Qantas luggage lost: passengers in limbo

[NickN]

Christmas is considered the "silly season", I don't think journalists are excepted.

[Owen H]

I always wonder what the media expect the airline to do.

If an aircraft can't take any cargo due to a last minute unservicability, do you...

1) Ground the aircraft, and delay hundreds of passengers on the flight in question, and the next flights, or

2) Take the aircraft and passengers with no baggage, then pop all the bags on the next flight out, and courier them to their homes when they arrive.

"Luckily, the missing suitcase turned up this morning, just as she was heading in to town." So, no story then really!

It is clearly a slow news season, and the reporters in question should be banned from writing for the newspapers, just like the ones that intentionally distorted the truth on some of the other Qantas matters to sell papers.

[Sarah C]

Well said Owen. I am sure all of us have lost bags and it is not fun. However, the Air Canada flight yesterday was cancelled. I am sure there were hundreds of people affected by that. If you are trying to get somewhere, I know I would rather get to the destination without the bag than not get there at all.

Airlines are in a no-win situation really. If they delayed a couple of flights, passengers are unhappy.

[Montague S]

Originally Posted by Owen H

I always wonder what the media expect the airline to do.

If an aircraft can't take any cargo due to a last minute unservicability, do you...

1) Ground the aircraft, and delay hundreds of passengers on the flight in question, and the next flights, or

2) Take the aircraft and passengers with no baggage, then pop all the bags on the next flight out, and courier them to their homes when they arrive.

"Luckily, the missing suitcase turned up this morning, just as she was heading in to town." So, no story then really!

It is clearly a slow news season, and the reporters in question should be banned from writing for the newspapers, just like the ones that intentionally distorted the truth on some of the other Qantas matters to sell papers.

another one having a crack at the media..do you think the media magically found out about this lost luggage? I mean for goodness sake, use some logic, it was the passengers who complained and that's why its a story...because near on 1000 items of luggage didn't show up at the busiest time of the year.

I am sure all of us have lost bags and it is not fun.

never..and I wouldn't want one lost at Christmas time.

[Robert Zweck]

What is so newsworthy about lost baggage?

Airlines around the world do it every day.

[James Smith]

My advice to international passengers. Pack a change of underwear and a toothbrush in your hand luggage for times just like this.

If there is room, I'd also tend to put the electronic gifts in my hand luggage in case they get "lost" forever!

[Adrian B]

Originally Posted by Robert Zweck

What is so newsworthy about lost baggage?

Airlines around the world do it every day.

True, but not half a flights

[Robert Zweck]

I'm surprised no-one has posted that old joke.....



Checking-in pax says, " I'd like this bag sent to Melbourne, this one to Sydney and this other one to Brisbane "


" I'm sorry that won't be possible, Sir "


" Well, you managed to do it the last time I flew with you "

[Stephen B]

Not ragging on Qantas here at all, but I just don't understand how ANY airline can loose luggage at all these days. And how could anyone possibly see it as just another risk of travel?

With the technology available today, how can you possibly have a misdirected bag? Yes I can understand a bag falling under a conveyor might be missed, (have someone walk the floor to look for this!) but surely a simple barcode scanner would eliminate any possibility of a bag being loaded onto the wrong flight.

And it makes a total mockery of the concept of a bag not being allowed to fly without its owner. People will make the cry of "Its only human error", but that's total BS. That means either the operator is not doing their job right, or there aren't enough operators to do the job right. Profit before performance?

I understand in the case at the start of this thread there was a mechanical issue preventing the loading of luggage, but to make a radical claim here, ANY airline with this issue should then get the luggage on the very next available aircraft going to the same destination regardless of company, OR lay on a special flight to get the luggage there immediately. Extra cost to the airline, Boo Hoo. Get it right the first time and there won't be a problem.

Near enough is not good enough any more.

[Stuart Trevena]

Hi All,

I have one question - How does a Baggage error in LA affect London to Sydney Passengers, as quoted in the opening topic?

The media can't get it right.

Stuart