I purchased airline tickets through Skiplagged and my luggage was sent to another destination. The airline wanted me to pay for it to be brought back and delivered. Google Flights has been growing in notoriety lately for finding cheap flights. I used a third party company that warned me not to check any luggage, or it may be sent through to the final destination. So, I booked the ticket, packed a carry-on and thought I’d be fine. Well, I was wrong.
When boarding time came, the ticket agent said the flight was full and my carry-on was going to be checked. I told her that it was fine as long as it was checked to my final destination. But, because it wasn’t the final destination on the ticket, the person refused to send it where I wanted it to go. I arrived at my destination only to spend hours at the baggage claim customer service, while my luggage sat at the airport with me, waiting on the delayed plane that was heading to California. This isn’t just about the luggage though, I had to deal with terrible customer service.
I stepped into the long line at the baggage claim customer service. Apparently, they’d lost a ton of luggage that day. I talked with the luggage desk agent who was extremely short (even rude at times). I was informed that I would have to pay a fee for the luggage to be brought to me at the hotel because I used a third party to book my ticket.
Reiterating that it was their plane that was full and had nothing to do with who I purchased the ticket from, she rolled her eyes and asked me if I’d like to speak with a supervisor. When I said yes, she brought someone out to speak to me. The woman she brought out was extremely short with me as well and then walked away mid-conversation. The customer service agent then admits to me that the woman she brought out wasn’t actually a supervisor. I, of course, am livid.
She finally calls an actual supervisor, who still refuses to eliminate the fees, or try to get my luggage off the plane that hadn’t left for the next destination yet. I kept insisting that I hadn’t checked any luggage, that it was because of their overloaded flight that my carry-on was checked. Eventually, he took me into the back office and I met yet another supervisor. This supervisor agrees, finds my bags and says she will send them to the hotel without a fee. The luggage still went to California even though I left the airport before the luggage did.
Related: So, I Think American Airlines Flagged Me For Skiplagging?
The next day the luggage arrived at the hotel dirty and scuffed. Upon inspection, I called and talked with customer service for another hour and they told me they’d send a flight credit for my troubles. They never did. I am a long time customer of this airline. On the other hand, I had never booked airline tickets through a third party site before this experience. After some research, I found others with stories even more bizarre than my own. One customer was even asked to reimburse the airline after using Skiplagged.
My lesson after this lost luggage fiasco? I won’t be booking through Skiplagged, or any other third party airline again. I won’t be booking through my (previously) favorite airline either.
