A La Cart (Plane-Side) Bag Was Taken By Another Passenger
 

On Friday afternoon I flew from PDX to SEA on Horizon. I plane checked a small bag that wouldnt fit in the overhead.

I come to collect it --it was gone. Someone took the wrong bag and left theirs behind.

I go to the gate agent to make an announcement and call someone at baggage claim to alert them on this. the gate agent does make an announcement. but does not call baggfgage claim.

He tells me to go to customer service. I go to customer service and they are like its an Horizon flight we cant really do much but she brings me back down to SEA C2 area and has some horizon people come over. They seem to give me a corporate BS do nothing message.

I ask them for the manifest and they refuse. Then finally they call down to baggage claim downstairs and finally hear that the person who took my bag realized this and gave it to them.

Most of the stuff in the bag and the bag could be replaced in about $300, a small part was medical equipment that would cost $3000 to replace without health insurance.

How hard is it for people to actually take a second and check is this my bag.....

It really helps to have somewhat unique looking luggage. #nomoreblackbags

Not uncommon. (And why I do not have black bags: far too common)
Was there any ID on the wrong bag?
At least you got your bag back at the airport.

These things happen. Not sure what can be done about it, there does not seem to be an obvious solution short of requiring a positive match to the ticket stub that was received when the bag was given up.

sounds like this was carry on so that wouldn’t help either?

edit: ignore me, gate checked baggage- do they always get a stub?

I don't know about AS, but on UA and AA you always get a stub. It is seldom checked, unfortunately.

This happened to me at LIH, when an identical model suitcase as mine was left on the baggage carousel but mine was nowhere to be found.

I went to the baggage office, they said they couldn't do much except wait for the other person to notice. My suitcase was clearly tagged with uniquely identifying luggage tags with my info.

Instead, I checked their luggage tags and called the phone number on the person's luggage. Sure enough the guy with my bag answered, and was still nearby at the rental car lot and came back around for the exchange.

Ended up having to wait an extra 20mins, but he was apologetic and embarrassed for taking the wrong bag.

Interesting thing was the baggage office allowed me to hang onto his bag and do the exchange ourselves out curbside, didn't seem too concerned with matching bag tags or anything. Pretty laid back. I had $$$$ worth of wine in mine so was keen to get my bag back :D

This was a PDX-SEA shuttle which was most likely on a Q-400 where they do not "gate check" but instead, you put in on an Ala Carte cart and then pick it up on the same cart right after you land and exit the aircraft. There are no stubs. When it is an E-175 or 737 that might be a little different, but then carry on usually fits above. You have to still be careful, usually the passengers are all waiting till the cart is pushed over to get their bags and it is like a feeding frenzy; I once saw someone take my black roller without looking and had to catch up to him. Needless to say, he was embarrassed. Glad you got your bag back fairly quickly.

Just fyi, there's more space underneath seats on a Q than in the overhead because of the lack of divider, if you don't have a seat mate or they're cooperative.

Even with A la Carte & planeside delivery though, medications/medical devices should be with you onboard, particularly expensive items.

Same thing happened to me few years ago. in 3C on a flight to MSP, get up as row 2 is walking out, the bin is open but my carry-on is gone.
Looked into bins on other side and the adjacent ones thinking someone moved it but no luck... at this time I am holding up everyone and start to get dirty looks so just take the laptop bag and come out. And I see a guy in the jet bridge holding my bag.

I thanked him for help! he was suitably embarrassed and went swimming upstream to retrieve his bag.

Lesson learned. Bought a pair bright yellow shoelaces and wrapped tightly on both handles of my carry-on. no one has ever mistaken this for their bag since.

This is why I have a bright orange polycarb suitcase, and a pelican air carryon with the handles wrapped in bright blue hockey tape. Clearly not another black bag on the carousel. Unfortunately when I have to check the pelican that causes all sorts of issues, but that's a different story for a different thread.

FT luggage tags can help for more than meetups ;)

Same thing happened to me.

There is not much to be done here other than to require a name tag on bags and to check ID's at the pickup. That tends to be a non-starter (as evidenced by numerous rants on FT when these checks are conducted for checked bags at baggage claim).

My only suggestion is to have something distinctive and flashy on the bag as it appears that the gate check issue is unlikely to be a thief as opposed to a fool.

I have never personally experienced this, but I have more than once heard public announcements at SEA for Mr. XYZ to please return to one of the Horizon gates to return the wrong bag they took.