WisMan

I have been an extremely loyal customer of Delta for 10+ years.... bouncing between PM and GM (currently PM)....but today takes the cake....I fly the MKE-TPA roundtrip route a lot, normally with a stop in ATL or DTW (I prefer DTW as ATL is not a nice place to stop).... my wife (who flies separately on WN) always laughs at me since my trip takes longer with a stop - but I always appreciated the way that Delta took care of me (until today)... I would always gladly take a connection on Delta, use the Platinum AMEX, etc. just because I loved Delta.... but today I finally realized that Delta did not give a crap about me (nor anyone else I would imagine).....I was so stupid to be so loyal to Delta all these years.....

I flew to MKE, via DTW, from TPA. My DTW-MKE was a 4:15 flight... over an hour to get my bag from my TPA flight after it landed... but I get to MKE and "no bag".... I noticed on the app that I did not get a notification that my bag was on the DTW-MKE flight. I thought about trying to make a big issue of it before my DTW-MKE took off, to hold my flight for my bag (you would think an hour and 10 minutes would be enough time to get my bag moved over, but this is Detroit after all). I assumed the app was wrong so I didn't say anything - big mistake - if this happens to you, make a big stink until your bag is on your plane or, your like me, will never see it again.....

Got to MKE and no bag. There were 6-7 bags, total, on my MKE flight - but not mine. You all know that in today's world, most flights have few people on them and even fewer bags. But I did not get my bag - even though will such few bags this should have been a slam dunk. Staff in MKE says "I don't know where your bag is - it made it to DTW from TPA and that is the last anyone has seen of it". The Rep tells me that it will be on the later flight to MKE, arriving in MKE at 8:45 and they will deliver to my house tonight yet. I call a couple of hours later and the flight has left DTW and they still have no idea of where my bag is in DTW. It is not on the plane. And clearly not at DTW anymore. Who knows who has it?

Hell, there aren't many passengers right now and very few bags. My bag is clearly marked with my name and address, along with a PM medallion tag. It has very valuable items that are not replaceable, including medication that I need for tomorrow (it is hard to carry on everything today because of COVID). Contents are easy worth $5-10K..... I talked to numerous people, including Juan in Atlanta (baggage supervisor) - nobody has a clue where my bag is. I filed a complaint in MKE when I landed at 4:15 - that gave them 3 hours to find my bag (with very few bags to look through) before the last DTW-MKE flight took off - but they clearly didn't bother to look for it at all.

I called later tonight - talked to Juan in Atlanta (really - what does he know it based in ATL when the bag is supposedly in DET) - he had no idea. I know I will never see that bag, including some expensive valuables and my medications, again. I will have to wait till Monday to call my Doc to get refills - I should be ok for one day. But I know the some contents will be missing- it has been way too long of a time out of "custody" - and I realize now that my valuables are gone for good - the bag probably is not on airport property anymore. Even if it makes it here to MKE, I know it will not include all it's original contents. It's been way too long out of the "official" chain of control.

I could understand bags getting lost when flights are full and there are tons of flights (pre-COVID).... but not today with limited flights and few people on them. I compare this against about how Amazon takes care of issues (amazing!). Especially during a time when it should be easy for things like luggage, with so few items going through the system. I learned my lesson - never check baggage with any airline, and never check anything valuable. Yes, we should be able to trust people to give us our bags back in a timely manner with no baggage custody issues.

I pray that congress does not bail out the airlines again. They are so damn disfunctional. Maybe Amazon can take over the airlines and do a better job. I've never been so embarrassed, and Pissed off, to be a Platinum Medallion on Delta. And Delta doesn't care - they don' t know where my bag is nor do they give me any hope they will find it. And I get it - It is a lot like having your car stolen I guess, where the cops tell you "maybe it will show up, maybe it won't". Just like you don't want your car back after someone else stole it, I don't want my luggage back when I it is has not been under control for so long. I am sure my valuables are gone and I am disgusted getting it back now after people have likely picked through it already and taken the valuable stuff. Especially with COVID. You just don't know what has happened to your things when it has been off the grid for such a long period of time.

I was shocked when Juan from ATL (baggage superviser) said "tell me 3 things that are in your luggage so we identify it"... I was like "SERIOUSLY?" - why not look at the name and address - that cannot fall off the luggage as it is a pull out tag, and look. It was clear that Juan was signaling to me that I should not expect to see this luggage ever again. I told him that an eight year old at DTW could look at the name and address, find it in a 3 hour time frame and get it to MKE. Its not like there is a lot of luggage sitting around in DTW - again, nobody is flying! Especially on a Saturday afternoon!

If you fly Delta, do not check bags - ESPECIALLY if you fly through Detroit.

HaleiwaFlyer

Sorry for the baggage issue.
1. With the Delta app having the baggage tracking update, it is pretty tough to lose a checked bag now-a-days, unless it has been stolen.
2. Apply for reimbursement, and hopefully you can recoup some monetary value of what you lost, knowing it won't be the full amount. I never had Delta decline any reimbursement amount, up to the maximum allowed.
3. Like what you said, never check anything of value as theft is a known issue not just in the US, but globally. Always keep valuables on you. Have insurance for items that you cannot carry on.
4. Maybe see if you have any other insurance policies/credit cards in their terms/conditions that can cover your loses?
5. Always keep prescriptions with you due to luggage delays..etc.

