djjk

Howdy all,

I'm a newbie to FT, and referred to this place from a FT friend to get some advice. So please forgive me for this long meandering story, I apologize that I'm not as savvy as others. What I can tell you is I am a 1K and a loyal UA flyer since the 90's. About 2 weeks ago I flew from LAX to MSY. I had a poster tube with me. About 3 feet long, but only 3 inches in diameter. The check-in desk person at LAX said I couldn't bring it as a carry-on because of it's length. I was concerned since it had valuable autographed posters I was donating to a charity auction in New Orleans to raise money for Japan Earthquake-Tsunami Relief. But since it's their airline, I had to play by their rules. Even though it was already securely taped up on both ends of the tube, I taped it up more with the UA tape at the counter, just to be safe, before handing it to the person at check-in. What upset me was that after I boarded the plane I saw people with guitars and other musical instruments that were much longer and wider than this tube being taken as carry-ons and stowed in overhead compartments. But at this point it was too late.

When I arrived at MSY, the poster tube was one of the first items to arrive off the carousel (it had a priority tag), however, on one of the ends of the tube, the tape had been deliberately ripped off and the cap at the end of the tube was missing. I looked inside the tube. Some, but not all, of the contents were missing. To be exact there was a smaller poster tube within the larger tube to protect some of the smaller items. This smaller tube was missing, along with the posters that it contained. There was no TSA notice inside saying that tube was searched for any reason. I went to the MSY UA luggage office and reported the theft. They checked the airplane again to see if it fell out there. It did not. Since it had a priority tag and came out quickly, they said it must have been taken at LAX. I filled out a "pilfering" report at their office and they said somebody would get back to me. They gave me a slip of paper with a tracking # to follow up online or call. I told them I wanted to file a police report because those items were valued between $500 and $1000 at other charity auctions. They said I should do it in LAX upon my return.

I had hoped that the items might be found before the charity auction. They were not, which was unfortunate for the charity. I went to the online site and it just lists it as missing baggage (not stolen), and that they're still looking for it. I call the phone number and it's just an automated voice telling me the same thing. I sent an e-mail to 1K voice and they have yet to reply. I return to LAX the following week and go to the customer service desk in terminal 7 explaining what happened and telling them I want to file a police report. They bring over one of the UA luggage supervisors who proceeds to tell me that there is no way to tell if the items were taken at LAX or MSY, so it wouldn't be helpful to file police a report as I can't attest as to where it was stolen. I ask her when is somebody going to get back to me? She replies that it is a corporate issue somebody in Corporate will get back to you soon.

Well, I don't know what UA's definition of "Soon" is, but I thought 2 weeks is sufficient to get back to me. They haven't. I'm not angry so much because the items were stolen (although I am upset since it was for charity), but it seems like UA is giving the the runaround and passing the buck at every station. And Corporate just seems to be giving me the silent treatment.

I would like to see if UA would compensate me for the stolen posters and whatever they give to me would be donated directly to the NOLA Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

Any advice of where or whom I should talk to now? Thanks.

Sincerely,

DJJK

ryan182

That's a bummer, one thing I would have done differently is not take UAs advise about how/when to file a police report that involves UA employees. You should have probably filed a police report in MSY or LAX to report the theft regardless of what UA told you. If you had any luggage insurance that might cover the items that would help, also its good to get these on file as if there's been a rash of reports in an airport perhaps someone will actually look into it. Sadly your posters are gone, have you checked eBay for them? UA will probably eventually give you something for the loss but probably nothing near their value.

dgcpaphd

I would like to be more encouraging, but - see this web address:

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/...ssing-luggage/

As you can see, LAX ranks high in luggage thefts.

A few years ago I had my luggage rifled checking it in at LAX. When I got my bag returned, someone had gone through it and piled everything back and caused a mess of the clothing in the bag. I no longer check a bag.

Unfortunately, there are people in this world who think nothing of stealing other peoples' property.
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Jaimito Cartero

I have seen many people bring tubes, sales displays and the like on flights. I would have asked for a stupervisor, and pursued it vigorously. I often take carry-on luggage that sometimes gets refused to bring on board. A calm word, and an occasional talk with a manager always works for me. I'd guess 300+ flight segments in the last 5 years. From top of the line F suites, to the cheapest LCC.

WineCountryUA

Did you purchase insurance?

A problem you will have is

djjk

Yeah, but in all of my years of travels out of LAX or other airports, this is the first time it's happened. Fortunately for you, they only rifled though the bag and I am assuming nothing was taken.

