Qantas Losing luggage - well delayed luggage anyway.

[Robmn]

Last week took at trip SYD MEL LST and returned yesterday. (I like to fly the Dash 8). and not particularly partial to JA flights even though direct.

Selecting our flights had to change in MEL this was a stop over of 45 minutes and previously had not been problem with luggage transfer. Our return flight a stopover in MEL of one hour.

On arrival in LST no luggage turned up - the staff at LST checked and found it and would follow on the next flight then delivered to our accommodation - no real drama except I received it about 6 hours later. The staff kept me informed as to what was happening.

Now for our return flights started with a delayed Dash 8 flight - something to do with international passengers in MEL for which they waited. This was about one hour delay. So we were issued with new boarding passes for our MEL – SYD leg as we were not going to make our connection. On arrival in MEL the SYD aircraft had been delayed in PER due to thunder storm activity. All the delays added another 2.5 hours to the trip. (3.55hrs - total including airport time took 9hrs)

On arrival in SYD turned on the mobile and a message from QANTAS - your luggage is no on you aircraft but on a following flight go to Baggage Services - on checking with them was due in at 19.00 so we waited no problem (but again late luggage.) Went back after a required 20 minutes, no bags could not find them. Re addressing their computers to find out exactly where it was - had been booked on two flights numbers and was still in MEL. So I gave up after that and went home and let them deliver the baggage once again.

Because of the delays had to make other arrangements to be picked up at T3 not good.

I must say the staff at both LST and SYD were very helpful and considerate - I do commend them in the way they handled their tasks.

There does seem to be a problem with the system for me to lose baggage on both trips. Then to send a text message, telling me where my bags were, which turned out to be incorrect.

Previously when I made this trip my bags were tagged Priority which did the trick.

Is this loosing baggage something to do with all the electronic baggage handling and is the regularity more apparent??

r

 

[Must...Fly!]

In this situation it's feasible that the plane going to SYD may have been operating back to PER. The delay earlier in the day means that the aircraft is now delaying other services it is due to operate. It may have been necessary to just get everyone on board and limit the amount of luggage that could be loaded, in order to get the aircraft away ASAP.

 

[Fantic125]

This sort of thing happens; the more often you fly the greater the chances.

The best one I had was a 2 day business trip from Adelaide to Cleveland, Ohio (ADL-SYD-SFO-ORD-CLE). I made it on schedule, but my luggage didn't.

It finally arrived 2 days later at 11pm; I had to check out the following morning at 4am to make my flight CLE-ORD-LHR-HKG-CAN.

Unfortunately due to bad weather I couldn't leave for 2 days......

At least I now had a change of clothes......

 

[straitman]

My wife seems to have a bag go astray on about one in three or one in four occasions. It becomes a part of life after a while.

 

[Fantic125]

straitman, I have to ask; how was India?

 

[Robmn]

After reading other posts I'm resigned to having my baggage go missing, not lost and taking more carry on all the time, just in case.

I take out insurance as the Qantas remuneration is linked to the fare type.

Interesting clip!

April 7, 2009
A federal judge for the Eastern District of New York ruled that a class action against British Airways for lost passenger luggage could move forward, denying the airline's motion to dismiss.

The suit, filed in September 2007, seeks actual damages for passengers' lost luggage. BA's current policy only reimburses passengers up to $1,500, and the airline claims that it is not responsible for actual losses until the number of lost bags exceeds 50 percent of the total.
The $1,500 cap is set by the Montreal Convention, to which 125 countries, including the U.S., are signatories. The Convention caps liability, but contains an exception for circumstances in which the airline acted recklessly, knowing that damage would likely result from their conduct. The suit alleges that BAs conduct was indeed reckless.


r

 

[Simo]

I have had a bag go missing but no big deal because I was bak at home.

Mum had VA loose her bag and she was on holidays so had no clothes for 24 hours.

Mum landed in SYD and then was being driven out to Forbes and then another hour west to a family members farm they delivered the bag all the way out there.

Must have cost them a fortune.

 

[Mattg]

Qantas has "lost" my suitcase (delivered it 24 hours late to my house) a couple of times. Funnily enough, both times were because it didn't make a connection in MEL. The last time it happened there were actually more than 20 lost bags on the same flight. I now always pack a change of clothes in my carry-on

 

[Ewing]

I now always pack a change of clothes in my carry-on

It's good advice, and something that I also always do.

I've only ever had my luggage delayed twice. Once was on QF8 DFW-BNE which I expected after reading the stories (they rerouted it via LAX and onto QF12), and another time but I can't remember the specifics as it was about 4 years ago (from memory it missed the MEL-CBR connection).

Annoyingly in the case of QF8 - baggage services were totally useless and simply sent me on my way with a phone number to call. It was the person manning the Qantas Twitter account who found out what had happened to it, and kept me updated right up until it was delivered the next day!