How many of Tony's uncharmed trips with lost luggage were two-stoppers?
ski-air travel stories
- Thread starter jimk
- Start date
As noted before, three of them were nonstops, two to Calgary and one from JFK to Rome. Most were one stop because that's what's necessary for me to get to the Alps from SoCal on SkyTeam affiliates. IIRC only two were two stoppers:
1) The infamous Lyon-CDG-Cincinnati-SLC in 2008 with all luggage delayed 3 days.
2) LAX-JFK-GDG-GVA in 2013, booked less than a month ahead with specific arrival time to meet Liz' Diamond Dogs trip. Skis made it but regular luggage arrived in Zermatt after 30 hours.
I accept that there is random good and bad luck. I've never lost a bag going the other direction across the Pacific. I suspect what's not random are ski bags. They are bulky and I'd guess that if luggage compartments are getting full, they might be targeted for not being put on the plane. I'd minimize putting anything critical in a ski bag vs. even regular checked luggage. Also the TSA opens ski bags for hand inspection almost every time, leaving their calling card.
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I think it was 90 minutes which we have done before many times stopping in LA to go to Salt Lake. We did have to claim luggage and to be honest we had forgotten about that because the last time we had to do it was before covid. The only other time we've gone to the US since then was with Air Canada flying into Portland. From memory the bags went straight through that time.
If there were any warnings my wife would not have made the purchase as she is frustratingly not a rule breaker or risk taker of any type.
Sure. But something must be up with that model plane because all five of us had the same problem going over and returning to Oz.
tseeb
Well-known member
Will be interesting to see how our late September SFO-Santiago de Compostela (SCQ- Northwest Spain) and early October return work out.
My wife was going to do a high-end Baiona-Santiago 121 Km walk, part of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago with her sister and brother-in-law. (Single supplement was E600.) She decided to take me for my 70th. I was going to book minimum days flight so we could reduce time we leave our elderly dog without us. Lucia was going to spend a couple of days on Madrid on way there. Then it was going to be only one day in Madrid so she decided to fly with me and I insisted the whole flight needed to be part of same booking/ticket from too much time spent here.
When we went to book in early May, Iberia showed 3 seats on SFO-O'Hare (American with IB flight no/2 hr 12 min layover) to Madrid (Iberia/almost 4 hr layover) to SCX (Regional Spanish airline with IB flight no). But when we went to book for ~$2550 (each! including a checked bag), there were no seats. We called Iberia on the weekend, then again on Monday without getting anyone to help book seats that were shown as available, before escalating to someone who could help and booked it (through a third party?) for $2950 each.
Our tour does not start at SCQ until ~24 hrs after we arrive so we are renting a car and spending a night at vrbo in Fisterra to give us a chance to see sunset from the end of Europe (or at least Spain - tour also takes us there, but I think we go back to Santiago before sunset for last night's dinner). My wife's sister thought she could book for ~$1500 RT from El Salvador, but that did not work out. They arrive SCX a day before us and we will pick them up in Santiago and take them to Fisterra for a night.
Our return has a 1 hr layover in Madrid and 1:30 in Dallas before American flight that arrives SFO at 23:45. Wondering if I need to leave my car at SFO as that is getting too late for BART/Caltrain to my son's apartment in Santa Clara. Will have to compare parking vs. Uber cost.
Tour: https://www.peregrinandoconmaria.com/el-camino-de-santiago-de-compostela and you may need to translate to English.
My wife was going to do a high-end Baiona-Santiago 121 Km walk, part of the Portuguese Camino de Santiago with her sister and brother-in-law. (Single supplement was E600.) She decided to take me for my 70th. I was going to book minimum days flight so we could reduce time we leave our elderly dog without us. Lucia was going to spend a couple of days on Madrid on way there. Then it was going to be only one day in Madrid so she decided to fly with me and I insisted the whole flight needed to be part of same booking/ticket from too much time spent here.
When we went to book in early May, Iberia showed 3 seats on SFO-O'Hare (American with IB flight no/2 hr 12 min layover) to Madrid (Iberia/almost 4 hr layover) to SCX (Regional Spanish airline with IB flight no). But when we went to book for ~$2550 (each! including a checked bag), there were no seats. We called Iberia on the weekend, then again on Monday without getting anyone to help book seats that were shown as available, before escalating to someone who could help and booked it (through a third party?) for $2950 each.
Our tour does not start at SCQ until ~24 hrs after we arrive so we are renting a car and spending a night at vrbo in Fisterra to give us a chance to see sunset from the end of Europe (or at least Spain - tour also takes us there, but I think we go back to Santiago before sunset for last night's dinner). My wife's sister thought she could book for ~$1500 RT from El Salvador, but that did not work out. They arrive SCX a day before us and we will pick them up in Santiago and take them to Fisterra for a night.
