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from which most couriers depart, it probably isn't for you.
There are risks involved, so be sure to use a reputable courier
company and get references. Horror stories include stranded
passengers, couriered luggage that contained contraband, and so on.
Also beware of fly-by-night outfits that advertise cheap fares and
then disappear with your money. If you haven't traveled by courier
before, be very careful.
The likelihood of finding a courier company that needs a package
escorted to your favorite destination on the day of your choice is
next to nil. Courier travel just isn't well-suited for planned
vacations. Likewise, if you have commitments or other obligations
(e.g., making a connection for your return flight home, getting back
to school on time), don't count on meeting them. Some people have
smooth trips, others don't. If you're just after cheap international
airfare, you're probably better off going to a bucket shop. The
savings just aren't enough to make the hassles worthwhile. But if
you're very flexible about when you want to travel and can leave on a
moment's notice, or you don't care where you go, so long as you go
somewhere soon, then couriering is a great way to see the world a bit
at a time.
Some books about flying as a courier include:
o The Air Courier's Handbook, $9.95
Big City Books, PO Box 19667, Sacramento, CA 95819
o The Courier Air Travel Handbook, 1993, $7.95.
Mark I. Field, Thunderbird Press, 5930-10 W. Greenway Road,
Suite 112B Glendale, Arizona 85306 USA
o A Simple Guide to Courier Travel, $15.95
1-800-344-9375
Guide Books, PO Box 2394, Lake Oswego, OR 97035
o The Insiders Guide To Air Courier Bargains
1-800-356-9315. $14.95 + $2 p&h.
Kelly Monaghan.
Inwood Training Publications, Box 438, New York, NY 10034.
o The Air Courier Guide Handbook, 5.99 pounds sterling
John Walker Books, 160 Cromwell Road, LONDON SW5 0TL
o Directory of Freelance On Board Couriers, $9.95 Canadian.
The Inside Track Travel Group, British Columbia, 604-684-6715.
Newsletters:
o Travel Unlimited, $25/year, 12 issues (8 pages each issue)
Attn: Steve Lantos, PO Box 1058, Allston, MA 02134-1058
SteveL2555@aol.com
o International Association of Air Travel Couriers
$35 registration fee, gets you six copies of the Shoestring
Traveler newsletter and six issues of the Air Courier Bulletin
directory.
Run by Bill Bates.
International Association of Air Travel Couriers
International Features
PO Box 1349
Lake Worth, FL 33460
Tel: 407-582-8320
(Street address is 8 South "J" Street, Suite 3, Lake Worth.)
Courier Agencies in New York:
Able Travel and Tours 212-779-8530
Paris, London
Air Facilities 718-712-0630
South America
ACC 212-983-0855, 800-983-0856
Courier Network 212-691-9860
Israel
Courier Travel Service 516-763-6898, 516-374-2261 (fax)
516-374-2299, 212-836-1989
718-244-0101, 718-COURIER
Worldwide, but mainly to Europe. Some to Middle East, Asia, and
South/Central America. 1 week stays. No fee. Hours 09:30-17:00
weekdays.
Discount Travel International (DTI) 212-362-8113/3636
212-655-5151
To Mexico, South America, Asia, and Eastern and Western Europe.
169 W. 81st Street, New York, NY 10024
East-West Express 516-561-2360
To Singapore, Asia, and Australia.
Halbart Express 718-656-8189/8279
New York to Europe only. or 718-995-7019
10am-3pm only
147-05 176th Street, Jamaica, NY 11434.
IBC 718-262-8058.
Jupiter Air 718-341-2095, 718-656-6050
New York to Hong Kong and Singapore.
Now Voyager, Inc. 212-431-1616
74 Varick Street, Suite #307, New York, NY 10013.
Europe. Call between 10:00-16:30 M-F, 12-4:30 Sa, recorded
message other times. Charges $50 registration fee.
