ADVICE: Airline lost my F **UPDATED - HORN RECOVERED!!**

[CC]

Long Story short, I had to fly Air India (I know) back from Europe on Wednesday, only my F didn't make it back with me. I got bumped from a connection because my previous flight was so late getting me to my destination. I had to get back so I made a fairly quick switch to this airline (An hour and a half after I arrived) so I thought the bags might have problems. I got my "real" luggage just fine, only the important item didn't make it. I waited for it for several hours because they weren't sure if it was just sitting around or if it was still overseas. I went through customs and filled out the appropriate paperwork. It's now been 3 days with nothing form the airline. I've been in contact with them and the only response is "you filled out the complaint, wait a couple more days and it will show up". Does anyone have any advice that may have had some experience in a situation like this? Some numbers I can try? A relative in the baggage industry? At this point I'm trying different options. The Airport was O'hare in Chicago (via AI) and my connection was Madrid to Frankfurt (via Iberia). The loss occured on the return trip from Frankfurt to Chicago. Thanks for the help.

-Chris Combest

[RyanSchultz]

Chris-- The same thing happened to me with a suitcase in December (SEA to ORD to MSN). It eventually showed up at my parents' house. Good luck.

[GC]

Air India is infamous for losing baggage. When my daughter returned from India in a group of 12 people, they lost 10% of all their luggage, and never got any of it back.

[CC]

Nothing as of today...

Tomorrow is another chance to get an answer.

[Getzeng50s]

US airways lost my tubas 3 days before the Milwaukee audition. I did not get them back until 30+ calls to the airport, state police, and US airways. I placed a police report stating it was stolen by someone at the airport. No one knew where t was. after the director of the controll tower at logan international airport in boston heard from the police, he decided to g looking himself. It was unlabeled, all ID had been removed, and it was in the corner of a warehouse completly unrelated to my flight. Keep on the phone calls, dont let up until you get your horns back.

[tubajoe]

American Airlines once lost my tuba for SEVEN days coming back to the US from Milan. It eventually showed up at the freight hanger, unscathed. Eventually, they nonchalantly called and told me me it had arrived, not even knowing where it had been. I was just about to start an insurance claim when they called.

[jon112780]

Couldn't you put a GPS transmitter in your case so you can track it on your laptop? I'm sure this has been thought up before, but never saw this 'great idea' really take off, (maybe I'm watching too many movies).

Or maybe it's not such a 'good idea'... Whaddya think?

[jacobg]

Yeah, you can buy those for about $500. You connect to the internet and it shows you where your luggage is. I thought of getting one when I didn't know how expensive they are. They're sold by the companies who make lojack for cars.
Of course the battery wears out in a few days...
In a few years they'll start rolling out the new tracking system for airports: each piece of luggage gets a little RFID chip. Then at least they can tell you if they know where your luggage is when it arrives at an airport. Currently it's a total crapshoot.

[Alex C]

US airways lost my tubas 3 days before the Milwaukee audition. I did not get them back until 30+ calls to the airport, state police, and US airways. I placed a police report stating it was stolen by someone at the airport. No one knew where t was. after the director of the controll tower at logan international airport in boston heard from the police, he decided to g looking himself. It was unlabeled, all ID had been removed, and it was in the corner of a warehouse completly unrelated to my flight. Keep on the phone calls, dont let up until you get your horns back.

Scary story and great advice and that's why I just refuse to ship my tubas underneath the airplane.

[CC]

I got a call late last night from the Airline and as of this afternoon, I recovered my horn, fully intact with no damage whatsoever. I would also like to thank Walt Johnson for his amazing case which cradled my baby the entire time (well worth the expense).

Apparently, the reason why it took so long (over a week) to come home to daddy was because it got stuck in Frankfurt Germany, then got bounced around the USA until it finally arrived in Chicago. A baggage friend of my Father's suggested that when he worked in the baggage industry it was very typical to take the bags that were lying around at the end of the day and throw them on a random flight to get them out of their hands. *Scary*

[/happy ending]

[iiipopes]

Yay!

[Tom Holtz]

(large sigh of relief)

[RyanSchultz]

Sweet!

[OldsRecording]

I once had a trombone take a side trip to Los Angeles on the way from Pittsburgh to Portland, ME. The airline actually brought it to my house for me. Awful feeling, not seeing it on the baggage claim. Glad the horn turned up.

[Rob]

A thought on taking your horn on the plane...if it's not a Tuba or something big:

Gate Check.

Convince the ticketing/check-in person that you wish to carry it on, and if it won't fit, they could just gate check it. If an item is gate checked, it goes right from the top of the gate, into the airplane, and if all the theory goes correctly...it's one of the first things off the plane(along with strollers, carseats and wheelchairs) and comes back up top to the gate at your destination.

I currently work for an airline, and having seen how things can end up getting handled, and the possibility of error and things that might happen....I'm either buying/building a flight case if I ever need it, or buying a ticket for my tuba. If you buy the ticket, it can travel in the seat right next to you....(obviously an overseas flight would be too pricey).

Rob

[windshieldbug]

[/happy ending]

Sweet!