2916 posts, RR: 20 Reply 12, posted (7 years 2 months 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 2008 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD MODERATOR
Quoting Cruiser (Reply 4): Dealing with a life is much different than dealing with material goods. Furthermore, there is no such professional body in the airline industry...a very weak comparison in my opinion. But seeing as you are in the medical profession, I am sure that you would know that...
It remains a matter of principle, however weak a comparison you may deem it or not. The buck does not merely stop, when dealing with human life. How about airlines, like SA, dealing with the transport of medical cases e.g. patients carried on stretchers on commercial flights? Admittedly the airlines that offer such services have certain regulations.
Lastly, the medical profession does not only deal with human life, but also with administration issues, etc. If/when I error in dealing with patients, even on an administrative level, I have to take responsibility for my actions.... I am sure that you would know that as well as I do. Delivering a service remains a two-way street, whether you acknowledge that fact or not.
Rgds
SA7700
When you are doing stuff that nobody has done before, there is no manual – Kevin McCloud
CanadianNorth From Canada, joined Aug 2002, 3371 posts, RR: 10 Reply 13, posted (7 years 2 months 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1908 times:
Quoting 9252fly (Reply 9): Good advice. Having some basic items in your carry-on to tide you over for a day or two is always good idea.
Yep, couldn't agree more. We had 26 people in our group, and I was one of about half a dozen people who did this; and this kind of situation is exactly why I do it.
Hiflyer From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 2118 posts, RR: 4 Reply 15, posted (7 years 2 months 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 1809 times:
Not defending LH here but carriers such as LH and AMR produce over 300,000 bag tags each a day to put on a product that has no standard shape, weight, or even made to any type of durability standard. Some carriers, UA is one, has gone to hand and fixed scanners thru their systems to track and control but even that does not guarentee 100 percent success. Delta has proposed RF id chips which is better than barcode scanning but those tags could cost as much as 50 cents each compared to 3 cents for a laser read tag. Airlines try for a mishandling rate from 2 per thousand to 4 per thousand pax carried...that is the measurement on the DOT stats..per thousand pax carried. Translate that to a percentage and a carrier that misses 5/thousand pax is doing a 99.5%.
StarAC17 From Canada, joined Aug 2003, 3226 posts, RR: 9 Reply 17, posted (7 years 2 months 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1595 times:
Quoting Superhub (Reply 10): am amazed too. I was even more amazed when I only had 15 mins to connect at MSP (the incoming flight was severely delayed) and my baggage made it to my final destination with me.
Yeah the same thing happened to me at DEN when I was travelling YYZ-DEN-SAN in AC and UA in 2002 and the YYZ-DEN leg was late and they held the UA flight for us (because we needed to catch a cruise) and the ticket agent knew who we were and we asked if our luggage would be on the flight and they said that all they had to do was drive in under the terminal building to the other gate and it was there when we got to SAN.
I was not as lucky when I flew YYZ-IAD-FLL, the flight was also delayed getting into IAD but I was not in danger of missing the conncection and they couldn't get the bag on the flight. They told me after that it had to be security scanned and would be on the later flight. Now it might be hard logistically but if the airline knows this is gonna happen can't the ticket agent come on board and tell the passengers this situation before the flight leaves.
Nzrich From New Zealand, joined Dec 2005, 1488 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (7 years 2 months 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 1492 times:
Yes i have to give a hand to the baggage handlers they do an amazing job .. With so many tight connections these days and flights running late its amazing the missing bag rate isnt higher.. Airlines in the Star Alliance now give you a pack if your bag goes missing if you need it ..It has a t shirt and basic toiletries in it ...
Nimish From India, joined Feb 2005, 3078 posts, RR: 9 Reply 19, posted (7 years 2 months 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 1485 times:
Quoting WJ (Reply 6): 2 connections on an international trip involving an airline change? Lucky you got the bags at all.
If they can't get the bags at the destination, don't charge for them.
Charging for the service and then not delivering is not on. And excuses like these are even worse (imagine the customer saying - this ticket costs $1000, but you're nuts if you expect I'll pay, but I still demand to be allowed to fly).
No offense, but I sure hope you don't work for an airline.
StealthZ From Australia, joined Feb 2005, 5433 posts, RR: 49 Reply 20, posted (7 years 2 months 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1441 times:
Quoting Superhub (Reply 8): did not have time to tell you in detail.
Sorry.. the copout BS from some of the industry "insiders" on this forum gets to me.
The airlines are happy to take your money, then commit to get you and your belongings to a destination. When that doesn't happen it's always something that is out of their control and the poor customer has to .. get over!!
If those same airline employees undertake to buy a product from Macy's, Walmart, Harrods or Aldis and it was not delivered when they expected they would be screaming bloody murder.. somehow the airline industry is above that and allowed to abuse the customer at their leisure.
Having technical glitches is a fact of life... lying to the customer about the resolution of those glitches is unacceptable!
If your camera sends text messages, that could explain why your photos are rubbish!
SA7700 From South Africa, joined Dec 2003, 2916 posts, RR: 20 Reply 21, posted (7 years 2 months 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1435 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD MODERATOR
Quoting StealthZ (Reply 20): If those same airline employees undertake to buy a product from Macy's, Walmart, Harrods or Aldis and it was not delivered when they expected they would be screaming bloody murder.. somehow the airline industry is above that and allowed to abuse the customer at their leisure.
