Airline losing all the gear + mitigating the risks next time

[Solotor]

Well, the reasoning behind this is that it's more likely that they just lost the bag/sent it to the wrong airport, not that it was stolen. In that case, I believe it would be quite helpful to tell them "the bag in Iceland" instead of asking multiple times if they have any idea about the position of the bag.

In which case, you were doing the job of the airport personnel. I suppose that if they came across a bag that is clearly labelled to go to another airport, they'd say "what is this thing doing here?" and send it on its way.

In the (admittedly probable) case that the staff does not give a f. about a single suitcase being lost, calling the airport and telling them "a bag of mine is at your airport" will probably not induce much action anyways.

But to each their own. I can just tell from my own experience that with GPS tracking its not only about the GPS-tracker itself, but the Operations aspect of it all: battery lifetime, signal reception (inside the airport?), connectivity (global roaming SIM-card?), actual tracking infrastructure (always on, cloud service?) - and then *what*? Helping non-caring airport personnel do their job? Going after the crooks yourself?

At that point a lot of time and money is wasted that would have been better spent for adequate insurance coverage from the insurance company of your choice. It's frustrating, I know.

 

[Firebar]

You’ve got to be extra careful with trackers now, as lots of them have Li-ion batteries which are not allowed in hold luggage in a lot of the world after they set a couple of 787s on fire (Luckily on the ramp).

 

[mafi]

For those keeping track: I only got about 1300 USD from the airline. No way to get more from them. What a shame.

Keep your valuables close to you, have them insured and never fly with ****** airlines!

I wish all of you that you never have to go through such an experience yourself.

 

[Schwob]

... and never fly with ****** airlines!

Sorry man, that sucks!
Sprouting wings ASAP...

 

[BlueTrin]

For your 4th question, "What do you do to circumvent this?" Cargo pants and a photographers vest. Everything that is heavy (first stages, camera lenses) is on my body. They can't do anything about that. That makes my carry on fairly light and when I'm on the plane and seated, I just transfer it back when the flight attendants are not around.

If you were to board in Jet fins with your drysuit and the reg around your neck, could they do anything else than giving you weird looks ?

 

[Schwob]

If you were to board in Jet fins with your drysuit and the reg around your neck, could they do anything else than giving you weird looks ?

If you wear the drysuit with the top down, you can stuff those pockets too and they'd (hopefully) won't tell you to board w/o pants...

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

If you were to board in Jet fins with your drysuit and the reg around your neck, could they do anything else than giving you weird looks ?

Hmm, you just gave me an idea. Considering how cold the plane can be at altitude, maybe I could wear my dry suit and put fins on my feet!

 

[BlueTrin]

Hmm, you just gave me an idea. Considering how cold the plane can be at altitude, maybe I could wear my dry suit and put fins on my feet!

Don’t forget to let the valve opened on the way down, especially if you increased your buoyancy with dodgy gas mixes after the meal

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Don’t forget to let the valve opened on the way down, especially if you filled with gas after the meal

Hahahaha!!!!!

 

[divinh]

When I was backpacking around Europe, the airline between Rome and Paris lost my backpack. I was at the tail end of my trip and only in Paris for two days, then onward to London for two days before the flight home. Every morning, the airline would tell me that the pack would arrive by that night to my accommodations. Every night, it didn't arrive. I told reception in Paris, upon leaving, that if it did arrive, do not accept it and to give them my London address. In London, it didn't arrive in the first evening, but did in the second, but they would not deliver it to my accommodations, as it came via another airline. I just told them I would pick it up prior to my flight out at Heathrow.

Short of it: Make sure your accommodations refuse the luggage unless you're going to be there. It forces the airline to continue to forward it along.