Major cities in US, routed through NY. Payment via certified
check, money order, or credit cards (3% processing fee).
Tickets are on standby. FedEx's the tickets to your address.
You courier both ways.
Rush Courier 718-439-9043
Puerto Rico
World Courier 718-978-9400, 718-978-9552/9408
800-221-6600
9am-noon only. Requires personal interview in New York.
Does not fly to Paris. Flies mostly to Europe and Mexico.
Courier Agencies in Miami:
A-1 International 305-594-1184
To Venezuela
Air Facilities 305-477-8300
DTI 305-538-1616
Halbart 407-483-8832,305-593-0260
To Europe.
IMS Courier Service 305-771-7545
To Jamaica
Line Haul Services 305-477-0651
To Latin America, Central and South America
Martillo Express 305-681-6979
Trans Air Systems 305-592-1771
To Central and South America
Travel Courier 718-738-9000
Courier Agencies in Chicago:
TNT Chicago 312-453-7300 (area code 708?)
To Mexico and London.
[doesn't seem to exist anymore?]
Courier Agencies in LA:
City Link 213-410-9063
[doesn't seem to exist anymore?]
Crossroads International 213-643-8600
3pm-5:30 pm
[doesn't seem to exist anymore?]
IBC Pacific 310-607-0125, 415-697-5985
9am-4pm T-F. Asia, Australia.
Jupiter Air 310-670-5123
Flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea (Seoul).
$200 deposit required for all flights. $35/year membership required .
Max stay 30 days, one-week minimum for Seoul. Reserve 2-3 months
in advance.
Midnight Express 310-673-1100
Flies only to London.
Polo Express 310-410-6822
Flights to Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, and Bangkok.
No deposit, no fee. 2-week stay, except in Australia (3-weeks).
Reserve 6 weeks to 3 months in advance.
SOS Intl Courier 310-649-6640
Mexico
Way to Go 213-466-1126/1166
6679 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles 90028
Flights to Far East (Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur,
Penang, and Singapore), with some flights to Mexico and London.
$75/year membership fee. San Francisco office 415-292-7801;
San Diego office 619-224-0252.
World Travel & Tours 213-384-1000
Korea
Courier Agencies in San Francisco:
Gateway Express 415-344-7833
111 Anza Blvd. #418 Burlingame, CA 94010
Jupiter Air 415-872-0845, 415-872-6506
Flights to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Manila.
Polo Express 415-742-9613
Flights to Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, and Bangkok.
No deposit, no fee. 2-week stay, except in Australia (3-weeks).
Reserve 6 weeks to 3 months in advance. For info send SASE to
Polo Express, 811 Grandview Dr., South San Francisco, CA 94080.
TNT San Fransisco 415-692-9600
Call afternoons only. Hong Kong.
UTL Travel 415-583-5074
Flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila.
Way To Go 415-292-7801
Asia, London, Mexico
Bahrain:
Line Haul Express (0973)-258-700
Buenos Aires:
Air Facility (1)-3220-7720
Canada:
F.B. On Board Couriers (Montreal) 514-633-0740/0951
Courier travle to London, England. Call 9am-Noon EST for info.
Located in Montreal but also serves Toronto.
F.B. On Board Couriers (Toronto) 416-675-1820
Cargo only.
F.B. On Board Couriers (Vancouver) 604-278-1266
Courier travel to Hong Kong from Vancouver.
Jet Services 514-331-7470
Paris
Germany:
Line Haul +49 69 69793260
Located in Frankfurt/Main. Flights to Hong Kong, Sydney, and possibly
other destinations.
