Because I don't fly any other airline with any regularity, I cannot compare UA's baggage handling service with any other carrier, but either I am the unluckiest frequent traveler in the world, or UA's system is just downright horrid.

So far this year, I have had to fill out four of those "Delayed Baggage" forms. One of those ended up with me finding out that my bag was completely destroyed by DEN's belt system. It has gotten so bad that the last time this happened, that one of the women who works baggage services at SMF commented, "Oh Mr. SMF UA 1K, what did we do to you this time?"

I find interesting the commentary above about the transfer between UA and ACA being bad because the last time my bags were delayed was over Labor Day weekend, on a YUL-ORD-SMF trip, where the YUL-ORD was on an ACA flight.

Still, it is not solely an ACA-UA problem. This year really isn't out of the ordinary, as this happens to me at least three or four times a year. Back in 1999, I flew six international trips and on four of them I had baggage problems. I wrote a letter to United and received some sort of voucher. If I remember correctly, it was for $200.

Like I said, maybe it is just me and I am incredibly unlucky, as I've never heard of anybody else having the problems that I have had, but it is very frustrating and I just don't know what another letter will do.