DOT To Airlines: Sorry, But People Like To Change Their Underwear
The United States Department of Transportation has finally warned airlines: Most people don't like to go for more than 24 hours without brushing their teeth and changing their underwear.
This seems rather intuitive to us. But as airline bottom lines have worsened, even before the recession, airlines began limiting when and under what circumstances they would reimburse travelers for basic items such as clothing and toiletries purchased while waiting around for lost luggage to show up.
[M]any carriers have in recent months reimbursed passengers only for necessities that were purchased more than 24 hours after arrival on the premise that the bag could be located and delivered within that time. What's more, carriers are limiting the payback only on the outbound leg of the trip.
That would mean a passenger whose bag was lost on a flight from Chicago to New York would have to wait a full day from landing before purchasing mouthwash and a suit for the "big meeting" that next day - if a refund was expected.
"Travelers should not have to pay for toiletries or other necessities while they wait for baggage misplaced by airlines," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.
While we sympathize with airlines' need to keep costs down, the 24-hour rule is unreasonable, and we're glad to hear that the DOT has put its collective foot down.
DOT warns airlines: Pay up fast for lost bags (via CT Watchdog)
(Photo: sfxeric)
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I do all the time. I wear it on my face so the victims can't recognize me.
My name is "The Skidmark Felcher"
I carry the critical essentials on board with me. Mouthwash is cheap and most hotels have some in the room or nearby, so that's usually not a worry. If it's a LONG trip and I need more than what I can carry, I send half by UPS and the other half by Fedex (as bad as they are, they are not nearly as bad as the airlines at losing stuff). I have NEVER checked a bag on any airline, EVER.
@Skaperen: You ship your luggage?
That's so much more expensive than paying the fees. Plus, the implication of this post is that if the airline loses your luggage, you can buy things you need and the airline has to reimburse you. Why would you go through the trouble of shipping everything you can't carry on? Plus half UPS half FedEx? Why?
@Thassodar: You might change your mind if you've ever approached a seat on the subway, only to realize it's been slug-slimed.
I'm pretty sure all business travelers pack their essentials in their carry-on and most of them don't even check bags. So I don't think there are many people who are forced to buy a new suit due to delayed baggage...
But yes, these rules are unreasonable and if a person fails to pack the essentials in their carry-on, the airline should at least provide a reimbursement of $25.
But everyone can prevent this by packing their essential items in a carry-on bag. That's what I do and it works great in the event of delayed flights and/or lost baggage.
Too little, too late for me. One time, Southwest lost my luggage when I was going to be going to a concert the next day. I had to borrow a lame t-shirt and tighty whities from my friend's dad up until like 2 hours from the show. Thankfully, I was able to get out of that crap and into my real clothes before the show. Nothing says totally cool like a shirt with dolphins on it.
Oh DEFINITELY freeballin' it.
Except if it's below 40F outside, then I would be "internally" freeballin' it.
What, nobody goes to the 24-hour suit rental store, available in most metro areas?
@Skaperen: My company won't pay for that nonsense, but they will pay a checked bag fee. A full change of clothes and my small makeup bag go in my wheeled computer case. If my bag is delayed, I can still wash out my panties and hose and be OK for the next day or two. I went through Heathrow Terminal 5 last year a week after they opened, and of course they mislaid my bag, but it got found in the end and I was OK.
@ecwis: I have to check a bag when traveling on business because I have to bring my purse, my computer, my training materials, some low-carb munchies (in case of an emergency) and my diabetic supplies with me, and I'm almost never gone less than two weeks. But I totally pack a change of clothes and a little makeup and shampoo and my blood sugar monitor and flat iron in my computer bag.
@Skaperen: My LONG trips are international. Filling out customs forms is too much of a bother, not to mention that they can detain your stuff anyway. I like my trips not to start with a trip to the local customs house to collect my bags and pay duty on personal stuff (just because you say it is on the customs declaration doesn't mean they'll believe you).
British Airways landed me in Dubai, but not my luggage. They had a package of toiletries that they gave me. I wasn't in a mood to stop and sort things out. When I finally made it to my hotel, I took a look at what they gave me. Men's toiletries, all with, uh, manly fragrances. I laughed so hard. Fortunately the hotel had the girly stuff I needed. (Yay, Kempinsky Hotel Mall of the Emirates.)
LOL!
Completely unrelated to the story, but I left myself signed into Amazon and my wife decided to "have some fun." Thankfully, not buying stuff, but posting reviews, such as one for that infamous wolf shirt.
On topic, not so much now, but I used to fly all the time (sometimes, several times a month), and never once lost luggage. I must have been much luckier than most.
@calittle: They have few reasonable options for ladies my size in Dubai, which was the last place I got stranded in with a missing suitcase. Having something made for me (which I was dying to do) would have taken three weeks after I purchased the fabric. Wearing a burka would just have been silly... an atheist Jewish chick teaching a roomful of local engineers, all male and Muslim, while wearing a burka, riiiight....
@calittle: I've tried using one in the past, but the sequins on the shoulders are usually the wrong shade of purple.
I used to never worry about essentials like a toothbrush because they are available anywhere.
I say, "used to" because one time I took an 11 hours trip from the west coast to Barcelona -- and my luggage did not. Despite staying in the Ritz Carlton, I was unable to acquire so much as a toothbrush. It was terrible to arrive all jet-lagged in the morning (local time) with a thick paste of goo in my mouth and having been unshaved for the better part of two days and reeking of coach-class sardine funk.