Our return has a 1 hr layover in Madrid and 1:30 in Dallas before American flight that arrives SFO at 23:45. Wondering if I need to leave my car at SFO as that is getting too late for BART/Caltrain to my son's apartment in Santa Clara. Will have to compare parking vs. Uber cost.
Tour: https://www.peregrinandoconmaria.com/el-camino-de-santiago-de-compostela and you may need to translate to English.
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Your wife is very different from my wife.
To be honest she balances me out to a degree. So it mostly works.Your wife is very different from my wife.
The discussion above about airlines allowing you to book an itinerary with dangerously short layovers makes me wonder -- what is the longest scheduled flight itinerary that you've traveled in one shot from your departure city to landing in your destination? Don't include what it actually ended up being due to delays or if you stayed a day in a layover city.
Mine is pretty small potatoes: British Airways from Capetown to Newark with a three-hour layover in LHR: 22.5 hours. Memorable because:
Mine is pretty small potatoes: British Airways from Capetown to Newark with a three-hour layover in LHR: 22.5 hours. Memorable because:
- The flight from CPT to LHR was on a ratty 30-year-old 747 -- BA was still flying many of them at the time. I recall wondering how advanced the metal fatigue was at that point.
- I had an early morning airport meal in London where I first experienced baked beans for breakfast. I'm not sure how this bracing culinary tradition had evaded me in previous visits to Britain.
sarahontrack
New member
Longest one for me was Sydney to Geneva: SYD to DOH (Qatar), 3-hour layover, then DOH to GVA, just over 24 hours total. I remember feeling like I crossed into a different dimension by the time I landed!
ChrisC
Well-known member
I am still not sure how James travels.
He puts everything gear-wise in a boot bag and ski bag (one item for airliness accounting) because he only wants to bring a small backpack/computer bag on the flight?
I always have a rolling carry-on or a large backpack (for boots, toiletries, and one outfit change, depending on whether I'm skiing, sailing, diving, or working). I would feel naked/careless/reckless with just a computer bag.
Checked luggage is a luxury that I almost expect never to see again....
He puts everything gear-wise in a boot bag and ski bag (one item for airliness accounting) because he only wants to bring a small backpack/computer bag on the flight?
I always have a rolling carry-on or a large backpack (for boots, toiletries, and one outfit change, depending on whether I'm skiing, sailing, diving, or working). I would feel naked/careless/reckless with just a computer bag.
Checked luggage is a luxury that I almost expect never to see again....
ChrisC
Well-known member
I expect I will have to function for 1-2 days with what I have physically on me. Often, I am not staying in a gateway city for any of my activities, so if anything goes wrong, I will be without essentials for a while.
And time is perhaps my most precious commodity, so I am not stopping my plans, nor am I sacrificing 12-72 hours.
I often don't know where I will be in 2 days when skiing and/or sailing - what port, island, or ski area?
Even if I buy a few things, it does not compensate for the loss of key items, such as a helmet, goggles, boots, shell jacket or pants, work suits, masks, snorkels, etc.
Almost 1% of baggage was mishandled, and the rate is likely even higher for connecting flights.
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Fair enough, that makes sense.
As mentioned above -- call me cavalier; however, I'm very confident that my ski/boot bags will arrive with me on nonstop flights. Also, the airlines send a text on their apps to notify you that your luggage is on the plane.
I'm aware of being very lucky on those two "short connection!" itineraries described upthread and will do something similar to you if I need to change planes on a future ski trip.
Maybe because you haven't flown on any Canadian airlines!
1999 was Air Canada and 2023 was WestJet.That depends on whether you count deliberately scheduled layovers where you can get out and sightsee. Record from a year ago has to be LAX-LHR-FRA-JNB took 34 hours 30 minutes but 10 of those hours were sightseeing and having lunch with friends in London. Similarly our return from Perth to LAX in May 2023 included 10 hours of sightseeing in Melbourne.
With only in-airport layovers my first trip to South Africa in 2002 was the likely record. The return from JNB included a refuel stop in Cape Verde and a plane change at JFK. Total time 26 hours I think.
For nonstop the 16 hours 15 minute scheduled from Dubai to LAX in my record.
24 hours or thereabouts is usual from Brisbane to Geneva/Zurich/Paris/Milan. We usually fly with Singapore and there is a couple of hour wait there between flights.
I find it easy. I stay awake until Singaport (approx 8 hour flight) and then when I get onto the second leg a have a valium and put ear plugs in and eye mask on and I generally wake about 6 to 7 hours later. In the following 5 hours I will most often get another hour or two sleep between the airline meals and watching a movie. Once landed I stay awake by doing an activity during the day time and going to early evening dinner. I always stay awake until about 9pm local time. About 2 or 3 beers before bed ensures I'm absolutely ready for a big nights sleep at that point.
I'm good to go the next day but often find I wake temporarily for half an hour at about 2 or 3am for the first couple of nights.