February 4
After 36 hours of travel I was very tired and just wanted to get to my final destination. I boarded my US Airways flight to Charlotte and waited for the doors to close. Just then I heard a ding and an announcement being made. “If there’s a passenger with the last name of X on board, please ring your call button.” They were paging me. You know exactly what went through my mind, oh sh*&. I rang the call button and a man in a uniform made his way to my seat (1a, he didn’t have far to go.) He had a piece of paper in his hand and I soon realized this was a list of baggage. Oh no. What he said next left me absolutely stunned. He said, “you bag ending with 37 was put on an earlier flight, so when you get to Charlotte, don’t wait for it at the carousel, go straight to the baggage office.”
What? Was this a joke? Was a baggage handler from US Airways actually onboard the airplane telling me my bags were already there waiting for me? This has to be delirium, 36 hours of travel has finally gotten to me. I asked the guy sitting next to me if I was dreaming or did that really happen. He shook his head and said yep, that really happened.
I guess there’s a first for everything! In all my years of traveling I’ve never seen a baggage handler board an airplane to tell someone, especially me, that their bag was already at their destination and not to wait around. I wish I had one of my above and beyond certificates that I could have given to that man!
Has this ever happened to you?
Delta has proactively called me asking for permission to send my bag ahead of me, and also to let me know it was at the baggage office when I have been stuck in the lounge replying to urgent emails. I have not had the onboard visit though.
Nice move on US Airways part! No such luck for me. Last year, I checked in a wee bit too early for my own good for my ORD-LGA flight. My bag was sent on an earlier LGA flight that was diverted to JFK! No word from UA and many nervous minutes spent at the carousel. I guess, UA regularly sends bags on earlier flights.
Yes it happened to me on a US Airways flight to Philadelphia. Unfortunately, when we finally landed after 1am, the baggage service office was closed. I still had a two hour drive ahead of me. The next day I called to schedule a baggage delivery and US Airways wanted me to drive back to the airport. A very different experience indeed.
@pointsobsession – ugh, that’s horrible. Very different indeed
@LincolnPark – it always amazes me that sometimes bags get on earlier flights but people cant