Hong Kong:
Bridges Worldwide (03)-305-1413
London, Sydney, US, Asia
Great Bird Courier (03)-332-1311
Honolulu, Tokyo, Taipei
Intl Courier Travel (03)-718-1332
Jupiter Air (05)-735-1886, (05)-735-1946
Asia, US, Sydney
JNE (03)-736-8678
Bangkok
Line Haul Express (03)-735-2167, (03)-735-2163
London, Asia, Vancouver
Polo Express (03)-303-1286, (03)-303-1287
Asia, LA, Sydney
Wholepoint (03)-718-0333
London:
Courier Travel Service (0181)-844-2626, (0171)-351-0300
F.B. On Board Courier (0175)-368-0280
Canada
Line Haul Express (0181)-759-5969
Paris: To New York
Halbart Express (01)-45873230
Jet Services (01)-48626222
Rio de Janiero:
Air Facility (021)-252-9597
Seoul:
Jupiter Air (02)-655-6024
Sydney, Australia:
Courier Travel Service (02)-698-3753
Intl Courier Travel (02)-317-3193
London
Jupiter Air (02)-317-2113, (02)-317-2230
London, Asia, Auckland
Polo Express (02)-693-5866
Los Angeles, Auckland
Taipei:
Jupiter Air (02)-551-2198
Line Haul Express (02)-731-5367
Tokyo:
Line Haul Express (03)-376-98354
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Subject: [2-5] Travel Agencies that Specialize in Students
Council Charter (run by the CIEE) 800-800-8222.
International Student Exchange Flights 602-951-1177. Call toll free
800-255-7000 for US domestic flights, 800-255-8000 for international flights.
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Subject: [2-6] Visit USA
Several airlines have a program called "Visit USA" (VUSA) which allows
foreign nationals or US citizens who reside abroad to purchase tickets
that have unlimited standby travel within the US during their stay.
The tickets must be purchased abroad (usually in conjunction with an
international roundtrip ticket) and residents of Canada and
Mexico are ineligible. (Some of the programs are also not available to
people living in the Carribean.) Other airlines with this program include
United Airlines, Northwest, and Delta. Delta's program is called
"Delta Pass".
The pass is actually a set of coupons, with each coupon being good for
a sector. You must purchase at least N coupons, where N depends on the
airline. For United, the minimum is three coupons. There may also be a
maximum number of coupons. On United the price is about $90/sector if
you purchase the minimum number of coupons, and falls to $60/sector if
you purchase 10 coupons. There is also a two-tier pricing scheme
depending on whether the Visit USA pass is issued by the same airline
you used to travel to the US. The difference is about $15/sector.
Prices and programs may differ on other airlines. For example, Delta
Airpass gives 30 days unlimited travel for about $500 (60 days $800).
No rerouting or refunds are allowed. (Some airlines will refund a
completely unused pass -- ask when you buy it -- but none will refund
a Visit USA pass after the first flight segment has been flown.) You
must make confirmed reservations for the first sector. There is a
charge for changing the date on the first sector flight. Travel must
start within 30 days and must be completed withing 120 days of entry
into the US (for travel on United; other airlines may have different
policies). Open jaw travel is permitted. You may be limited to one
trans-continental direct flight per Visit USA pass, depending on the
airline.
Council Travel has been known to sell Visit USA tickets on USAir
without any restrictions at all -- you don't have to be a foreign
resident or national, and you don't have to be a student. Many travel
agents outside the US don't check whether you reside outside the US,
so you can buy the Visit USA coupons even if you are a US citizen.
They won't, however, send the tickets overseas; you have to be
physically present to pick up the tickets.
Many foreign carriers offer similar programs in conjunction with the
purchase of an international round-trip ticket. The following should
give you an idea of the range of programs; call your airline and check
if they have similar programs (you may have to ask for the tour desk).
Air France (France Pass). The pass gets you unlimited flights
within France, but must be used during a single week for off-peak
travel.
Alitalia (Visit Italy). Each voucher lets you fly two one-way
segments within Italy for $100. A great deal, considering that a
Rome-Milan coach roundtrip ticket costs more than three times as much.
