Consolidated: Traveling with Golf Bags on United
 

If this is the wrong place please excuse my lack of knowledge.

I flew out of CLT direct to my final destination of IAH at 6am. I checked two bags using my Chase United Explorer card. When I arrived in IAH only on bag was to be found. I make my way to the baggage office only to be told they don't know where the bag is as it was never scanned out of CLT or into IAH. While waiting for the baggage officer to fill out paper work my limo driver was waiting patiently until he came in and said that I will owe more due to the extra time. I tell him that's fine and carry on with the agent. Since my 8am convo with the agent, the only system states that the bag has been located and is in IAH.

The issue is that I had a 10am tee time today with my father. We had planned a weekend of golf for some father son bonding. With out my clubs we had to cancel. Tomorrow, I have an 8:30am tee time and will again have to cancel if my clubs don't arrive. Without my clubs for tomorrow morning, my entire weekend plans will be destroyed.

At this point my bag hasn't been lost for the normal 18hour minimum that most policy's state but do I have any recourse for this?

Thanks in advance.

This has happened to me before, unfortunately. Rent clubs at the course that you're playing, and keep the receipt. I was flying Delta at the time, and they reimbursed me for the rental clubs - and they reimbursed me for the nice new pair of golf shoes I had to buy since my shoes were in my travel bag.

Unfortunately, I am quite tall and play specially fitted clubs. It wouldn't even be worth it for me to try rental clubs. I'm planning on asking for at least the plan ticket reimbursement. My entire weekend has been ruined.

If you are near enough to IAH, why not swing by and pick them up?

If you expect UA to remiburse you for specific items such as club rentals, make sure you call UA and have the authorization noted in your PNR. The chances of UA reimbursing after-the-fact are pretty slim.

I'm a little over an hour from IAH... The united call center says that they were picked up by the delivery truck but the delivery companies website says they are waiting for driver assignment. This whole situation is just complete bull...

rent clubs from the course?

As this is specific to United, please follow the thread as it moves to the dedicated forum on United Airlines. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. But you're not going to get a refund for your entire airfare just because one bag was delayed a day or two. They still transported you, after all.

I can see how you'd be disappointed about the situation - I sure would be. But as for the "entire weekend being ruined," I think that's on you and not UA. Presumably, you got to see your father for the weekend anyway. And, presumably you got to spend no less time with him, and were able to bond, even if it wasn't on the golf course as you planned.

Things like this happen from time to time when you travel. Rather than getting into the mindset of your whole trip being "ruined" and spending lots of time on the phone with UA during that weekend (which it sounds like you did), just accept it as one of those things in life and get on with making alternate plans. I know this sort of advice rubs some people the wrong way, and that some people think it's beyond the scope of what FT is about, but I think it's straight on: we see far too many stories here of people that have things like this happen to them and almost seem determined to see that it "ruins" their entire trip, when a simple change of attitude (which can be done immediately, and at no cost) could solve the problem in short order.

Oh the agony!!! Good luck with that ...

UA got OP from point A to B. End of story.

Perhaps switch to Swimming, Jogging, Pool, Beer Pong, bowling, Shuffle Board, darts, basket ball, etc. None require checking anything on UA.

All of the above give you quality time with pops. Perhaps an ice cream Sunday to top off the weekend. With extra cherries and Whip cream.

Another great job UA!

#flyerfriendly

Because the only possible way you could spend "quality time" with dear old Dad is playing golf?

In any case, it sounds like you are coming up with reasons why nothing the airline could do would satisfy you.

Listen, dude, it's a PITA that your clubs are delayed, but sometimes life doesn't go perfectly. The airline is going to treat this like any other delayed baggage case.

This would have been a United Express flight. United mainline does not fly from CLT to IAH.

While I sympathize with the OP, stuff happens and I wouldn't "ruin" the weekend by obsessing over How to make United pay for a mistake. I hope your next post is to tell us the clubs arrived in time for today's round. :)

I was flying to a fencing North American Cup tournament and I store my fencing gear in a hard shell golf case. The airline lost my golf case as well. They got it to me that night, and gave me a cool kit that I use to keep my body wires.

I guess if they completely lost the bag I would have had the option buying all new gear at the tournament about for about 700.00 or I would have just cheered on the competitors and gotten blind drunk after the event. Well I was going to get blind drunk anyways.

If the whole point is having fun with dad, then what you do doesn't matter. Rent some clubs, shoot a terrible game, video some of the tee shots and put it on youtube.

If you had a 10am tee time and knew that your weekend would be "ruined" if you didn't get to play golf with your dad, maybe you should have taken an earlier flight (instead if taking a flight that arrived in the morning) so that any bag delays could have been rectified.