View Full Version : Don't check your luggage
DesertMTB
10-21-2007, 01:50
My brother and I were planning to hike from Dick's Creek to Fontana yesterday. We were planning to do it in 7 days. However, flying out of Phoenix to South Carolina, they lost his gear bag that he checked. 3 grand in ultralight gear.
Now we are waiting...
Hopefully it will show up eventually. Yeah, I know you guys and gals are wondering about the point of my post. The point is, don't check your luggage if you have a tight section hike schedule.
I always ship my gear instead of checking it. I know the one time I do check it, it is going to get lost.
I hope they get your gear to you soon!
Cookerhiker
10-21-2007, 07:57
Man, what a bummer. Sorry for you guys.
Phreak's idea is good. I don't think you can carry your luggage on even if your pack is small & light unless you're sure there's no prohibited items. A spork could be a weapon!
When I flew to California for my JMT hike last year, my pack fit into a large duffle bag. I checked it an dheld my breath - no problems.
saimyoji
10-21-2007, 08:13
I know when you ship you can buy insurance, or it includes insurance, but when you check is there an option to insure against damage/loss?
It was lost a few hours ago; chances are it will be delivered within 24 hours.
My luggage has been lost about a dozen times over the past five years and with one exception it has always been delivered the next day. I cleared my bags through customs in Minneapolis returning home and somehow they were lost for five weeks; miraculously when they were delivered nothing was missing.
modiyooch
10-21-2007, 09:27
Did you exchange planes? I try to book a direct flight to reduce the chances of my luggage being lost. Trip disruption is bad enough, I would hate to lose my dear friend, my 28 year old backpack.
Back in 1981, I took a bus from VA to FL after a long distance hike. Luckily, I was looking out the window as they were loading my pack on a different bus. I asked the bus driver about it, and he immediately went and got my pack. I think they may have been trying to steal it. I was 21 years old and everything that I owned was in that pack.
$3K worth of gear? Gold-plated pocket rocket??? :-?
camojack
10-21-2007, 09:55
It was lost a few hours ago; chances are it will be delivered within 24 hours.
My luggage has been lost about a dozen times over the past five years and with one exception it has always been delivered the next day. I cleared my bags through customs in Minneapolis returning home and somehow they were lost for five weeks; miraculously when they were delivered nothing was missing.
I'd have to agree; we flew to the Caribbean in July, and my girl's check-in bag showed up a day late...but usually it has taken less time than that to get stuff back. I have traveled extensively, and while luggage delivery is occasionally delayed, they have yet to lose anything permanently.
Of course, now that I've said that... :(
Appalachian Tater
10-21-2007, 10:34
There's no option to buy insurance when you check in but you can arrange for additional insurance ahead of time. Almost every airline has a page about lost luggage on their website that gives information about liability limits and how to file claims, etc.
In addition to booking direct flights, you can do other things to reduce the odds of your lugggage getting lost.
Always place your name, telephone, and address inside and outside your luggage. It is safer to use a work address and phone number. A destination address and phone number will help get your bag back to you if it is delayed instead of permanently lost.
Remove all old destination tags from your luggage. Make sure the new tag has the correct airport code on it.
Get to the airport in plenty of time to check your bag and have it get loaded onto your flight. On the other hand, if you get there six hours early, they may stick your bag over to the side somewhere and forget about it.
Mark your bag on the outside with a colored ribbon on the handle or duct tape on the body so somebody else doesn't grab it by accident. (Especially if it's a black rolling carry-on!)
Make sure you're at the carousel waiting before the luggage comes out. Stand on the side where it first becomes visible so you can spot your bag before anyone else has a shot at it.
If your luggage does get lost, make sure you fill out the form legibly and completely. Get a copy of the form to actually file for reimbursement while you're there. Your luggage is considered permanently lost after five days.
Have a list of everything you packed in case you have to file a claim.
Don't pack anything irreplaceable or difficult to replace.
When all else fails:
http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/
I"m so sorry. I was totally freaked about checking my pack last year.....I showed up after 2 other planes showed up! If you do ship.....track it!!! I mailed a very nice pair of boots home from Gaitlinburg the day after easter and I still haven't seen them.
Miss Janet
10-21-2007, 15:07
I had a group of guys planning an ambitious hike the same weekend as the last Bristol Nascar race. ONE bag was lost but we were able to scrounge together enough stuff for him to hike until it showed up about 24 hours later. I have had several other instances like this over the years.
Try not to plan a long travel day and expect to get off the plane and rush straight to a trailhead and hike 18 miles the first day. This usually does not happen for lots of reasons. It sounds good when you are planning and trying to make the most out of your time but be flexible on the front end of your hike. I hate to see hikers running off into the dark still feeling like they have to do the miles they planned not matter what!
AND don't plan to walk off the trail an hour before your flight home and get rushed to the airport in time to make boarding... again, things happen!
Airline service is so bad these days, I'd be conservative about plans involving flying to a destination. As I've mentioned in another thread, it took TWO WEEKS for my daughter's luggage to get to her this summer, which is why I Fed Exed my pack to California before hiking the JMT. (I'm also down on the USPS.) At least with Fed Ex's tracking numbers, I've been able to figure out where things are, if they haven't been delivered on time.
For the human to get there on time can be a problem, too. My MIL was supposed to arrive yesterday. She got a call from the airline yesterday morning saying her flight from Bangor had been cancelled and there was no possible other way for her to get from Bangor to Charlotte that day! They said she could drive to Boston, if she wished to fly from there.
It's nuts.
There is a store in Alabama that sells only items from "unclaimed" (lost) airline luggage. They get a rather large shipment from the airlines every week. I would hate to have my boots on a shelf...
troglobil
10-21-2007, 17:04
I'm heading to Unclaimed Baggage next week, see if I can score some new gear. ;)
My brother and his family lost their luggage on a flight to Costa Rica. It has never shown up. Credit cards were not accepted where they were. Luckily a friend flew down a few days later and brought some extra clothes.