Aloha Airlines (AlohaPass Commuter). The pass provides unlimited
interisland travel on Aloha Airlines and Aloha IslandAir for one
month. Reservations are guaranteed when booked 48 hours before departure.
Includes other minor perks, such as bonuses in the frequent flyer
program and some free first class upgrades.
British Airways (UK Air Pass/Visit UK). Flight segments cost around
$80, with a 3-segment minimum. Destinations and travel dates
must be booked seven days in advance, and the dates cannot be changed.
Hawaiian Airlines (Commuter Airpass). The pass provides unlimited
interisland travel for one month. Reservations are guaranteed when
booked 24 hours before departure. Includes other minor perks, such
as a free one-day car rental, bonuses in the frequent flyer
program, and some free first class upgrades.
SAS (Visit Scandinavia). Each coupon costs $80 and covers one
flight segment within Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. 6 coupon maximum.
Thai Airways (Discover Thailand). Each pass costs $239 and covers
four flight segments within Thailand.
Varig, VASP, and Transbrasil (Visit Brazil). The pass is a very
good deal for travelers who are flying from one end of Brazil to
the other, but not as good if you're just flying between Sao Paulo
and Rio De Janiero.
[Yes, yes, I know Hawaii is part of the United States.]
When buying one of these passes, always compare the cost with the
prices of basic excursion fares. Sometimes the excursion fares are
cheaper.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [2-7] Free Upgrades to First Class
The main method of getting first class seating without paying the
exorbitant fares is to belong to a frequent flyer program like TWA's
program, where gold and silver members get unlimited free upgrades to
first class on a space available basis. Some airlines, like USAir,
sell booklets of upgrade certificates, at an average cost of $15 per
certificate. Of course, with both programs, you won't always be able
to get first class seating.
The other method is to fly on an overbooked flight where first class
is underbooked. If you have a confirmed reservation, the airline will
usually prefer to upgrade your ticket over bumping you.
Even though American gold upgrade stickers have an expiration date,
American ticket agents rarely turn someone down because they tried to
use expired upgrade stickers. The same goes for similar programs at
other airlines. (It doesn't hurt to try.)
Wearing business attire probably helps your chances of getting a free
upgrade. Upgrades are often at the discretion of the gate agent. If
you look like a businessman, you'll get treated better. So try
wearing a suit the next time you ask. On the other hand, if you look
like bum, you probably won't get the upgrade, if for no other reason
than to not degrade the appearance of first class.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [2-8] Companion Tickets
Many airlines are now offering free or cheap companion tickets.
Northwest currently has certificates which will allow a companion to
fly at a reduced price ($199 round trip between the east and west coast,
cheaper between shorter hauls). Travel must be completed by 1/15/94,
Saturday night stay is required, and there are a lot of holiday period
blackout dates. Companion earns frequent flier miles.
Continental offers a deal to their One pass members where for $50
you can get a package which includes 5000 miles and a $99 RT companion
ticket certificate. There may be some blackout dates on the certificate,
but I was able to use this around Christmas time. Companion earns
frquent flier miles.
TWA is currently offering promotions by which it is possible to fly with
them and get a free companion ticket certificate valid some months in 1994.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [2-9] Avoiding Travel Scams
When planning a trip, here are some tips for avoiding travel scams.
+ Beware of unsolicited travel opportunities.
+ There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. If a travel
opportunity sounds like a "great deal", it probably isn't.
Either they'll take your money and run, or there are hidden
charges. For example, many so-called "free vacations" or
"vacation giveaways" require you to stay at a specific hotel --
at exorbitant rates.
+ Beware of extremely low-priced offers, unsolicited offers
involving Florida or Hawaii, and opportunities that try to pressure
you into buying on the spot.
+ If you're elderly, be especially careful. Scam artists will try
to confuse and manipulate you.
+ Ask detailed questions (e.g., what is covered by the price and
what isn't, whether there are any additional charges, the names
of the hotels, airlines, airports, and restaurants, exact dates
and times, cancellation policies, and refund policies), and get
it all in writing before you buy anything.
