Charlie
Phoenix,#2Consumer Comment
Tue, November 30, 2004
First of all, to expect an airline to pay for items stolen from baggage is ridiculous. I am sure you are an honest person and you actually lost something of value, but imagine all of the dishonest people out there that would constantly submit pilfered items reports which were totally bogus. The airlines would go bankrupt re-imbursing passengers for stolen Rolexes, Diamonds, etc. that NEVER were in the baggage to begin with. The only way to implement such a program would be to have a passenger fill out a "checked items declaration" form which would then have to be verified when the bag was checked. Lines at check-in counters are long now, imagine how long they would be if every bag had to be opened to verify that the Picasso was actually in the bag. Who, may I ask, would verify that it was really a Picasso. Get my point? It's very simple, if it's not absolutely necessary for your trip, don't pack it. If you must, take it in your carry-on. If a valuable has to be checked then know that it is "at your own risk" and don't be too upset if it is not there when you reach your destination. Airline bags are handled by entities other than the airline itself, including the TSA which, more likely than not, is were your item went missing. Only the TSA opens bags and inspects their contents. Airline and contract employees handling baggage barely have time to load/unload and transport all the bags and do not have time to randomly search through bags for valuables.