Delayed baggage observations
 

This isn’t a rant, and I don’t expect anyone to have any insight. This is really just a set of observations regarding a delayed checked bag. I’ve done YQR-YYC-AMS-LHR three times now since summer 2022. The last two times my checked suitcase got held up at YYC. My AirTag showed it sitting in exactly the same place so I assume it is some kind of system issue between WS and KLM (or maybe it’s a YYC issue) as I was connecting off WS. When I connected of AC at YVR onto AF I was on a super tight (40 minute due to a delay) connection) and the bag made it without issue.

The first delayed bag arrived about 72 hours late because it didn’t get on the first available KL YYC-AMS flight. Wasn’t a big deal. I bought minimal clothing—just what I needed—and KL reimbursed with no issue. Within an hour of its arrival at LHR it was in its way to my hotel. Nice!

The second delayed bag, which should have been with me yesterday, was conveniently put on the first available flight out of YYC. It arrived at LHR just before 2 pm, as per my AirTag, and an hour or so later it started to move. I was out looking to buy some trousers but decided my bag would arrive today so why bother? The AirTag shows the bag at an address in Slough (to the west of LHR) where it has been sitting since around 3:30. I guess KL’s courier is the weakest link here.

It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but a touch annoying. I will say that I love having the AirTag. It doesn’t affect the things out of my control but it is nice to know where my bag is, especially when it doesn’t show up. On one flight in the fall there was a nearly one hour wait at baggage claim, but as I knew the bag was in the airport I knew it was just a matter of being patient.

In future it would be advisable to show the luggage receipt to the gate agent at YYC well before boarding starts (so that there is time to do something) and alert them that you have a bag in transit.

Indeed, that may be advisable. The first time it happened, I was called to the gate as the bag was in a customs hold and needed to be released after confirming that I was travelling. I assumed that was the reason it ended up not coming along. Not much more one can do there. And frankly, these things work most of the time. Other than early Covid years I do TATL around 6-8 times per year and I can only recall once that I had a bag delayed in transit and that was off a very late inbound. I had to run to my next gate and as soon as I was onboard we were off.

In any case, I’m done with KL flights for the next little while as all my current bookings are AC/LH/SAS via YYZ.

As an update, the bag is still at someone’s house in Slough. See if it moves today!