+ Never give personal information, including credit card numbers,
social security numbers, bank account numbers, or similar
information to an unsolicited telephone salesperson. If you
must, ask for a telephone number and call them back the next day,
after you've had time to check them out. Call the Better
Business Bureau and use the telephone number to verify if
they're a legitimate business, and if so, whether there have
been any complaints. You can also check out the company with the
state attorney general's office and the local consumer
protection agency.
+ Pay for purchases with a credit card, never with a check or
money order. When you pay for purchases with a credit card,
you're protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act against
fraudulent charges.
+ Never give out your frequent flyer number over the phone, unless
you initiated the call.
+ Don't assume that just because a company places advertisements
in a newspaper or has a toll-free 800 number, it must be safe. It
takes time for a company to generate enough complaints for a Federal
Trade Commission to start an investigation. Moreover, not all
800 numbers are toll-free these days, and its possible for an
individual to get their own toll-free number.
+ Do not give your tickets to anyone other than an agent of the
airline at the ticketing/check-in counter, the gate, or the
airlines offices. A common scam is for someone wearing a uniform
similar to that of the airline to provide some excuse for taking
your tickets (e.g., claiming there is a problem with the tickets).
If you're not sure that someone is an airline employee, check
their ID with the airline.
+ If you've encountered a problem, or are suspicious of an offer,
call the National Fraud Information Center, a hotline operated
by the National Consumers League. The number is 800-876-7060 and
can be reached from 9 to 5 EDT during the week. You can also
call the local Better Business Bureau, the State Bureau of Consumer
Protection, and the Attorney General's Office.
A good booklet to read is "Telemarketing Travel Fraud", a free
publication of the Federal Trade Commission. Call 202-326-2222 for a
copy, or write to Federal Trade Commission, Public Reference Branch,
Room 130, Sixth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [2-10] Missed Connections
If you ever miss a connection because your plane was late and the
lines at the service desk are very long (e.g., everybody else on that
flight needs rebooking), call the airline's 800 number. Sometimes
they'll let you rebook because of a missed connection over the phone.
You may still have to pick up the flight coupon at the service desk
(though sometimes you'll be able to get it at the gate), but at least
you'll make the next flight. If you wait on the line, you may not make
the next flight if everybody in front of you is also waiting for the
next flight, or the next flight leaves in a few minutes.
Depending on the airline and the airport, you may be able to be
rebooked on a flight by going directly to the gate. Some airlines will
force you to go to the service desk. (For example, TWA in JFK requires
that all changes go through the service desk.)
If the flight you want to be rebooked on is "full", it may pay to
ask the agents whether upgrading to first class will make a
difference. It'll cost you, but it may save you from being stuck in
the airport for a few hours.
When buying a ticket with a connection, allow enough time to get from
one gate to the next at the connecting airport. The airline computers
have an estimate of the minimum time required to make a connection,
but this isn't always accurate, especially if the gates are at
opposite ends of the airport, or you're seated at the tail of the
plane. The connection times are based on the arriving and departing
airline, whether the flight is international or domestic, and other
factors such as the flight number. The most common connection time for
domestic flights is 45 minutes, which is the default minimum. Flights
on the same airline at adjacent gates, however, may have shorter
connection times. International flights will, of course, have greater
connection times.
With the new on-time rules, airlines are reluctant to hold
flights for passengers coming from connecting flights that are late.
The connection times, of course, do not allow for late flights
(except insofar as there is a small built-in allowance for slight
variations in arrival).