Having technical glitches is a fact of life... lying to the customer about the resolution of those glitches is unacceptable!
Thank you StealthZ and welcome to my RU list.
Rgds
SA7700
When you are doing stuff that nobody has done before, there is no manual – Kevin McCloud
CanadianNorth From Canada, joined Aug 2002, 3371 posts, RR: 10 Reply 22, posted (7 years 2 months 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1404 times:
Quoting StealthZ (Reply 20): Having technical glitches is a fact of life... lying to the customer about the resolution of those glitches is unacceptable!
Thanks so much, that was exactly what I was trying to say.
Superhub From Hong Kong, joined Jan 2006, 476 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (7 years 2 months 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1395 times:
Quoting StealthZ (Reply 20): Sorry.. the copout BS from some of the industry "insiders" on this forum gets to me.
Firstly, I am not an industry insider, or "insider." I personally don't care what happens within an airline, or how complex things work. So do not assume I am some insider.
Secondly, I was only offering a hypothesis as to what could have happened. CanadianNorth wrote that by only delivering 3 bags, it meant that the airline actually did not know where did other bags were. This statement is not entirely true. The airline could know where they were, but their bags were at different places.
I never said the airline was right. Nor did I say or imply to CanadianNorth to get over it. In fact, he should get compensation from the airline. I have had the same problem with CX once (lost luggage) and they paid me 250 Pounds Sterling. He should also push the fact that the airline is lying and get more compensation.
Quoting StealthZ (Reply 20): The airlines are happy to take your money, then commit to get you and your belongings to a destination. When that doesn't happen it's always something that is out of their control and the poor customer has to .. get over!!
Quoting StealthZ (Reply 20): If those same airline employees undertake to buy a product from Macy's, Walmart, Harrods or Aldis and it was not delivered when they expected they would be screaming bloody murder.. somehow the airline industry is above that and allowed to abuse the customer at their leisure.
But that was not what CanadianNorth was complaining about. This thread is not about an airline not delivering luggages, but one which allegedly lied to a customer. Many of the posts here are just not answering his question.
CanadianNorth From Canada, joined Aug 2002, 3371 posts, RR: 10 Reply 24, posted (7 years 2 months 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1364 times:
Quoting Superhub (Reply 23): CanadianNorth wrote that by only delivering 3 bags, it meant that the airline actually did not know where did other bags were. This statement is not entirely true. The airline could know where they were, but their bags were at different places.
What I was pointing out was they said three of our bags were on the way, when actually only one was ours and the other two were not ours. They lied to us about where the bags were, and if they knew where they were then they'd have no reason to lie about it.
however,
Quoting Superhub (Reply 23): This thread is not about an airline not delivering luggages, but one which allegedly lied to a customer. Many of the posts here are just not answering his question.
Thank you for this statement, because I agree with you 120%.
CanadianNorth
What could possibly go wrong?
25 WJ: Not sure where you saw them get charge for baggage pretty much gets handled the same either way. Airlines are responsible for getting you from point
26 Superhub: Thanks for clarifying this. So they did lie to you which is unacceptable. Compensation is the very least you should ask for.
27 APFPilot1985: interesting article that I just read today about this very thing http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-03-20-19-26-01
28 Bond007: I guess the question is that did you know they lied...or just didn't have a clue what was going on. There is a big difference. They gave you incorrec
29 GQfluffy: Ok, so why I may not be telling the whole truth when you ask where the bag is, do you want me to honestly say I have no idea where the bag is, when i
30 APFPilot1985: it goes both ways, I know that I would value someone who was honest to me more than I would someone who lied. Of course if you just make something up
31 Superhub: No...you don't do that. You don't just say "Oh well" and forget about it. You would be saying, "I have no idea where it is, but I will find out for y
32 CanadianNorth: Yes I do. If you don't know where my bag is, then just say so. It wont exactly make my day, but I would feel better knowing that even though the airl
33 CRGsFuture: Honesty is the best policy, and when an airlines has the courage to say "We're sorry, we have no idea but I will find out for you Mr. Smith." that to
34 9252fly: If that were always possible,then yes I would agree with the statement. Let's take an example of a checked bag and some things that can go wrong. - B
35 N766UA: As previously mentioned, ALOT of things can lead to a bag being sent to the wrong place. Falls off a cart, someone reads the tag wrong, you check the
36 Superhub: So what is so impossible about saying to the customer "your bag has been loaded on the wrong flight?" or "we didn't put your bag on the aircraft beca
37 9252fly: That information is gladly passed on once the facts are known. The reality is that the information is not always instantaneously available. Who said
38 Superhub: True. I have acually had good experiences with airline lost luggage offices. They have been helpful and sorted the matter out very promptly. Kudos to
39 Ejmmsu: Yeah how dare you fly anywhere and expect to get your luggage ! Its customers like you that ruin it for eveyrone else.. expecting to get your luggage
40 Nimish: And for getting your baggage there as well. Either the airline is responsible for the baggage, or it's not. When I hand it over at the baggage check
41 Soups: 2 years ago UA lost my bag on a direct flight.. they found it... delivered it a week later at 3:45am
42 SA7700: Six years ago, BA lost a friend of mine's luggage from JNB-LHR-BIO. His irreparable, damaged hardtop suitcase arrived 8 days later - on the day that w
43 KaiGywer: Yeah, this also happened to my friend once. Inbound flight from AMS was delayed, and he had around 30 min from he got off the plane until his connect
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