It was about 20 hours later when my luggage finally arrived.
@calittle: all the time, but it's the 24-hour undies rental store that makes me a little "skiddish".
@trujunglist: Southwest lost my luggage coming back from my honeymoon last year. After getting off the plane, we still weren't at home, but had a funeral to go to. My suit was in my luggage.
@Skaperen: I avoid checking bags, but on a family trip to Australia for 6 weeks, yeah, we've got too much for carry-on and don't have the time/energy/money to deal with shipping it.
Plus shipping is no guarantee either. I went to a cake show once where several of the demonstrators had used UPS and Fedex to ship their very fragile sculptures only to have them broken anyway.
Bah... 24 hours without brushing your teeth or changing your underwear? Try being unemployed for 10 months. After the first few months of laying around the house with no interviews or calls about jobs, and deep malaise has set in, you're lucky to change your underwear or brush your teeth on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
@Skaperen: Well, thank God I work for the Nudist's Union and our meetings are pretty much all held in the nude.
@speedwell, avatar of snark: Yeah, it's hard to get with "Energy Sport" scented deodorant.
I got stranded by Airtran once (fiasco of epic proportions) and they gave me a toiletry kit that had deodorant that was in a chapstick tube. It was kinda weird.
@ecwis: Well that depends on the length of the business trip. It's not so bad if it's two days and you can iron the suit in the hotel. If it's a week or longer it gets pretty difficult to fit professional looking clothing into one bag. Especially if they're carrying any hardware with them and if you're a woman. Our business attire isn't as limited. It's easy enough to stick a few ties and shirts with one full suit and one pair of shoes but for women there's so much more expected of our outfits.
@osiris73: im 6 months in and im on the every 3rd day rule for me. except for brushing my teeth thats 2x's a day. everything else im like "MEH" thats right i said "MEH"
Gotta wash your nuts after 24 hours..... You've just got to.
Solution...... don't brush your teeth and make sure you interact with EVERY airline employee......
Consumerist start a campaign for a monthly day of airport funk...... They will change their tune very quicky.
@speedwell, avatar of snark: this would be why [one of the reasons] the hotel i used to work at had all gender neutral stuff. unscented deodorant, lotion in a nice light citrus scent, etc.
"Carry-on" is hardly a useful alternative, since they won't let you bring more than a couple ounces of toothpaste or mouthwash on board the plane: you might Listerine the flight crew, after all...
Should airlines offer insurance for your luggage, then?
@MooseOfReason: Welp, since they already get paid to not lose your luggage, especially on those airlines that you have to pay to check bags, I'm gonna go ahead and say no.
What is this fascination people have with getting paid extra to do their damn jobs? Is this 1930's Chicago, run by the Mafia? You shouldn't have to grease someone's palm to get them to do their job correctly.
It amazes me that FedEx and UPS can tell you the location of a package at any given moment but the airlines can barely track passengers, much less the luggage they now charge shipping for.
@Ronin-Democrat: That reminds me of a flight I took to Dubai once. In the middle of the night, I got up to go to the bathroom. I opened the door, and inside was an Indian guy (who had forgotten to lock the door), with his pants at his ankles, washing his junk with a soaped-up airline blanket.
Gotta wash your nuts....
@Ausoleil: That's why a lot of people ship their luggage to their final destination instead of entrusting it to the airlines. These days its possibly cheaper too.
Me thinks that there will just be a second fee. One for the ability to simply place your bags on the plane, and a second insurance fee that will replace your lost or damaged luggage. And that by purchasing a ticket, you agree to their waiver of responsibility.
Just like the post office. One fee to take and ship your package. Another if you want them to not break or lose it.
How was this a warning? The above citation doesn't say if it was an official reprimand or an offhanded comment by Roy La Hood (who made the original comment) cited here in the reference to the reference article from which this blurb was taken.
Also, according to the original article, this was an offhanded comment and part of some "investigations" not some real fine or anything levied against any airlines in question. This was in response to something Spirit Air did.
I'm not sure how some offhanded comment that has no force of penalty and is still under investigation justifies as a newsworthy article.
@ecwis:
Sometimes bags get gate checked. I make it a policy not to check bags (except for skis and golf clubs), but I have been forced to check a bag at the gate several times. One of those times, my bag showed up at LAX a couple days after I did.
Seems like when you have something important you bring it on carryon.
Jet Blue lost our luggage on our Honeymoon - it was horrible. The problem is they say - you have an allowance of $... per day. But that money comes out of your pocket at the time and then you have to turn in all receipts and still have to be approved later. They ended up giving us all but $75.00 that we sent in. It was horrible though- 5 days of my honeymoon in Vegas we had nothing but the bum clothes we rode on the plane in. There are so many dress codes in Vegas establishments. We ended up hitting the Marshall's and the Mall - but we wasted an entire day of our honeymoon doing so.
They eventually found it - thank god, b/c they say you have to have a receipt for everything you had in your bags to be reimbursed for their mistake... also an issue in my book.
I always carry a stick of deodorant with me. I guess I should take some underwear too!
@mariospants: Well I hope you don't have any meetings in the winter....Or do you all just wear Snuggies?
People wear underwear? AMAZING.
Freeballing, ftw.