Sometimes You Need to Talk to A Human (or Lost Luggage)

I just got back from my course in Maine at 3am this morning (it"s now 9pm). They lost my luggage (or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say lost track of, since I had 3 connecting flights and got rerouted around them due to some mechanical difficulties).

This is not an anti-airline rant. I"m actually quite pleased with 3 of the 4 airlines that have been involved in my travels. I will never fly US AIR again, but that"s another story.

So, my ticket read as follows: Bangor to NY Laguardia (US Air); NY Laguardia (LGA) to Washington Dulles (IAD) (United) and Dulles to Home (United). I usually fly Northwest (who happens to have a direct flight from Maine to home) but booked my tickets too late to get that flight.

Anyway, due to mechanical problems on the LGA to IAD flight, I got rerouted on a direct flight to Home. Yay! Airline error in my favor! Except the flight left 2 hours late (due to air traffic overload... this happens every time I fly through LGA and so, in the future, I will be avoiding that airport like the plauge. No flight ever leaves on time (except possibly the first flight in the morning) from that airport.) The direct flight to home was on American Airlines. So, I was directed to claim my bags and recheck them with American.

So, while I was waiting for my bags, I was informed that the (delayed due to mechanical failure) flight"s already taken off, and that my bags will be joining me at home, or if it"s convienient, I can pick them up at the airport. So, I"m thinking, ok, whatever..

As it turns out, the flight combo actually beats me home (mostlly due to air traffic problems at LGA), but my bags aren"t on it. The problem here is that I leave for a job interview tomorrow night. It would be good if I had clothes to interview in. I suspect they won"t be happy if I show up in capri cargos (2 sizes too big) and a stained t-shirt (which are all the clean clothes I"ve got left!).

AA has a website you can check your bag"s status. However, it always says "your luggage has not been found". You get the same response when you call their automated hotline. However, if you manage to make it far enough through the phone tree to talk to an actual agent, they will transfer you to an actual human being in the baggage department. That human being must have supernatural powers, because she can tell you where your luggage is. She was able to figure out that my bags have actually made it to my Home City and will be joining me at my home tomorrow morning!

Overall, I give United and American kudos for actually trying to make me happy. US AIR now charges $2 for a glass of water on its flights, and they hire the rudest weirdest ticket agents and flight attendants, so they"re off my list. I try to avoid American, too, because the checked bag fee annoys me. But in this instance, they were helpful.

The moral of this story? Sometimes you need to talk to a human being.

(image credit)