Lost luggage lament

All the talk lately about carry-on limits begs a question: If you have to check your suitcase, which airline is most likely to lose it after you relinquish it at the check-in counter?

My vote’s for United Airlines. Last week, I flew back to Southern California from New York on the world’s largest carrier, and they treated my check-in baggage like third-class cargo.

Apparently I’m not alone. Gerald Greenwald’s airline has racked up a damning luggage record. Last October, it ranked dead last among major carriers for the number of mishandled baggage reports to the U. S. Department of Transportation. Ditto for November.

In fact, it looks as if United hasn’t cared about your suitcases in years. In 1996, the government recorded 6.73 mishandled baggage reports per 1,000 passengers in the friendly skies, the highest of any major airline. DOT reported 359,687 separate United luggage snafus for 1995, behind Delta and Northwest. When I called United about its luggage shortcomings, a spokeswoman declined to comment.

Meanwhile, United led the charge on carry-on limits last month.

In all fairness, I must note that some readers of this column object to me categorizing the carry-on crackdown as a crisis.

“Where’s the crisis?” demanded traveler Rob McKnight in a recent e-mail. “Stop being such a crybaby and check your luggage like the rest of us. Oh, you poor dear, you’ll have to pick it up from the conveyor belt.”

Yeah, Rob. Just not on United.

Especially after last week.

The weather was awful when I landed in San Francisco for a layover-rain, high winds, slick runways. Most outgoing flights were delayed three to four hours. But I found a flight leaving in about half an hour (it had been scheduled to depart that afternoon).

The United gate agent assigned me a seat on the early flight without a fuss, but when I asked what would happen to my checked in luggage, he snapped, “that’s what we call a voluntary separation. Your bags will get there on the flight you were scheduled on, and you’ll be responsible for picking them up.”

With that, he wrote a large “VS” on my ticket.

I walked away from the early flight. I didn’t want to get separated from my bags. That proved to be a bad decision. When I arrived in Los Angeles at midnight, my suitcases were waiting for me; they’d made the early flight without me. I shuddered to think of how long my possessions had sat on the conveyor belt for anyone to snatch away.

I checked on the United Airlines voluntary separation policy, and it indicates the carrier won’t load your bags unless you’re on the flight. In this case, I wasn’t on the flight, but my bags were. So much for policies.

Ultimately, the best way to fight back when your luggage is at the airline’s mercy is to know your rights.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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