The reason that I stuck around with Delta is that during my college years, they didn't load my snowboard with my flight to Denver. I was taking a 2 week long road trip starting in Denver to Telluride. I listed off 20 cities on a paper map that I was going to drive by over the next couple of days. Delta managed to load my snowboard gear onto a flight into a regional airport that I was going to drive by. To my surprise, this was a single wide trailer sized regional airport that I got my snowboard and didn't miss a single day of snowboarding due to Delta's effort to get my snowboard gear to me, which they didn't have to. This was when I became a huge fan of Delta, and have flown them ever since.

Throughout my years of travel, I only had one set of luggage completely lost (snowboard gear through United, and never to be found). I had numerous luggage that couldn't be found nor tracked at the lost luggage desk, only to be later delivered to my house.

What I am trying to say is that the Delta nor any other airlines are against you or not trying to find your luggage for you, but rather the lost luggage system will sort itself out. Its never a great feeling to not have your luggage arrive when you are waiting for it at the carousel (We have all been there). Always give a description of the bag (color, brand, type, outside tags, and also unique identifiers inside), and I had numerous luggage folks say that helps tremendously. Wish you the best of luck, and over time, I learned that worrying about stuff that is outside of your control does oneself no good.

GagaPilot

Wow, take a second to breathe! Lost luggage can happen to anyone, regardless of status, connection length, connection airport, etc. These things happen. I promise it is nothing personal. I'm a PM too on DL, and can count on one hand the number of baggage issues I've had over the years. The same for my spouse. Anytime we have had an issue DL has always come through and delivered the bag. It will turn up, just give it time. I know it can be frustrating for it not to just be on the next flight.

Ask yourself, over all your years as a loyal DL customer, how many times has this happened before? If it's excessive, then there's an issue. It sounds like that's not the case based on your post. Mistakes happen... no one, no company is perfect. A single lost bag is not a reason to abandon DL or any airline.

But, less this be a lesson to you. NEVER check medication, important documents, non-replaceable valuables, etc. You can take ANY medication through TSA with you. If you are worried about it appearing excessive (or grossly violating liquid requirements), have your Doctor write a letter and carry it with you when you travel... my grandmother did that in her final years and had no problems.

I know venting can feel good, and a place like this is a good place to vent. Just calm down... do let us know when the bag turns up!

ttuna3

OP,

I feel for you.

DL doesn't usually mess up baggage but when they do it tends to be (at least for me) spectacular.
A couple of experiences that might be similar to what you're going through:

First was coming home from Vienna (when they still flew there). Stood around at ATL by the carousel for about 45 minutes with nobody from Delta anywhere near it. Found an agent with a UM and asked what was up and told them I had about 50 minutes until my next flight left. She called baggage and somebody showed up in a couple of minute and said that they'd forgot to load a container at VIE which just happened to have all of the Premium bags. Got it the early next morning since they sent it through AMS when they realized it after the plane was in the air.

Second one was late 2018 when they managed to blow a 3 hour connection in DTW on a YVR-NRT flight. Got that one two days later after DTW sent it to SEA and the routing got it to NRT later than if they'd just sent it straight through and then it missed the delivery service in Tokyo cutoff.

I've had most of my Delta baggage issues in DTW (like you) and ATL but they usually get there in a fairly reasonable time frame, unlike UA which lost one on a NRT-RNO and sent it though San Diego, Phoenix, and then finally to Reno after I called them to ask where it was and got a great big "Oops, we though you where near Las Vegas".

As noted above, don't put anything critical in checked bags.

Hope everything works out.

Mountain Explorer

Wow, what a childish rant. I completely understand why your wife choses to fly separately. Bags get misplaced all the time, you'll probably get it tomorrow (well you probably would have until you called the supervisor an 8 year old, maybe now you won't). Checking "valuable items that are not replaceable" was just plain dumb. When they asked you what was inside, they weren't "signaling to me that I should not expect to see this luggage ever again" they were doing their jobs and trying to help you get it back.

"I don't want my luggage back when it is has not been under control for so long." Cool, problem solved!

WisMan

Thanks for the responses guys, I appreciate it. You guys have been way more helpful than Delta has, that is for sure.

i just thing this is a different situation. With so few flights, so few bags, this is inexcusable. And talking to the MKE person, and Juan from Atlanta, it was clear that they were not in any hurry to find my bag.

i am grossed out. I don’t want it back I don’t think as who knows where it has been and who has rummaged throught it by now (and even Delta could not assure me it has been safe since they have no clue where it is or even what state it is in)....

