America Worst Strikes Again!

2000

I was flying home from a one-week business trip. Friday morning. And I ordered up a limo from New York, New York hotel and transported myself, my boss and another co-worker to the airport in Vegas. I was early - accommodating the others.
My boss lost his cell phone somewhere between the meeting room and the airport (not in the limo). Bad start.
I found myself in a huge long snaking line for check-in. Hundreds.
Hundreds of panicked passengers. Seems they had a flight for Phoenix - leaving in a few minutes.
Shades of my horror flight departure to Florida.
I stood patiently in line. I watched and listened and was glad I came early.
The curbside check-in was almost as bad - a very long line that stretched way down the street.
Not enough counter stations.
Clog.
Well, after a lot of fussing (and a considerable amount of cursing) they finally got a bunch of stations open.
A skycap finally came in and scooped up bags from people with real tickets. A distinct disadvantage of e-tickets.
People milled and ran around.
A counter worker for America West came down the line helping out (sending people out to curbside). You see, the counter workers are not concerned with which flight leaves when; they just take people in order. Something wrong there.
Finally, they got the line moving. Nudge, nudge. Roll a little. Twist a little. Nudge, nudge.
I had two carry-ons (purse and roll bag). And a medium-sized bag to check.
Labeled with my Fabio fan club tag (the misprinted one) and with another tag shoved into a holder in the back.
At last (45 minutes into this) I had checked in, had a boarding pass and my bag was tagged and marked for my flight to San Jose.
People were running for a flight about to leave. Sounds familiar.
The helper got my ticket counter person to take a woman out of order who had to run for the gate. They told me this "was a normal week-end". In other words, lack of service at this level was routine.
I thought little of it since I was early and calmly went to my gate, equipped with water bottles and a candy bar, determined to survive, paperback book in hand.
I waited.
We boarded late.
Not too many people. Short flight.
And then, disaster.
My checked bag was missing.
It did not come home with me.
It's somewhere in the morass of lost bags.
$4,000 worth of clothes and shoes and some serious prescription medication. Not my pills - I have those - but the tubes of stuff the face doctor ordered up to help the healing - yes I am still healing.
My Bob Mackie burned velvet big shirt, velvet tank and velvet pants. $500 right there.
Six pairs of shoes - $85.00 each. My best heels. Two pairs of Easy Spirit high heeled sandals. Pool slippers. Easy Spirit loafers - relatively new. Dress shoes.
Four Susan Graver pants suits - the lilac one (remember the "beautiful woman in purple? From the other flight? That one. Tank - pants and big shirt. Plus the matching dress.)
The white one - tank and pants.
Navy blue - pants, blouse, jacket, two scarves, skirt, pale blue tank top, print tunic and print dress - mix and match wardrobe.
Black toteables pants - my favorites.
Silver dressy sweater.
Two tee shirts from the hotel. $20 each.
My brand new black bathing suit from Florida and the terry topper. (I LOVED THAT SUIT!)
The three new tops from the Florida trip and my new black shorts.
New black slacks worn in Florida.
New black silk pajamas from Victoria Secret and matching tie short robe.
Caftan (also matches).
Sports bra.
Body Suit - the only one that still fits.
Panty hose (new and various).
Slip.
Panty girdle (new).
Underwear (ditto).
Brand new princess dress (QVC) with beautiful blue and white jacket. More from Susan. Never worn.
Purple fleece jacket.
Joan Rivers pearls and earrings - the gray ones (2 strands), the back and the jacket to the interchangeable sets, (kills all my work earrings since they are sets) and the multicolored pearls (unique to Joan).
My best Joan Rivers hardwire. I had carried on the expensive pieces in my carry-on. Most of them. Several chains (Nolan Miller and Joan Rivers) are missing. $60-90 each.
My brand new cookbook - bought at the hotel.
Medifast - two boxes. Rx stuff is Medifast.
Retinin A and other medication. (Not covered by insurance - one alone is $60.)
My self-tanning set (also recommended by the doctor to cover the scar).
My new razor.
My hairbrush and all my curlers. And my hair set and defrizz stuff.
A bunch of make-up.
Other things will come to me as I miss them. Things like a small jar of face cream. Bath powder. Shampoo (travel bottles). Pins. Odds and ends.
Several unread paperback books. Magazines. Postcards.
I filled out forms.
They took down data.
They insist - 99% of them are found.
What about the other 1%?
I am waiting.
I feel like I am still traveling.
I can't do laundry since the dirty laundry is in the missing bag.
I can't settle.
And with gas at $2.06/gal. another trip to the airport is not high on the list of my favorite things.
Thank God I carried my car keys and my traveler's checks.
Thank God I carried the notebook with all the notes from the conference - you see, I am the designated secretary for the project.
I write so well.
I write so well that I looked up America West and e-mailed customer service.

"I am an internet reporter and I have had a number of very bad experiences with America West - delayed flights, missed connections and total chaos on check-in."
o o o
"My bag did not make it to San Jose. It more than likely went to Phoenix with the "grab and run" mess I was watching.

Needless to say, I am not amused.

None of the passengers in the line with me this morning were amused either."

Let's see what happens.