American Eagle; A woeful baggage experience
(See our Trip Report “Chet and Jean Wood Trip Report 2005” for details of the enjoyable remainder of the vacation.)
We flew down on American/American Eagle through Puerto Rico (ORD/SJU/BON). We arrived safely and only about an hour late, but three of our suitcases did not arrive with us on Saturday. We did not receive them until Monday, and we were left feeling we had been lied to and they just didn’t care. At the very least the agents who were there did not communicate with us in a professional or factual manner.

While waiting in Puerto Rico it was announced that the flight was overweight. They offered $50 to anyone willing to stay overnight, then fly to Bonaire through Aruba the next day. We didn’t see anybody accept the offer, but there were several empty seats on the plane.

When we arrived at Bonaire and were waiting for luggage we got one of our suitcases. Then the belt stopped and we were told that there was no more luggage. There were about 8-10 other couples still waiting for their luggage also. This was Saturday night and per the new schedules published the previous week, the next scheduled flight from San Juan was Monday night.

The American Eagle personnel told us that they would arrange to have the rest of the luggage sent Sunday morning and it would be delivered to our resorts. We were assured repeatedly that it would arrive Sunday AM. I filled out the Baggage Report form. The agent showed me her name, Cornelia, at the top of the form and a phone number. She said that she would answer that number. The form says “Should you find it necessary to contact us, our telephone is 717-3668 between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM”. I told the agent, Cornelia, that two of our suitcases contained frozen food. (Most of it was pre-cooked meat, like brats, frankfurters, salami, etc.). Cornelia wrote this down on her copy of the baggage claim and said that they would arrange to have it put in a freezer. She quickly went on to the next person. I turned and then turned back and asked, “They really have some place they can freeze it?” She answered, yes. (Ha!)

The food started out solidly frozen and well insulated. Every year when it arrives with us, it is always still frozen solid. The reason we bring food with is mostly because of my extensive food allergies. We also bring a lot of other food like some oatmeal for cereal, oat bran for muffins and oat flour, etc. Most of the packaged foods and all the processed meats available in Bonaire have ingredients I am allergic to.

When the luggage did not show up Sunday AM we started calling the American Eagle phone number she had given us. (We never had anyone answer that phone number during our entire trip.) We double-checked the number. We went to the airport. There were no American Eagle personnel at the airport and no way to contact them. We tried to get the American Eagle phone number in Puerto Rico, which no one knew and no one knew how to find. Of course no one called us to let us know anything about our suitcases or when we would get them. We didn’t have half of our dive gear and wondered if we when if ever we would see it again.

The suitcases were delivered to our resort Monday morning. Which would have been fine if we hadn’t been promised Sunday AM delivery. Of course we hoped for that, but were not at all surprised when it didn’t show. The food of course was no longer frozen or even cool; therefore, no longer safe to eat. We feel we lost one day of our trip trying to track down our luggage in hopes of getting it sometime on Sunday (as promised); feeling angry and tricked. It felt like the staff that took the luggage info, just said whatever they had to just to get us (and the 8-10 other couples) out of the airport; including, giving us a phone number they knew no one would answer.

Jean

Chet sorry to hear about your problem. We had similar trouble returning to the UK; we arrived but our cases and dive gear did not. We were given a number to call to check progress and the phone was never answered. The luggage handlers are out of range because you can't get back into the airport and they won't answer the phone. Sounds like it is the same in a lot of places. We did our luggage back days later.

Hi Brian,

The best way to track lost or late baggage is via the KLM website (that is, if you fly KLM). WWW.klm.nl --> KLM Services --> baggage claims --> delayed baggage.

My suitcases didn't arrive with me on a trip to NYC a couple of months ago. They also gave me a telephone number, but I always got an answering machine. Then I found the web site and the info there was accurate.

Thanks Peter I will try that next time my bags go astray.

I suppose I could fly KLM; it would be only one plane change. BUT, flying from chicago-to-Amsterdam-to-Bonaire would be a very, very long trip

Chet ... had a similar experience on AA 2 years ago... We had come down over Thanksgiving week... and brought a Frz Turkey in a cooler... and also checked 2 suitacses... The Turkey arrived in Bonaire, but not the suitcases... It took us 4 days to recover the luggage. But at least we had Turkey.

The main problem with the smaller planes is the weight... and the first thing that they take off is the luggage. Did you pack the food in coolers and mark it perishable or just pack them in suitcases?

Jan,

Glad to hear you got your turkey.

No, we didn't put it in a cooler. We put it in an insulated casserole bag with the food solidly frozen and an Ice pack. The clothes etc. packed around it insulates very well. We've always had it arrive with us still solidly frozen.

Never thought to mark it perishable. Do you think they would go to the trouble of trying to get it on the flight? If that works we'll just mark everything perishable every year. I guess if we all did that they would catch on eventually. They still wouldn't fit all the luggage on. Oh, well.

Jean
It might of helped if the food was in a cooler... so that they would have been more aware that it was perishable... and just maybe they would have paid more attention and left someone else's luggage behind... Who know's it is worth a try.... You mentioned that there were empty seats on the plane... I know that the last time we flew w/ AA.. I would have to say that there were at least 10 empty seats...They were looking for volunteers to take another flight... a few people opted... but we still didn't get our luggage and I would say there were at least 12 others who were in the same boat as us...I believe that the weight problem has to do with all the heavy dive gear etc that is taken..

An atr-72 (what American Eagle flies) has an approx useful load of 20,000 pounds. if you filled it with 72 passengers and luggage (esp heavy dive gear)it would still take off. However, with only a few hundred gal of fuel it would be a short flight... Thus, they have to fly them with empty seats if the baggage load is there.