This story is more about my asinine brother-in-law than it is about flights from hell. In all fairness the airline DID manage to lose his luggage on a nonstop flight from Las Vegas to Phoenix.
So here we are, a few days before Christmas and my BIL, who ALWAYS drives when he visits us in Phoenix, decided to spring for an airline ticket this time. By the time he arrived here from Vegas… an hour and 10 minute NONSTOP flight, Southwest lost his luggage. Imagine that.
At the PHX baggage claim, my intoxicated BIL was too busy being obnoxious to hear that there was a carousel change for his flight, so we moved over to the other carousel and proceeded to wait for 30 minutes, while the carousel went around and around and around… not to mention the fact that there were PILES of unclaimed luggage sitting on the floor next to it.
So, as I try to tell my BIL that we can’t find his bag, he starts talking VERY LOUDLY about how he got to the airport 3 hours early because it was the holidays (and proceeded to drink tequila shots at the bar) and that his flight was nonstop and how could the airline lose his luggage… WITH Christmas gifts in it, nonetheless. OY VEY.
So we go stand in the Southwest baggage line with all the others whose stuff got lost and he continues to yell about how he got to the airport 3 hours early and it was a nonstop flight and bladdety bladdety blah. OVER and OVER. I tried to get him to go outside and smoke a cigarette, but he wouldn’t budge. Finally, airport security came over and told him that if he didn’t mellow out, they would have to remove him. They even went as far as to stand behind the counter, to make sure he controlled himself. Thank god his parents were with me, cuz I was ready to punch his lights out. I just left his father with him and mom and I went outside.
He filled out the paperwork and we left with the understanding that they would call my home phone when the luggage was on it’s way. Needless to say, I only got a very rude pounding on my front door at 2am, and by the time I got to the front door… the guy just left the bag at the door and drove off. WONDERFUL customer service.
Regardless of the drunkenness, he’s right… how do you lose luggage on a nonstop flight?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
It wasn’t lost, either it was left off in Vegas or fell off the baggage cart in Phoenix. Mistakes do happen. I do have to agree that it was wonderful customer service to get your BIL’s bag to him ASAP.
Does Everyone else read the Wonderful Customer Service line at the end sarcastic…While I do agree that they should have maybe waited for the answer, hand delivered at 2 am is pretty good customer service no, at 2 in the morning you would have to assume that it was done a.s.a.p.
I read it as sarcastic. I HATE when delivery people just leave stuff at your front door. I order my wife a nice mother’s ring for christmas this year. The UPS guy just left it at the front door. The ring was almost $600. I was very angry. My neighborhood isn’t bad, but I would never just leave stuff on my front porch.
You need to specially request a required signature when ordering the shipping. A friend who works at UPS said the policy is to “ring the bell and run” unless a signature is specified. Saves them time and $$$, plus the driver has less exposure to pets (and owners) with bad behavior.
I think the 2am baggage drop would have been great if you were the one who it belonged to – but since you were the one who was already annoyed by the behaviour of your BIL .. the added annoyance of being woken up at 2am by someone at the door on his behalf probably pissed you off more than it should of lol I know I'd be in a shitty mood!