Never fun to get your luggage lost but IF it is to happen the absolutely best word that can describe this unfortunate incident: RETURN! Much worse if it is outbound!!
We’ve had suitcases lost a couple of times, but delivered a day or two later. One time my husband went on a golf trip with some friends and they lost his golf bag. His bag was found a day or so later and he got a call from the airline rep at our local little airport. He didn’t have his luggage receipt so she asked him to describe his bag. He did and then she said there was something else in the bag and could he identify what that was. Long pause… uh, three cans of Coors Light? Yes. Apparently, he couldn’t bear to throw out three cans of beer.
^^^ 3 cans of CRAPPY beer!
I’ve had luggage lost on me several times; always returned and usually the airline delivered it to my door/hotel. The worst feeling was when my husband left the baggage claim ticket in the seat pocket on the plane in Tokyo. But the airline staff was very polite and accommodating and we were re-united with the lost bag within 24 hours. The longest was a 4-day wait. I was in college heading on a month-long trip to Europe. I traveled from DC to NY, but my luggage never left DC (as my parents later discovered.) I was at the airport more than an hour before take-off (and this was in the late 70’s when there were no long TSA lines.) I think they gave me $50 for my inconvenience. The luggage arrived on our last day in our first European city, which was a relief because I envisioned my bag following me around the continent.
My DH was returning from Alaska and they lost his suitcase. He told them it was full of frozen halibut, salmon and crab. They actually beat us to our front door with that one.
Eastern lost my dirty laundry duffle on my way back home from college. Swore they couldn’t find it and I would have to give them an inventory. Two weeks later I found it sitting next to the carousel when I flew back.
Wow–will have to remember that lost luggage only needs frozen fish in it to get promptly and safely home. 
My grandfather was a professional musician and toured with his orchestra to Canada once. They all loved this delicious cheese that was made by monks somewhere in Quebec but knew they wouldn’t be able to bring it back through customs. So they hid it in the tuba.
Well, you can guess what happened next. Musicians in one train car headed back to NYC, luggage and instruments in a different car went the wrong way to Chicago. That must have been one smelly tuba afterwards!
Knock on wood…never had my luggage go missing. But I always prepare for it “just in case”. For easy recognition on the carousel I always put ribbon or yarn on the luggage (as well as ID tags with a cell phone number). I always pack enough in my carry on for a couple of days and I always pack the check in luggage with a little bit of everyone’s clothing so everyone will still have some clothes if one of the check in should go missing.
DD2 recently moved to a new state to be with her SO. She lined up a couple of interviews, packed all of her interview clothes, shoes, make-up, etc in a carry on, and checked a bag with stuff she was going to leave there for her move. There ended up being several delays due to mechanical issues and the passengers were shuffled around several times before the airline found a plane for them. Once on board, they made her check her carry-on as there was not enough room in the cabin. You guessed it- they lost ALL of her luggage. She finally arrived after midnight and her 1st interview was scheduled for 10AM in the morning. She only had what she was wearing- not even a toothbrush. After her initial panic, she headed to the only store open at 8AM-Target. She put together an outfit including shoes, underwear and make-up. She is my clothing snob and would never normally shop for clothes at Target. Also one of the interviews was for the manager of a high end clothing chain so she was a bit worried. She pulled off the interviews and ended up with offers from both. She finally got her things 2 days later and eventually received a check from the airline that compensated her very fairly. In the future she said she will always carry a small back pack with the essentials.
Delta plans to use RFID tags to minimize lost luggage http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/29/aviation/delta-rfid-bag-tracking-technology/
I almost lost my bag from Greece to Germany because they forgot to put the tag on it… Made me stand in the jetway after everyone boarded to look out on the Tarmac and say “yep- that bag with MY PERSONAL NAMETAG ON IT is mine”. But it made it to Germany!
The good news is we made it home. Husband thought we should volunteer and let them check n one carry on at the gate, it was so much smaller than most others giant carry on bags. Guess the bag wanted to stay in Canada. It’s encouraging to hear people get their stuff back. Could be lots worse but I miss my Zella leggings and makeup that I stashed in his bag at last minute. As usually CC provided great info
A friend’s son and DIL were boarding towards the end of boarding in Quebec, returning form his brother’s wedding. We were on the same flight and already seated. Apparently the overheads were full and they had to gate check their luggage (which had jewelry and stuff in it from the wedding and they forgot to take it out when they gate checked). The bags were never seen again.
Just received an email;our bag decided it wants to come back tomorrow. I am very grateful. Sorry to hear what happened to friend of Jym’s son.
I will photo all luggage from now on. Hints from CC are the best.
We try very hard to avoid checking bags and use only rollaboards that can be gate checked. We have never had a problem with getting gate checked bags back. We almost always have to gate check on the first or last leg of our trips, because mainly the regional jets fly into our local airport.
We do make occasional exceptions to our no checked bags rule for direct flights with no plane changes. We will be checking bags on our upcoming trip to Iceland, because the budget airline has a smaller size restriction. It is a direct flight, however. DH travels to Europe and Asia a lot on business, but has privs on United, and their carry on size is the same everywhere. We’ve done carry-ons only for multiweek trips to China and Europe.
DH did have a checked bag destroyed in the Tokyo airport several years ago, and the allowed compensation was not enough to cover the price of the business suits he lost.
I used to check bags because of contact lens solution, but I’ve switched to daily-wear disposables and don’t need to carry much liquid. Much more convenient. The last time I checked a bag, it took an extra day to arrive to Paris. (We made a tight connection, but the bag didn’t.)
A young Argentinian golfer who plays on the PGA tour is at the Olympics, but his clubs are not, lost by American Airlines. It’s not like you can borrow someone else’s clubs or walk down the street in Rio and buy a new set. If they don’t turn up, he may not be able to play. Unbelievable.
I’ve never had luggage permanently lost, but have dealt with a lot of delayed bags. The most important thing I’ve learned is to know your own bag well enough to describe it and to leave your contact information INSIDE the bag.
It’s easiest for us when we try to travel with the same bag for some time instead of switching them up. Sometimes even at the baggage claim, we’re wondering which bags we brought on a particular trip. For the past few years, I’ve consistently brought a chocolate brown Briggs & Riley, while H swaps between a matching bag and a electric blue Delsey Helium bag.
Hard for me to believe he wouldn’t have a Plan B. It you are going to be in the Olympics, why wouldn’t you have another set? Kind of like the Delta airline not having a Disaster Recovery plan today. Really?!
I don’t know, I think like every elite athlete, the golfers are very specific about their equipment. I’m not sure they have 2 complete sets of identical clubs with which they are familiar/comfortable, especially as it might be geared towards a particular type of course. Would you expect an equestrian to just sub out a new horse?
Asked DH about Delta’s computer crash, since he’s done lots of disaster recovery stuff. System aren’t designed to lose power unexpectedly, and it takes 10 hours to power them back up and get them back on line. There was much more to the explanation, and backup systems and such, but way over my head.