The Luggage Lament: You take the high road, I'll take the low...

Steve's Journey in Red, his bag in Black

LUCY BURDETTE:  As you may have seen on Wednesday's blog, our good friend Steve accompanied us on the trip to Ireland and Scotland. He traveled on Aer Lingus from Miami and met us in Dublin.  After our visit there, he took a short hop to Edinburg, also on Aer Lingus. He was told when checking in that he could not carry on his bag, even though it was carry-on size. Unfortunately, he arrived in Edinburgh, but his luggage did not.  

He called the Aer Lingus help desk and after a long period on hold, was connected with an agent with a heavy Indian accent named Nathan. The suitcase had been sent to London. 

Steve was informed that the bag would be delivered by morning to our hotel in Peebles. It was not. 

Back on the phone with the help desk, this time he spoke with a man named Ethan, who also had a heavy a Indian accent. They assured him the luggage would meet us in our next stop. It did not. 





At this point, he was desperate enough to acquire temporary clothing. He found colorful bamboo socks at our first stop after Edinburgh, underwear which he declined to have photographed in the Straitraer grocery store, a raincoat in Peebles, a sweater in Moffat,—these were necessary purchases as our first week the weather was cold and rainy. 

Since we were taking a ferry to Northern Ireland for the next leg of the journey, the bag was promised at our stop in the Highlands. It did not come. He found t-shirts in Oban.

Fortunately, he found a pair of rinse-able travel pants at the green welly store, as our next stop might have been this clothing dumpster.  




By now Steve had spent hours on the phone talking to Nathan, Ethan, Norman, and Harvey.

Finally, the bag was retrieved and delivered by a good friend of our tour leader...eight days after it went missing.

And now Steve has lessons and tips for all of us travelers:

1.  Don’t listen to the agent at the counter who says you can’t check your carry-on. You can gate check it and collect it at the bottom of the stairs.

2.  You can get by with a lot less than you think.

3. Don't panic. They sell clothes almost everywhere.

4. Pharmaceuticals, electronics, and toiletries should be glued to your side--never checked.

5. Be persistent. Take notes.

And I would add--a positive attitude makes a big difference. Steve was a real sport! As the Scots would say, Dinna fash yersel. (Don’t upset yourself.) 

Any tips to add from your travel stories?