matt2ace Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 (edited) My first Nationals was a great experience until I left Vegas! I packed up my gear, one gun in each bag. I even cable locked the gun cases to the suitcase frames. All my gear (belt, mags, spare parts, camel back, etc.) goes in the bag with the backup gun. It goes smooth at the airport check-in (Delta airlines) and I wave goodbye to my bags down the belt. This is the last I see of one bag. I arrive at Westchester airport almost 10 hours later (LV to Atlanta, Atlanta to Westchester, NY) only to find a bag missing. I did get the bag with my primary gun, but nothing more. This is near mid-night on Wednesday....I go the baggage office only to be told that the bag was sent to Salt Lake City and would be routed on Northwest. Needless to say, that was a crock. Now it's Thursday afternoon. I have spent 4+ hours on the phone with Delta only to the told the following: - Your bag was misrouted from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City (first call to customer service) - We decided to give it to Northwest (code sharing partnership) to fly it to Westerchester (second call to customer service) - There is no tracability on our computer system once we hand it off to NW and they we have way to trace it on our system or NWs it seems - We cannot get any answers from any airport your bag passed through....there is nobody picking up a phone on some locations (what the F**K?) - Our system shows the bag is still in Vegas (this is after my 3 call today), but we still cannot find it - We are sorry, but there is nothing we can do.....we are only customer service, not the airport operations - Bags get lost all the time, "we are not responsible" (the service reps exact words to me) - No, we do not provide the public the contact phone numbers for airport baggage support, those are for our use only - You cannot make a claim for 5 days and we only cover $500 max The Delta website now says my bag has arrived in Westchester.....maybe I will actually get all my gear back before the LI Championship this weekend. If the bag is a total loss, I may be covered for about the half the value between my travel insurance ($1k), the airline ($500), and my NRA policy ($1k). .......and if you don't already have extra insurance on your guns, get it before you travel again. DELTA has the worst baggage handling record of any airline in the US. STAY AWAY FROM DELTA AT ALL COSTS! Edited September 17, 2009 by matt2ace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Same thing happened to me and cab driver who brought it from the airport left it on my porch all day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve J Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Keeping asking for a higher supervisor and keep telling each one if you're not already that you're going to involve federal agents as it now looks like a theft of a firearm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkeeler Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 (edited) Yeah call and report a stolen firearm I bet it shows up. edit to add: I think this happened to Burkett at one time or another. BK Edited September 17, 2009 by bkeeler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 (edited) Keeping asking for a higher supervisor and keep telling each one if you're not already that you're going to involve federal agents as it now looks like a theft of a firearm. And let them know that the FBI will be more than happy to shut down every airport so far involved... After all, they have lost control of a firearm and ammunition within the sterile zone of a major airport. ETA - I don't know if the FBI would actually do that... but the threat of it helped immensely when a good friend of mine had a similar occurence (he was told by United that they "didn't know" where his bag was....). Edited September 17, 2009 by XRe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt2ace Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 (edited) Somehow this post went in twice.......would one of the moderators combine these responses with the duplicate (most up to date) post. THANKS Edited September 17, 2009 by matt2ace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoShooter Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 makes my 1,300 mile drive home not feel as bad. Good luck & don't give up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry cazes Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Wow! What a nightmare! Keep us posted. FWIW, I have started to ship any important luggage ahead to family or friends with UPS if I fly somewhere that is possible. It is getting cheaper to do this since ALL of the airlines are now charging for checked baggage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve J Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 makes my 1,300 mile drive home not feel as bad. Good luck & don't give up +1 flying by itself sucks bad enough. I won't trust bankrupt incompetents with anything I hold dear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 It is getting cheaper to do this since ALL of the airlines are now charging for checked baggage. Not true. Southwest Airlines allows you to check 2 bags each weighing 50# or less, included in your ticket price. You can check a third for $50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Wow, this totally blows. I doubt you'd be able to get a federal agency seriously involved since theft of a firearm is a local offense and you'd have to prove some interstate nexus....maybe possible since an airport is involved. Still, I know the Bureau does have an airport rep for each major airport, so it wouldn't hurt to call the local FBI field office and ask to speak to their airport liaison agent and tell them it involves theft of a firearm at the airport. I doubt they'd be able to open a case, but might be able to make a call to the airport security folks who could get to the right people at the airline. I'm not sure I'd fly to matches now if I couldn't put my guns in my carry on....freaking annoying. It's not like somebody is ever going to use an Open gun to rob a 7-Eleven (that would be scary) but it would frost me to no end thinking of some scumbag showing all his buddies my gun which I spent a lot of money, and waited a lot of time to get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt2ace Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 (edited) Delta called to tell me that they put my bag on the delivery truck and it should (will?) be delivered tonight......... Now let's see if there is anything left in the bag. The experience, whether it works out fine or not