Bad experience with OK (Czech) baggage handling
 

Would like to share my recent and definately negative experience with Czech Airlines and checked-in baggage and actually warn to think twice about what to put in checked-in baggage and whether to check-in baggage with them.

On 30th of October on route RIX -> PRG -> LCA my checked in baggage was searched and what is the most funniest 3 packs of cigarettes were stolen from carton (bought on the way to airport) I put in baggage just prior arrival at the airport. I usually take cigarettes with me when traveling within legal limits as brand and type I like is not everywhere.

I have no dissapointment about stolen packs as they cost nothing, but about the fact that when at my residence in Cyprus I opened my baggage there was a mess with signs that something was searched and the fact that something was stolen. Now I have a question - if I fly with them, then maybe next time I will find out that suit, tie or my jeans are missing?

Never had such experience with other european carriers and lately I am flying a lot.

PS. Left complaint on the next day on their website and still have not received even applogies.

Are you certain that the airline was at fault here?

You were flying out of RIX, which is in Latvia. In most cases, it is either government security in the originating country, or airport security there, which inspects baggage -- not the airline.

On a recent OK multi-stop itinerary, my bag was delayed in transit (it did not make my connection flight in PRG).
I got it a day later, and two brand new bottles of cologne were missing from it.
I reported it to OK, and about 20 calls/e-mails and 3 months later, got 90% reimbursement (something about them having a 10% depreciation policy - even when the goods were brand new).
In addition, I received about $25 less than they promised me - I believe their bank took a fee for the transaction. I know it wasn't my bank's fee, since my bank tacked on a separate incoming wire fee.

In all, it was not a plesant experience. Sounds like I'm not the only one who's had problems with OK luggage handlers...

Luggage handling is one of the down-sides of flying. Most if the times the airline has nothing to do with it, but they are responsible for the end-to-end service.

Getting stuff stolen from luggage is indeed something that needs to be reported, next time it can be a camera or a computer, not just a pack of cigarettes.

You cannot be certain for 100% in any case, but lately I have been flying to and from RIX at least once a month and with other airlines I did not have such problems. Also one of my friends works at RIX airport security and he claims that there is a little chance something like that could happen now after a scandal couple of years ago and normally no one opens checked-in luggage as it is xrayed instead of physically searched.

In Prague my layover was 5h so it could also happen there. As CAlex already said in his post - airline is responsible for end-to-end service and why such things happen more frequently with one airlines and don't happen with others?

Maybe incredible to hear but I never had any problem with OK and I made almost 100 transits in the last 3-4 years through PRG.
I had instead problems 4 times when I made transits in FCO and only one time I had something stolen after my baggage instead of arriving in ATH landed in Tunis.