Originally posted by Craig6z:
Mishandling comes in many forms.
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Encountered a stopped carousel with about a dozen bags on it, from the DEN-SLC shuttle flight that landed about 40 minutes before my flight.
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Sitting on the stopped carousel is my suitcase.
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For whatever reason, the Denver mishandled the bag and put it on the wrong (earlier) flight.
I can't really complain as I probably saved 15 minutes minimum of waiting time, yet the incident made me uneasy.
Craig6z,
You are certainly entitled to your feelings, but I don't see any mishandling on UA's part here. Perhaps it's a half-full/half-empty glass viewpoint.
Having your baggage put on an earlier flight - regardless of when your original flight was - is common practice with US carriers, for precisely the reason that you were happy it arrived before you did.
Secondarily, there's no difference in terms of security when you bag arrives ... once you've checked it, you've checked it. There's very little risk in putting it on an earlier flight at this point.
But if your concern is about your baggage circling the claim area 40 minutes ahead of you, I suppose I can see your point. Still, I think the risk is small.
If
I were you, I'd be plum tickled at not having to wait around to fetch my luggage.