Any Recent Airport Problems Lost Luggage Stories/Suggestions

[NWA395]

Figured since the invasion has come and gone I would solicit any recent airlines or lost luggage experiences.

Headed to RTB on 6/20 for 7 nights. We are arriving and departing on a Friday and flying United via Houston.

BCD, fins wetsuit, in one checked bag, with all other gear (regs, computer, mask etc.) in the carry-on.


Would like to hear the recent experiences or issues with RTB, lost luggage or travel issues

Thanks

 

[diversteve]

If United gets it on the plane, it's going to be pretty hard to lose on Roatan. You can watch it be unloaded. Saw mine go by once on the cart..

Arriving on Friday should be easy - a guess is that this was a Saturday afternoon - it's not exactly a busy airport...:



Once you clear your bags will be sitting on the floor grouped by flight. Go thru the scanner and you're outside.

If you're staying at AKR or Cocoview, they'll handle your bags and direct you to their shuttle. Their rep will be standing inside the baggage area - at least they are on Saturdays. If not cabs are 50' away. There's also sometimes a yellow-shirted taxi dispatcher walking around. Car rental counters are inside the airport:



On departure pay the exit tax at the counter in the middle of the area before you get to security or they'll send you back. We watched this obnoxious couple cut in front of everyone so they could make their flight. Evidently not...

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

If you see a line, get in the right two lines. They all merge down to 2 lines but the right side is shorter after it turns around the wall inside the building. Noticeably so, we once noticed the person standing next to us in line. As we cleared immigration, he was still about 15 people back on the left side.

Guess it has been a while since you have been to Roatan and you are not aware of the remodeling of the airport terminal that has eliminated that area.

---------- Post added May 18th, 2014 at 09:27 PM ----------

NWA 395: We just returned from Roatan last week and had no problems whatsoever with United out of Houston. Not so lucky for two in our group who flew Delta. The were stuck in Roatan airport for 8 hrs. while Delta first said there was a mechanical problem that would be fixed shortly, then they were told couldn't be fixed and need to wait for another plan to come in from the US.

 

[diversteve]

Thanks, it's been a few years.

 

[Doc]

I've never had anything pilfered at RTB, at IAH however, there have been some issues.

Lost luggage seems to be a relic of the past- when TACA was the only carrier- they really didn't care and there was a lot of issues out of the US hubs. Today, even TACA has their issues fixed.

Tag your bags with full routing instructions including RTB. We personally tag each bag with 3 such tags and our destination resort. For return, we just show our home address and cell phone, airport code.

If you have baggage issues at CCV, the office will handle it all the way through resolution, and in the mean time you get free loaner gear from the dive shop.

 

[NWA395]

Thank you for all your replies. We have decent flight times, depart NW Arkansas at about 0615 and arrive RTB about 1145 with decent layover in IAH.

Mechanical issues ... it happens,,, thanks again, we are looking forward to next month

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Thank you for all your replies. We have decent flight times, depart NW Arkansas at about 0615 and arrive RTB about 1145 with decent layover in IAH.

Mechanical issues ... it happens,,, thanks again, we are looking forward to next month

RELAX, enjoy the flight and get ready to experience some fantastic diving

 

[KellyAsh]

Another thing you can do is put your hotel or dive shop phone number on your tags so there is a local POC as well.

 

[nwscubamom]

One of our group recently had his dive bag mangled so badly at RTB, it looked like a giant sand monster had chewed through it! It is suspected that it fell off the cart and then was dragged under the wheels of the baggage cart on the ground at RTB. Ruined the bag for sure, and some of his dive items inside. They were good about getting new gear for him and letting him pick out a new bag to get his stuff back home in.