really makes me question any travel with gun in checked luggage. It is likely I will travel to matches by air again. Direct flights help, if you get Let's face it, living in the New York State does not offers many major matches within reasonsable driving distance (A7, A8, LIC). I cannot see giving up a chance to shoot the Nationals again if I get a slot, it was just TOO MUCH FUN! Edited September 17, 2009 by matt2ace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steel1212 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Delta called to tell me that they put my bag on the delivery truck and it should (will?) be delivered tonight.........Now let's see if there is anything left in the bag. The experience, whether it works out fine or not really makes me question any travel with gun in checked luggage. It is likely I will travel to matches by air again. Direct flights help, if you get Let's face it, living in the New York State does not offers many major matches within reasonsable driving distance (A7, A8, LIC). I cannot see giving up a chance to shoot the Nationals again if I get a slot, it was just TOO MUCH FUN! Man this just gives me a warm fuzzy about planning a trip next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmax4x4 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 It's happened to me and now I no longer fly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidnal Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 What a bummer...I hope you get your gun and gear back. 5 years ago I flew to AZ with 2 self protection weapons in a locked gun case (mistake#1...should have been in a suitcase). Bag never showed up. I called Continental a dozen times in the next couple of days and they just considered it "lost baggage". On day 3 I was going ape sh** on the phone and finally got a supervisor that was concerned that it contained HANDGUNS with MAGS and AMMO and that it was last seen in the SECURE AREA at the airport! I filed a claim. After a few months they coughed up the $1k I was out. I was lucky they were inexpensive (Kahr P40 and Keltec P3AT). About this time I got a call from Houston PD and then the FBI. 2 more cases with 3 more guns had been stolen from Continental's secure area...that finally got their attention. All of the TSA, security and baggage handlers took a lie detector and one of the security guys "failed miserably" (according to the PD officer). HE didn't do it but his buddy had shown he and another friends my guns...now they had a conspiracy! The PD got the 2 guys to rat on the security guard and he was put in jail for a spell. The guy had already hocked my guns, but Continental covered those costs. 2 years later they found the gun case in the false ceiling over a bathroom. Don't expect the airlines to get too excited...it's only baggage after all !?!?!?!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoShooter Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 WE all have our fingers crossed for you. expect good luck JF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyZip Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I just don't trust them whatsoever. I flew Alaskan in '98 home from a vacation. When I got home, the magazines for my model 39 were gone. Not the gun, just the mags. this from a pistol I had just been given by my Father, as it was my grandfther's. I asked my pop to look for the mags at his house. My wife said she saw me pack them in the suitcase. I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone would want the mags and not the gun, unless they were caught in the act and unable to finish the job. Really got me spooked about flying with weapons. I knew a guy who worked for Southwest around the same time. He said that the baggage people were rife with theives. That was what HE SAID. (And he was a bagggage guy too!) So that did nothing to ease my fears. Haven't we seen this time and again? Seems that they (TSA/ FAA) would check these guys out more thoroughly. Aren't these the same people we hear about this type of thing or smuggling drugs on a regular basis? Just seems too common for comfort. JZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Three times flying back from the Steel Challenge I arrived at home without my luggage. I filled out my info with the baggage handler and got a call the next day that they were going to drop off my luggage at my house. Everything was still there.....sucks but there really isnt another way around it.... DougC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt2ace Posted September 18, 2009 Author Share Posted September 18, 2009 Courier just dropped off the bag with ALL the contents I was stressing pretty bad this afternoon........your support in this post was greatly appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTinVA Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Good news. Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve J Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Man, that is lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Keen Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 (edited) It happened to me last year when I got home from Nationals, and I got my bag back finally. Usually we worry over nothing, just because our favorite toys (expensive toys! ) are involved, but occasionally it does end badly and thats what really worries us. Glad to hear the good news. Edited September 18, 2009 by Chris Keen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03k64 Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 That's great news. See you at the LIC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xsniper Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 I am so glad for YOU. Now I can begin to worry about me . I am flying to Tulsa for a class in a few weeks. Maybe I would do better to ship my gun and gear as opposed to flying with it. At least I have time to come up with a plan. Again......Wheew !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckylager Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 The experience, whether it works out fine or not really makes me question any travel with gun in checked luggage. It is likely I will travel to matches by air again. Direct flights help, if you get Let's face it, living in the New York State does not offers many major matches within reasonsable driving distance (A7, A8, LIC). I cannot see giving up a chance to shoot the Nationals again if I get a slot, it was just TOO MUCH FUN! Glad all worked out in the end Matt. Maybe next year we'll CAR-pool to Nationals... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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