nrr

On 1/15/20 JFK-ZRH flt. 407, about half an hour before scheduled departure they noticed a bag sitting in the aisle, at least 10 announcements in English, several more in German were made by FAs: "can anyone claim a bag (description given) left in the aisle, otherwise it will be removed from the plane". They must have opened the bag, one of the announcements noted a company affiliation; announcements were even made from the cockpit. The bag was removed. We pushed back from the gate on time, but returned to the gate--the pax who owned the bag suddenly noticed his bag was not on the plane, they retrieved the bag and the pax and his bag were re-united. We still got to ZRH early. How can one not hear so many announcements.

cre95

My view is that there are so many announcements that provide “unneeded” information that a frequent flyer is prone to tune these off. So, not unreasonable for one announcement to be missed that probably shouldn’t have.

ATOBTTR

I’m guessing it’s easy to tune out and not pay attention to announcements if you have on headphones and don’t bother refocus any attention to any of the announcements when they’re made because you assume you can tune them out.

That said I’m curious as to:
1) how he noticed the bag was missing after pushback when he was in his seat and where he was in relation to his bag that he noticed nothing going on with it prior to pushing back
2) why they returned to the gate for this passenger’s bag - they won’t even return for passengers who misconnect and show up after the plane has pushed back.

Yellowjj

-Noise cancelling headphones
-Sleeping
-Hard of Hearing/Deaf
-Language Barrier


Very easy to do so

nrr

Going to ZRH, hence announcements in English and German. I'm guessing (I was seated in D1) that they directly quizzed pax in the rows in Y near the bag.

ajggiant

Had the same thing this past fall on a domestic flight. The issue got escalated from FA lifting bag in the air and asking passengers directly, then via intercom, then lead FA, then ultimately pilot issuing final ultimatum that they’re removing bag before the passenger ultimately walks forward to retrieve. Never got any indication why. I definitely zone out the safety briefing but I was surprised that anyone could be so oblivious to 1) leave bag and 2) miss a dozen pleas to identify it (though a disability or language barrier would explain it).

mctaste

Agreed.

A321neo

this :-:

Lomapaseo

Happened on one of my flights when a NTSB guy was in the jump seat (no PA up there)

Happened to me once when flying the jump seat and I had left my bag under the seat in first class. After that I learned to notify the FA I would be up-front for some of the flight

Happened on TWA800 long enough to delay the flight when the guy was on the plane and never acknowledged it was his bag until they finally found him sitting in coach (it was on the CVR)

Then there was the one on one of my flights when the daughter had coaxed her nervous 80 yo mother to fly with her TATL then just before doors closing the daughter went to the lav and instead exited the plane to save the fare, leaving her panicked mother to fly alone (that didn't work and cause us an hours delay for the FAs to sort out what happened)

MSPeconomist

.......and some of the announcements are obnoxious, for instance with a GA is constantly yelling about X minutes to D0. It can be almost as bad as TSA.

mctaste

They should have removed the owner of the bag with the bag, once discovered.

nrr

Unless he also had checked luggage, this was an intl flt, they would have had to off-load that luggage.

Live4Miles

Seriously, how long would it take to walk down the aisle and ask each row of passengers (verbally, and point to bag if for some reason language issue)...it would have to be quicker than having to return to gate.

Often1

The idiot did not delay the flight, DL did. It should have been offloaded after 2 announcements and under no circumstances should the aircraft returned to the gate for it.

It's great to be solicitous of passengers, but when it impinges on others, that's whee the line ought to be drawn.