If you're carrying your own baggage, have kids, walk slowly, or want
to take a pit stop at the bathroom, allow yourself extra time the
first time you fly a particular route. Ask your travel agent whether
there will be enough time for you to make the connection, and if they
think it's close, what other flights are available that leave the
connecting city a little later.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [2-11] Getting There Faster
On the flip side of the coin, airline reservation systems use a
minimum connection time of 45 minutes. They won't let you make a
reservation for a shorter connection time. You can get around this by
buying two separate pairs of round-trip tickets to/from the
connection, or by booking different legs on different airlines, but if
you happen to miss the connection, the airline is under no obligation
to rebook you on a later flight.
However, if you travel light enough that you can carry on all your
luggage, and you know the connecting airport, trimming the connection
time can get you to your destination faster. If you get to the
connecting airport on time or early, you might try going to the gate
of the earlier flight to your destination, and ask to be put on. If
the flight isn't full, they'll probably let you board.
Some travel agents and airline ticket agents will sell tickets that
have less than the "legal" connection time printed in the schedule,
but whether they'll let you do this depends very much on the agent.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [2-12] Airports Monopolized by One Carrier
If you live in a hub city, where the airport is monopolized by a
single carrier, you can usually get nonstop service to most
destinations. Unfortunately, you'll probably also be paying
exorbitant prices for that service. Airlines only provide good prices
for competitive markets -- those serviced by multiple carriers. If
they are the main carrier in a given market, they keep the prices
high, and will even (arrogantly) refuse to match prices with other
carriers.
The other national carriers might have one or two gates at this
airport. If so, you may find them offering cheaper fares than the
monopoly carrier. There is, however, one drawback to this. Since your
airport isn't one of their hubs, the flights they offer will almost
always involve first flying you to their closest hub, and getting a
connection there -- even if their hub is in the opposite direction
from your destination. On the other hand, if their hub is your
ultimate destination, then you're in luck.
There is another workaround to dealing with a hub carrier. If there's
another major airport within an hour or two drive from your home, you
could fly out from there. (The same thing is true of using frequent
flyer certificates for free travel. If there's no seats available on
the days you're interested in from your local airport, try another
airport nearby. Also, sometimes regular air fares may be cheaper out
of an airport in a different city. If driving 100 miles saves you
$300, isn't it worth the bother?)
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [2-13] Hub Cities
Try to avoid hub cities. For example, since USAir's hub is
Pittsburgh, they have a virtual monopoly on flights to PGH, so if
you're so unlucky as to be flying to Pittsburgh, the rates are not cheap.
Occasionally you may be able to take a flight which makes a stop or
connection at Pittsburgh, and walk off the plane in Pittsburgh (i.e.,
a ticket from Boston to Cleveland on a plane which makes a stop in
Pittsburgh might be cheaper than a ticket from Boston to Pittsburgh on
the same plane). This only works when you can carry on all of your
baggage. Or if your connecting flight is more than two hours after
your flight arrives or on a different plane, you can usually arrange
to claim your baggage at the hub and recheck it yourself. (See also
[1-20] Hidden City Fares.)
Several airlines are currently being investigated by the Justice
Department for anti-trust violations based on their dominating the
airports at their hubs.
Here's a list of airline hub cities. I've asterisked those
that I'm sure are monopolized by that airline. # indicates the main
hub of the airline.
Alaska Airlines (AS): Anchorage (ANC)#, SEA
America West (HP): Phoenix (PHX)#, Las Vega$ (LAS), Columbus OH (CMH)
American Airlines (AA): Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW)#, Raleigh/Durham (RDU)*,
SJC*, SJU, ORD, BNA,
Continental Airlines (CO): Newark (EWR)#, Cleveland (CLE)*, IAH, DEN, MSY
Delta Airlines (DL): Atlanta (ATL)*#, Salt Lake City (SLC)*, DFW, CVG, LAX,
JFK and FRA (Frankfurt, FRG), Orlando FL (MCO).
Midwest Express (YX): MKE
Northwest Airlines (NW): Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP)#, DTW*, Memphis (MEM)*,
Milwaukee (MKE)*, BOS, NRT (Tokyo Narita).
