Ok so where were we? Oh yes. The last time we convened I was marooned in a foreign city without my luggage. Just another typikel adventure.
As I shared in that vignette, my airline customer service rep didn’t have much chit-chat in him. With multiple flights cancelled that snowy day he was at the end of his tether. I managed to pry out of him the pertinent information of where to seek help regarding a reconnection with my baggage.
Should this ever happen to you this is what he recommended.
Go to the baggage area and ask for help there. Failing that, leave. Without your luggage. Once in your hotel or back at home, have a bite to eat and then call the “delayed baggage” number.
My advice?
STAY OR RETURN TO THE AIRPORT LATER AND SPEAK TO SOMEONE. IN PERSON.
After multiple phone calls from my hotel room both later that night and the next morning the only results I managed to acquire was an acute elevation in blood pressure. No one on the other end spoke my language. Seriously. It was a supreme lesson in frustration for all concerned.
A brief soupcon of my phone conversation early the next morning:
“Bag have luggage name tag?”
“Yes, but it’s worn out and hard to read. I was going to replace it but I found some yarn instead.”
“Barn? Bag go barn?”
“NO! You know when you knit you use yarn? I tied some coloured yarn to the handle. I thought it would make it easier to identify on the baggage carousel.”
Silly me. Huge pause on the other end. Then a very hopeful “Ribbon? Big ribbon handle?”
Oh lord. He’s going to record I have a ribbon and my baggage saviour will be searching for a huge satin job.
“NO. Threads. Colourful. Tied together in a bow.”
Dead silence.
“Toe? Your baggage label is shaped like toe.”
Clearly an in person visit was called for. I decided to head back to the airport and chat with someone in person. Hopefully someone with English. That seemed fairly likely as I was still in Canada.
Lost and Found
Where to start the inquiry? I had no interest in rejoining the long queue at Customer Service. I headed for the baggage area; fortunately it was quiet there. A knot of coffee drinking baggage employees greeted my approach with welcoming smiles.
“Lost your bag? No worries. Just go over to that counter.”
A uniformed chap looked up from his crossword and upon hearing my story advised me to wander into the back room to look for myself. Finally. I could do something myself.
There must have been thirty bags of varying colours and description woefully awaiting their owners. One of them looked like mine. It wasn’t however it did manage to leave me with a painful paper cut. A different luggage man wandered into the baggage room as I clutched my hand over my head in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. He quickly took control of the situation and whipped me into the employee lounge for a first aid scrub and a band-aid.
“OK sit down and tell me your story.”
I spilled it all. Flight to New York cancelled yesterday. Decided to forego reunion in New York, we’d do it here. No baggage for one night. Needed to find that bag as I was staying for seven sleeps. One outfit not ideal.
Bless him. One phone call to the right person in US luggage area and it was done. Five minutes later my wayward bag popped off the carousel. Magical.
My lost and found baggage issues weren’t the only highlights of my cancelled flight plans. As I reported in that previous New York Times post the airline assigned me one night at an airport hotel and furnished me with two meal tickets. $15.00 for dinner and $7.00 for breakfast.
I was in for another treat.
There was one rule with the meal chits. They had to be used in the dining room at that hotel. Room service was not an option. Fine. After checking in and performing an hour’s worth of concerted phone and email effort cancelling the New York hotel and the pre booked plays and tours, it was time to eat dinner.
Remember, I didn’t have my luggage at this point. I was tired and hungry having not eaten for the past eight hours.
The dining room was less of a room and more of a cubicle. Tables were crammed together; access achieved through sideways motion only. Snatches of conversation amongst my fellow diner revealed everyone else was in a similar situation to mine. We were all stranded due to the weather. There were no staff members on site.
After a good ten minute wait a menu was slapped onto my table.
“Could I see a drink list please?”
“Don’t got one. Drinks start at $9.00 a glass for wine.”
$9.00? That would leave me with $6.00 for dinner. Appies started at $16.00.
Ok a wee enlightenment break. I’m stubborn at the best of times. Tonight my travel plans are amok due to circumstances beyond my control, I’m tired and beyond hungry. I’m sorry but I’m not about to fund my dinner myself. Alcohol could wait.
“Have you something as refreshing as lemonade?” produced the most extraordinary concoction rather reminiscent of a poorly made overly sweetened children’s party drink. The colour was virulent. The $5.00 equivalent of Kraft Dinner.
My veins now surging with sugar, I zeroed in on the cheapest item on the menu. Veggie Wrap at $9.00. Twenty minutes later a bread plate sized vision arrived. Perched atop a 1/4 serving of rice was a brown miniature lumpy tube. Three bites maximum.
I have no idea how the basket of wrapped crackers at the bar was depleted. No idea at all. Sorry. Perhaps the hotel should check their lost and found.
Enough about me and my recent lost and found adventures. I’m curious about you. Have you ever been treated to an airline meal chit? Were you tempted to cheat the system? Or have you ever encountered odd travel hiccups? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.
12 Responses
Would you believe that until last summer, I had not flown since 1992? Drive. I love road trips. Luckily, all of my trips have not required crossing an ocean. At least, not yet. 🙂
That is so interesting Linda. How was your flight last summer? Were you nervous?
I don’t check bags. Instead I pack everything into one carry-on suitcase. Even for week-long trips. If someone asks I say I’m practicing for when I finally get the chance to backpack through Europe.
I’ve tried that. Must make more of an effort to travel light. Better to have only two pair of shoes rather than just the pair I’m wearing!
We had a cancelled flight and lost luggage this past summer when we flew to California…no clothes or toiletries for our first 24 hours. Not fun with two kids, but we bought clean underwear and hung in there until it showed up!
That’s tough – both the cancelled flight and the lost luggage. I suspect they go hand in hand as that’s what happened to me. My poor mom lost her suitcase on arrival in London and had to schlep around wearing my sandals- 2 sizes too small – until she could buy a pair of runners. Painful.
Oh my goodness, no wonder your blood pressure went up, how frustrating ! I have fortunately never lost a bag yet while leaving on vacation. Just had one go astray for a couple of days on returning home, which really isn’t that important. The compensation they gave you was atrocious though, the airline should be ashamed of themselves !! Hope the rest of your trip goes well !
Oh Jane – it really was a treat I must say. So much better to talk with the people in person. Really. Should it ever happen again I am not trying to solve anything over the phone. “Bag – you want bag home?” Oh boy.
Your description of the phone baggage conversation had me laughing out loud alone in my house! Oh my God, that is EXACTLY what it is like in those situations!! Sweet Jesus, you are funny! I feel like traveling on a good day is a total hassle, but when you throw stuff like this in the mix it is just a total nightmare!-Ashley
Yes it was really oh so special Ashley. Those pauses – so painful – I know they are trying to figure out what the heck I am trying to say. We really got into some fun when I tried to explain that the current name tag on my bag was very faded and probably unreadable. “Faded? ……… what is faded?” Me: “Pale.” Him: “Pail? Your bag is pail? Like bucket?” Oh sweet jesus indeed …
I would have been mighty tempted to give the baggage savior a great big hug after all the trials you had been through! I have twice had people take my suitcase thinking it was their own. Knowing your bag is missing is not a good feeling! Fortunately I was reunited with my bag fairly quickly both times.
Twice! Ouch. You were really lucky to get them back quickly. Did the bags make it out of the airport or did the people realize at the carousel area that the bags weren’t theirs?