All I know is I am out a substantial amount of money (and meds). This wouldn’t happen at a world class org like Amazon. Thing of how many packages they handle without issue. Delta can’t handle a few bags.

probably time to get rid of inefficient airlines like Delta and move to a National airline, since flights are now like a public utility now anyway.....(think cramped seats, crap service, and lost luggage).

allseas1586

You’ll probably end up getting it back. Last year they lost my bag on a nonstop flight (original was cancelled and rebooked on the next), but 2 days later they delivered it to someone else, and I got another persons bag delivered to me. I think it took almost a week to get my actual bag back. Mistakes happen, it’s super frustrating, but not much you can do about it.

WisMan

Thank you. I understand your viewpoint but I don't agree with it.

We live in a different time now. Airlines have a much higher threshold of responsibility with COVID. Which is ok - their job is MUCH easier with fewer bags and fewer passengers.

But losing a bag - with no idea of where it has been, who has had access to it, and where it is now - is a serious issue with COVID. People are dying. Airlines have a responsibility. And I got a "who give a crap" attitude from Delta.

Well, I give a crap. I want a chain of custody on my luggage. I don't want to worry about what could have happened to it when nobody is watching it.

It is not an unreasonable expectation. Delta is supposed to be "experts" at luggage during heavy passenger/flight times. Today, this is easy. And they messed up. Bad. Baggage per flight can be counted on 2 hands at most.

I took at chance at flying during COVID - and Delta couldn't even handle something simple like luggage. Do you really think planes are safe and disinfected, if they can't even do the simple things that they were supposed to be good at?

Mountain Explorer

Oh ya, this is great time for airlines. Their employees are doing awesome, not at all worried about layoffs or the fact that they take a risk every day that they might get infected with a virus that is out of control. Of course, you don't care about that. You just care about your luggage. Instead of trying to work with them to solve the problem, you chose to degrade them and call them names. I think it's disgusting

MSPeconomist

The numbers show that few bags are lost permanently. Sometimes when a bag seems to disappear in the system, it's because the tag was somehow torn off, perhaps because the tag got caught in some machinery. This is where having your name inside and outside the bag helps, as does telling DL a few distinctive items that would be obvious if someone were to open the bag in an effort to identify it and send it home.

If you don't want your possessions returned if you suspect someone has touched them or gone through them, how do you deal with TSA checks (of checked bags as well as carry on items) when you travel?

So you want to nationalize an entire industry of not at all insignificant size because they lost one bag? Wow. I guess if we apply this no tolerance standard uniformly, it would be the end of all private enterprise.

SEA-Flyer

You have bounced around between GM and PM for years and this is your first experience with lost luggage (or so it would appear based on how upset you are)?

You’ve been lucky. I’ve had lost / delayed luggage countless times on numerous airlines. Several times where they had no idea where it was. Report it lost, replace any essentials you can’t wait for and file a claim to be reimbursed. And then wait. Every single time, I’ve gotten my bag back. Almost always 1-2 days, a couple of times of about a week, and one time took four weeks. It has happened so frequently to me that a large portion of my wardrobe has been paid for by airlines when I got to my destination with no clothes. Filed claims with DL, AF, UA, LH, AC, AS, etc and got it paid out every time. Heck, LH was so embarrassed at how badly they handled it, they shipped me a case of wine as an apology.

They very likely aren’t rummaging through your stuff, It’s sitting in a baggage cart somewhere forgotten. Some body will eventually encounter it, scan it and then it will get flagged and be on it way to you.

ecaarch

SEA-Flyer has it right. The statistics support this. Take a deep breath.

1. As others have stated, NEVER put anything in a checked bag that you can't afford to lose.

2. AmEx has a fantastic baggage insurance policy that costs $10/ticket or $90/year for unlimited flights. It allows you to replace items, even if your bag is just delayed by 4 hours.

3. If this is your first major baggage event after 10 years, consider yourself lucky. Stuff happens, even with great companies. I've lost track of the times my bag has not arrived with me over the last 20 years, with DL, AF, KL, AF, AA, AF, BA...oh, and did I mention AF? EVERY time my bag was returned to me.

4. If you are weirded out by the fact that somebody may have touched your things, let me remind you that TSA has been in your bag and handled your underwear more times than you think.

5. Even great companies like Amazon screw up. I'm dealing with an order where Amazon sent the wrong item, I called them, they rushed me the replacement, and I opened the box to find that they sent me the same wrong item again. Stuff happens.

Hopefully, venting on FlyerTalk has allowed you to get some relief. But while you are here, you'll find that there are some very smart people with a LOT of experience. Soak up some of that hard-earned wisdom so you'll be better prepared next time when the unexpected happens.

Qwkynuf

Wow, muy dramático!

Did you demand to speak to a manager? That usually helps. Especially if your name is Karen and you have that cool "wedge" haircut.

Just to make sure that I am clear, you are saying "Don't fly Delta". But if you do fly Delta, "Don't check bags". And if you must fly Delta and check bags, "Don't connect in Detroit". Is that right? I'll have to edit my decision tree.

Zorak

You left off "and if you do check a bag and it gets lost, immediately go from 0-60 and assume the worst"

To the OP, I get it, it's a frustrating and stressful situation, especially given the contents of the bag. But the situation *may* still work itself out. Don't give up yet...

Barrheadlass

And do let us know if it does show up!