I wanted to take it as a carry on, but was told I couldn't. Only to discover people with larger musical instruments bringing those on board as carry-ons. Guess I don't know the magic words yet to tell them to let me take it as such.

Thanks for the link though. Live & Learn.

Often1

OP - UA isn't going to reimburse you for much more than the value of the paper but that doesn't mean you should try. Your best bet is to look at any property insurance which you might have (homeowners / renters), as well as the credit card used to pay for the ticket.

You don't need a lecture, but because others learn from FT:
1. The length of the tube issue was hogwash (unless it was really, really long). Don't accept the first answer you get.
2. The advice regarding the police report was also hogwash. The police report itself has zero value because there isn't a prayer that the cops are seriously going to investigate this. But, for insurance purposes, a reference number from the police will go a long way towards a claim. Lesson here is it's not UA's business and you shouldn't even have discussed with them.

djjk

No, sadly I thought I could take it as a carry-on. Have done so in the past. I only insure it when I mail it to a charity auction I am not attending personally.

So, according to that infomation, I guess I'm screwed.

Thanks.

Darby

Why is it assumed it was stolen? Did you have a price tag attached? Sorry but airport thieves don't steal posters. I could buy that it was smashed and came apart. I can't see a TSA or ramper going to the trouble to bag a paper item. They go for electronics, jewelry, etc. They are not art appraisers.

djjk

Thanks, unfortunately the ticket was purchased for me by the convention I was attending (it was their charity auction that I was sponsoring). So is it possible for them to make a claim on somebody else's stolen luggage, as long as they bought the ticket?

I figure the cops wouldn't do much of anything, since I figure airports are rife with stolen luggage (at least in the US). But I thought the police report would at least be a substantial record of the incident.

I'm not the "expert" on luggage thieves that you seem to be, but the tube was an easy target. No locks, just tape. And some of the contents inside were taken after the tube's tape seals were ripped open (not cut, ripped). Maybe the Beverly Hills office address on the luggage tag might have made it more attractive to them? Who knows.

keloutwest

Did you try the credit card on which u purchased the ticket? Sometimes they'll cover you. I think AMEX is generally good about having benefits like that.

wtigerFF

Did you ask if it was ok to bring the tube on or did someone just notice it and tell you it was too long? I'm just curious because I brought a long poster tube on the plane last year. I measured it and it's just under 3." I just assumed it was ok and walked on with it.

zombietooth

Never, ever check anything valuable or fragile. TSA screeners/baggage handlers steal approx. 3,000 items per week (152,000 incidents per year) from "secure" baggage screening/sorting areas, including highly sensitive items such as guns and ammunition---See this link on the Israeli PM's Security Detail's stolen guns: http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...has_glock.html

The sad truth is that there is no "security" at any American airport and there are numerous organized theft rings among the TSA like this one: http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/C...-62573027.html.

After I lost something very valuable several years ago in PHL, I was told by the US Air station manager that it would be better if I didn't file a claim against the TSA, even though it was obvious in my case that they were involved with my loss, because they had been known to blacklist frequent flyers who made official complaints against them. He said that I should just file my claim against the airline, because the TSA almost never pays-up anyway, and are virtually immune from legal liability. In the end, I decided not to file anything because the airline's liability is minimal and I didn't want to end up on some "no fly" or "hassle" list.

As far as insurance goes, unfortunately, unless you had an "irreplaceable or unique" items rider on your insurance, autographed posters would not be covered. The only people that will cover unique items IME is Lloyd's of London, and the coverage is outrageous, so insurance would not have been a good option for you.

dgcpaphd

Do you have a citation for claiming that airport thieves don't steal art posters?

I suspect you do not. People steal all sorts of things.

The OP did not say the thief was an art appraiser. He stated that one end of the tube had been ripped opened and an item (s) was missing.

If the item was not stolen, what happened to it?
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wtigerFF

Back when TSA was first created, I arrived home from Xmas to find that TSA had left a note in my suitcase and half of my Xmas present missing. It seemed unlikely that someone would have wanted part of it; I called TSA to complain about what had happened. The woman I spoke to was highly amused by my plight. A claim form showed up in the mail. I sent in the receipt (my mom still had it), the store tags as well as a picture of the remaining half. A year and a half went by with no response. I'd forgotten about it when a letter showed up apologizing for the delay and to let me know a check would be showing up shortly for the full amount. It really showed up. I didn't experience any repercussions that I was aware of, but it was early in their existence.