Arriving in Japan sans luggage (again - it became my speciality for a while). First I knew of it was when I was paged so fought my way through the queue at the handling desk to be told they hadn't loaded my luggage at AMS (KLM regulars will be shocked to learn this was with KLM), but that it was on a flight to Seoul, and would arrive in Osaka that evening. "Excellent" I said, fairly impressed with that. They would deliver the bag the next day. Rather less impressed with that idea. I needed suit etc for meetings the next day, and communicated this to the KLM person. Oh, but to get the luggage to me that evening she would need to lay on a special car - I didn't have a problem with that - and speak to the Station Manager - I also didn't have a problem with that, and even suggested speaking to him myself if she thought she would have a problem (waving a shiny piece of plastic the airline had sent me). She very hurridly said that would not be necessary.

Baggage arrived at the hotel that evening. Important lesson learned in being polite but insistent with baggage staff.