Southwest Airlines (WN): Chicago (MDW), St. Louis (STL), Dallas Love (DAL),
Houston Hobby (HOU), PHX, ABQ
TWA (TW): St. Louis (STL)*#, New York (JFK), Paris (ORY or CDG)
USAir (US): Pittsburgh (PIT)*#, Philadelphia (PHL), Charlotte (CLT)*,
Baltimore (BWI)*, LAX, SFO, SYR, IND
United Airlines (UA): Chicago#, DEN, Washington Dulles (IAD), SEA, SFO,
Raleigh, Tokyo, LHR (London Heathrow)
Airport Abbreviations and Hubs:
ABQ Albuquerque, NM WN
ANC Anchorage, AK AS
ATL Atlanta, GA DL
BNA Nashville, TN AA
BOS Boston, MA NW
BWI Baltimore, MD US
CLE Cleveland, OH CO
CLT Charlotte, NC US
CMH Columbus, OH HP
CVG Cincinatti, OH DL
DAL Dallas (Love Field), TX WN
DEN Denver, CO UA
DFW Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX AA DL
DTW Detroit, MI NW
EWR Newark, NJ CO
HOU Houston (Hobby), TX WN
IAD Washington (Dulles), DC UA
IAH Houston (Intercontinental), TX CO
IND Indianapolis, IN US
JFK New York (Kennedy), NY TW DL
LAS Las Vega$ HP
LAX Los Angeles DL US
MEM Memphis, TN NW
MKE Milwaukee, WI NW YX
MSP Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN NW
MSY New Orleans, LA CO
ORD Chicago, IL AA UA
MCO Orlando, FL DL
PHL Philadelphia, PA US
PHX Phoenix, AZ HP WN
PIT Pittsburgh, PA US
RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC AA
SEA Seattle, WA AS UA
SFO San Francisco, CA UA US
SJC San Jose, CA AA
SJU San Juan, PR AA
SLC Salt Lake City, UT DL
STL St. Louis, MO TW
SYR Syracuse, NY US
AA American Airlines
AS Alaska Airlines
CO Continental Airlines
DL Delta Airlines
HP America West Airlines
TW Trans World Airlines
UA United Airlines
US U S Air
WN Southwest Airlines
YX Midwest Express
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [2-14] Lost Baggage
The US domestic baggage liability limit is a maximum of $1,250.00 per
passenger. (The DOT is proposing to raise this limit to $1,850,
possibly $2,000, and maybe indexing it to the inflation rate.) Some
airlines may provide greater limits for checked/unchecked baggage.
For international flights, the baggage liability limit is
approximately $9.07 per pound ($20 per kilogram) for checked baggage
and $400 per passenger for unchecked baggage. A minimum waiting period
of one week is required before baggage can be declared lost. About 98%
of bags reported missing are returned to the owners.
When a bag is declared loss, you will have to submit paperwork to the
airline documenting the value of the bags and their contents. You may
not necessarily get full value for all the lost items. Reimbursement
will come 2-6 weeks later.
Airlines will not reimburse for currency, photographic or electronic
equipment (e.g., cameras, stereos, VCRs, camcorders, CD players,
telephones, etc.), rare and expensive jewelry or artistic works, or
medication, unless prior arrangements were made (e.g., excess
valuation insurance was purchased). Some credit cards will cover these
items if the tickets were purchased with the card.
Most lost baggage doesn't disappear to the same black hole that eats
socks from your laundry, but eventually makes its way to regional
warehouses owned by the airlines. If the airline can't identify the
owner, they sell it at auction, just like the post office's lost
letter department does. Airlines keep all unclaimed baggage for three
months before selling it at auction. There are even stores that
specialize in buying the lost baggage, sorting the contents, and
selling the merchandise and clothing that's in good condition. The
Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama, is one such store,
and a fun place to visit.
If your bags are damaged, the airline will either fix them, reimburse
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