Stolen or Lost Bags at John Wayne/OC airport
#31
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: JNU
Programs: HH D, AS MM/MVPG for life/AL, Awesome Wipes VIP Club, NEXUS, Hertz 5-Star Gold
Posts: 2,893
I flew from ANC to Lawton, OK, (LAW) in 1983 and two bags went missing. Turns out the WC agent at the counter had "elegant" handwriting (this was back in the days of handscribed luggage tags) and his "W" in LAW looked like an "X". My bags spent 3 weeks at LAX before I got them back.
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 17
I would give the chance of two mis-tagged bags much, much, much, much higher probability than two bags being stolen off the carousel at SNA. Hopefully they'll make their way back from Australia soon
And if the contents we're just clothes, easy enough to replace those if they never show up. Not to mention you kids were soon going to need new clothes anyway!!
And if the contents we're just clothes, easy enough to replace those if they never show up. Not to mention you kids were soon going to need new clothes anyway!!
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Easier said then done. When your 3 children have only the clothes on their backs and we’ve spent a year saving for this trip, it’s a huge inconvenience and violating. Just think if you had a wedding, presentation or important meeting and same thing happens. It’s hours on phone, police report etc. it’s a huge pain in the butt
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 17
They told me to get one day after to “expedite” the process. It’s looking as though they both were stolen from carousel at SNA. We arrived 2 mins after it had started and they must have taken straight from chute. Only explanation unless ramp side took them which is again bizarre. What a mess
#36
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: South Park, Metropolis
Programs: AA LT PLT 3MM, Hilton/Marriott/SPG/Club Carlson GLD, IHG PLT
Posts: 4,607
Aside from luggage tags, you should also put inside your bag, right on top of the cloth a couple of pieces of paper saying "IF FOUND PLEASE CONTACT NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE #." You have no idea how easily tags can come off from the bag during handling. Good luck.
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 17
Update to this thread- still no bags
Hi all! It’s week 6 and still no bags. Alaska is reimbursing is the value of both. Either they were taken straight off the chute right when they came down or someone accidentally took them and decided not to return or ramp side. I so wish we were on that side but I did think this would ever be a concern at John Wayne plus when I walked up my bag was on the other side so we waited there. Camera angles show nothing suspicious but it was only on the side we were on nothing can be seen from “chute” side. Anyways, thanks for all your responses. Be careful and my advice is to be right at the chute area so you can 100% confirm they were or were not there and no one takes them. 2 bags, same flight, same family. Crazy. We had tags, ribbons etc that were unique to ours and still gone. I guess it’s the world we live in where people are now desperate and scum of earth to steal bags from airport carousels. Lesson learned the hard way. Safe travels
#38
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MM, MVPGold100k, Hilton Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 1,475
Hi all! It’s week 6 and still no bags. Alaska is reimbursing is the value of both. Either they were taken straight off the chute right when they came down or someone accidentally took them and decided not to return or ramp side. I so wish we were on that side but I did think this would ever be a concern at John Wayne plus when I walked up my bag was on the other side so we waited there. Camera angles show nothing suspicious but it was only on the side we were on nothing can be seen from “chute” side. Anyways, thanks for all your responses. Be careful and my advice is to be right at the chute area so you can 100% confirm they were or were not there and no one takes them. 2 bags, same flight, same family. Crazy. We had tags, ribbons etc that were unique to ours and still gone. I guess it’s the world we live in where people are now desperate and scum of earth to steal bags from airport carousels. Lesson learned the hard way. Safe travels
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 17
It’s pretty rare but by now they would have found the bags if they were mistagged. Both scanned into carousel supposedly. They had a bag theft a few weeks later but it was a bag that was lingering around after a woman missed her flight. We were right there! Again I wasn’t at the chute per say but I was right there close. They claim they were loaded into carousel but they never made it around to us. It’s very strange I agree.
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
It’s pretty rare but by now they would have found the bags if they were mistagged. Both scanned into carousel supposedly. They had a bag theft a few weeks later but it was a bag that was lingering around after a woman missed her flight. We were right there! Again I wasn’t at the chute per say but I was right there close. They claim they were loaded into carousel but they never made it around to us. It’s very strange I agree.
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 17
True. It totally sucks. I know baggage theft is a thing and becoming more of an issue but usually it’s when there are hardly any bags and ppl kind of linger around hoping to score a good one. I guess I’ll never know. Bizarre all the way around. I’ll be carrying on or running to baggage claim to be right in front from now on. Someone mentioned ppl wouldn’t steal kids clothes, they steal bags regardless. Doesn’t matter if it was kids clothes or a bunch of dirty underwear ppl steal for any reason hoping they hit the jackpot.
#43
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
There were news stories in the past of big organized bag thefts by baggage handlers, particularly in NY... they would surely have scanned them as onto carousel before taking.
If taken off the carousel, it seems doing it right when the bags start coming is a good time, to ensure the rightful owner would not witness.
Interesting the camera does not cover the chute side. Thief may be aware of that (or adjusted the camera at some point?). That should be corrected!
In China, some places they are pretty good at checking tags on every person leaving with fencing around the baggage area.
If taken off the carousel, it seems doing it right when the bags start coming is a good time, to ensure the rightful owner would not witness.
Interesting the camera does not cover the chute side. Thief may be aware of that (or adjusted the camera at some point?). That should be corrected!
In China, some places they are pretty good at checking tags on every person leaving with fencing around the baggage area.
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 17
I think they should bring bag check back in my opinion. It would help the accidental lost or take on accident luggage etc... the airport is more concerned with someone coming into airport with a weapon or worse hence the camera view. Not concerned about luggage. Bag checks although annoying and maybe time consuming would eliminate these issues. We have a lot of checks and securities before we board planes but not after.
#45
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: California
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 107
My spouse once was missing her bag in LHR. There was a lonely silver bag on the carousel. When she told the staff (Air New Zealand, they were flying LAX-LHR at the time) they asked "is it silver?".
It was, so they took the lonely bag, found the contact information of the owner and called him. He was already well on the way home, so he suggested that it'd be just fine if they brought him his back. They explained very explicitly and clearly that he could get himself back to the airport immediately to return the bag he'd stolen to the woman and baby waiting for it.