I am seriously contemplating buying a cheapo piece of luggage and starting to check my bag and carry on only something small that will fit under the seat.

My fear is them losing the bag and it never being recovered. I have only had that happen to me ONE time, and it was a gate checked bag of all things....

I would of course put my most valuable items in my small under the seat bag but of course STILL would prefer to not actually lose any of my stuff.

So, I have read the statistics, but who here has actually had an airline lose their bag and never recovered it?

They lost my bag a couple weeks ago and were able to ship it to me by the end of the day

We were flying back from Europe (FRA-SFO) and the luggage never made it to the plane. When we arrived at SFO, they were already waiting for us with the news and a voucher ($200 IIRC). The fact that we were flying in F might have had something to do with it.

Anyhow, the first piece of luggage arrived that afternoon, and the other one came a day or so later.

All in all, I was happy with the two C-notes. Whatever was in the bags (just clothes), well, if they got lost, so what. Nothing there that wasn't easily replaceable.

A couple of years before that, US lost my luggage (PHL-LAX) and they gave be a voucher for $50. Found the luggage that day or the next. The very next week; same flight, same situation. I was making money on the deal.

Over the years I've had probably six to ten bags delayed, and never had one go totally missing.

I had one bag delayed (AA ORD-DCA) came in on the next flight and was delivered to the Hotel room.

Only on a few occasions has my luggage not arrived with me, and each time I had it within 24 hours. The three that I can recall occurred on Iceland Air (business class), KLM (also business class) and Singapore Airlines (first class). I think that truly lost luggage (as in never recovered) is really rather rare, at least on major, reputable airlines, although obviously it does happen. Delayed luggage is commoner, of course.

I pack anything "irreplaceable" (unless it is too bulky) in my carry-on bag, and I usually try to take a change of underwear and a fresh shirt with me on to the plane, just in case. (I'm less likely to bother with the clothes on a trip back home, naturally enough.)

I read somewhere that there's finally a GPS based device that you can buy and put in your luggage that will allow you to track. $50, I think I saw. I understand they had some FAA hurdles they had to clear in terms of not activating in the air, and so on.

Longest I've ever been without a bag is two weeks - lost on a single nonstop domestic flight. Thanks UA

I am tired of all the restrictions of what I can and carry on so I have started checking my bags often and I have to say I have enjoyed not having to haul and feel like a pack mule in the airport. I am a little leary of checking on multi-leg international trips, but on my weekly one leg domestic work commutes I am more than happy to take the risk. Before anyone asks, the main reason I have been checking a bag is not because of the clothes, but because I usually pack a bottle of wine in my bag. A few times my bag has been delayed and usually came in on the next flight, but never has my bag gone completely missing, never to return again.

I have had my bags delayed dozens of times over the years, although never for longer than 3 or 4 days. US once managed to mishandle my bags via PHL 6 or 7 weeks in a row (Always GRR-PHL-BTV). I was on a first name basis with the delivery guy and would usually fill up his coffee thermos when he showed up on Saturday morning.

Amazingly, only three times in my life have my bags been delayed on my way to work. Thankfully, they're always delayed on the way home.

Losing your luggage is a bummer. I found mystufflostandfound online and now I protect all my valuables � luggage, keys, phone, tablet, laptop and even camera, credit cards and passport � with tracker tags. When your luggage is found, you are immediately sent an email and text message that it is found and the location for recovery.

Okoban is worldwide in 2,200 airports, on 400 airlines and tens of thousands of �frequent finder� locations, institutional lost and found facilities worldwide including TSA, rail, maritime, coach, car rental and hotel companies. The finder of your lost valuable can find you (text and email) securely and quickly.

GB

Ive lost one bag in 46 years of travel - charter trip to Mexico in 1985.

My bag full of gringo clothes went missing and my carryon full of blankets and Mexican jewelry made it home.

Back when I worked for an airline, there was a huge warehouse where all luggage that could not be re-united with its owner was stored. Every now and then we would take a little "shopping" trip through the warehouse and see if there was anything we could use.

Some of the stuff abandoned (apparently) was pretty bizarre, and often expensive. I know for a fact that the airline made mighty efforts to return it, but if the pax never filed a claim, did not mark the bag/package, and in general did not seem to care about it, what are they supposed to do?

Oh, well, that's a different problem. If the owner is uncontactable and/or doesn't make it known that he or she has lost something, there is little that the airline can do about it, as you say.

I once saw a list of things left on the London Underground and not claimed. As well as the usual (umbrellas, scarves, gloves, shopping bags) there were some truly bizarre ones, including (macabre though it is) a child's coffin - fortunately empty.