Robbed at national airport

[Anonymous]

neither here nor there... but you're assuming the theft happened on the DC end of your travels. How do you know it didn't happen on the NYC end of your trip?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I second 09:10.

Make a big stink of it all over and they'll reimburse your every cent!

Ha! Good luck with that.

I also agree with this. Something similar happened to my relative though on an international flight. In his situation, his checked luggage became damaged in transit and half the contents of the luggage was lost. I put in a claim online on behalf of the relative and received a nice but condescending letter in the mail from customer relations, which basically apologized for the misfortune but said the airline's only liability will be to repair the damaged luggage if possible or replace it if I could provide receipt for the luggage. At this time, the damaged baggage was across the atlantic.

A few google searches later, I wrote a letter and ccd all the members of the board of directors of the airline and attached a copy of the letter I received from their customer relations. In less than a week, I received another letter from the same customer relations person that wrote the previous letter. This time she was very sympathetic and said that after a review, the airline would refund most of the items that were lost in the baggage if I could find receipts for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you were going to a wedding and you couldn't live with a computer for a couple of days? This is a sad commentary on our lives. When I go on vacation, no computer and do not answer calls on cell because it is for my convenience. Break the hold of modern technology on your life.

Are you a union worker?

[Anonymous]

PP here. I was agreeing with the first two sentences I quoted, not the "Ha! Goodluck with that" part.

[Anonymous]

I had this happen to me too. First my bag was lost, then when it was returned the next day, there were only a few items inside. Nothing too expensive, but two costume jewelry items that were sentimental, the rest was clothes, underwear, bras.

I complained and received a $50 voucher for my next airline purchase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you were going to a wedding and you couldn't live with a computer for a couple of days? This is a sad commentary on our lives. When I go on vacation, no computer and do not answer calls on cell because it is for my convenience. Break the hold of modern technology on your life.

Are you a union worker?

Prob a SAHM that is taking a DCUM break for vacation.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe you checked your laptop. In addition to being stolen, it could easily be damaged. Lesson learned, right?

Meantime, here is a good FAQ on filing claims. Long story short: file the claim and follow up (again and again).

http://blog.budgettravel.com/budgettravel/2008/05/items_stolen_from_checked_bags.html

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks to everyone for your comments. Well, almost everyone - what's with the need to kick someone when they're down around here? I said that should I have known better than to check the laptop, and that I'd learned that lesson. No need to remind me another twenty times or so - the $1500 bill to replace it will be enough! Even if they hadn't taken my computer, I've never seen a warning not to check baby shower presents and bras, but those were stolen too.

I more wanted to post to ask for suggestions (there are some great ones here, and I will pursue many of them. sincerely, thank you) and also to warn folks about this happening. Sure, you hear about it and read the little warning on the back of your ticket, but if I had read this post last week, I wouldn't have checked my stuff. Simple as that.

Someone pointed out that, if it's this easy to slip stuff out of a bag, it must be equally easy to slip stuff into one. That's a really scary thought to me. I am surprised that TSA and the airlines don't have cameras on the bags every inch of their way.

And someone else asked why I think it happened at National. Of course I can't be certain, but I checked in well in advance of my flight and my bag sat with US Airways for at least 45 minutes or so. I got it within a couple minutes of getting off the shuttle in NYC - super fast, with little time for mischief. So I figure that there's a larger chance that something happened in DC, but who knows?

Thanks again for your comments and suggestions. I appreciate your kind words and helpful ideas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you were going to a wedding and you couldn't live with a computer for a couple of days? This is a sad commentary on our lives. When I go on vacation, no computer and do not answer calls on cell because it is for my convenience. Break the hold of modern technology on your life.

Are you a union worker?

Prob a SAHM that is taking a DCUM break for vacation.

WTF? Are you guilty for being at work or something? What does SAH has to do with it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks to everyone for your comments. Well, almost everyone - what's with the need to kick someone when they're down around here? I said that should I have known better than to check the laptop, and that I'd learned that lesson. No need to remind me another twenty times or so - the $1500 bill to replace it will be enough! Even if they hadn't taken my computer, I've never seen a warning not to check baby shower presents and bras, but those were stolen too.

I more wanted to post to ask for suggestions (there are some great ones here, and I will pursue many of them. sincerely, thank you) and also to warn folks about this happening. Sure, you hear about it and read the little warning on the back of your ticket, but if I had read this post last week, I wouldn't have checked my stuff. Simple as that.

Someone pointed out that, if it's this easy to slip stuff out of a bag, it must be equally easy to slip stuff into one. That's a really scary thought to me. I am surprised that TSA and the airlines don't have cameras on the bags every inch of their way.

And someone else asked why I think it happened at National. Of course I can't be certain, but I checked in well in advance of my flight and my bag sat with US Airways for at least 45 minutes or so. I got it within a couple minutes of getting off the shuttle in NYC - super fast, with little time for mischief. So I figure that there's a larger chance that something happened in DC, but who knows?

Thanks again for your comments and suggestions. I appreciate your kind words and helpful ideas.

I don't know if you don't get out much or what but people steal all the time. I guess I should warn you not to leave your GPS in plain sight in your car. Someone may steal it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks to everyone for your comments. Well, almost everyone - what's with the need to kick someone when they're down around here? I said that should I have known better than to check the laptop, and that I'd learned that lesson. No need to remind me another twenty times or so - the $1500 bill to replace it will be enough! Even if they hadn't taken my computer, I've never seen a warning not to check baby shower presents and bras, but those were stolen too.

I more wanted to post to ask for suggestions (there are some great ones here, and I will pursue many of them. sincerely, thank you) and also to warn folks about this happening. Sure, you hear about it and read the little warning on the back of your ticket, but if I had read this post last week, I wouldn't have checked my stuff. Simple as that.

Someone pointed out that, if it's this easy to slip stuff out of a bag, it must be equally easy to slip stuff into one. That's a really scary thought to me. I am surprised that TSA and the airlines don't have cameras on the bags every inch of their way.

And someone else asked why I think it happened at National. Of course I can't be certain, but I checked in well in advance of my flight and my bag sat with US Airways for at least 45 minutes or so. I got it within a couple minutes of getting off the shuttle in NYC - super fast, with little time for mischief. So I figure that there's a larger chance that something happened in DC, but who knows?

Thanks again for your comments and suggestions. I appreciate your kind words and helpful ideas.

I don't know if you don't get out much or what but people steal all the time. I guess I should warn you not to leave your GPS in plain sight in your car. Someone may steal it.

This is EXACTLY why I leave all of my bras in a safe. Gosh OP, you are so ignorant for not also keeping your undergarments under lock and key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks to everyone for your comments. Well, almost everyone - what's with the need to kick someone when they're down around here? I said that should I have known better than to check the laptop, and that I'd learned that lesson. No need to remind me another twenty times or so - the $1500 bill to replace it will be enough! Even if they hadn't taken my computer, I've never seen a warning not to check baby shower presents and bras, but those were stolen too.

I more wanted to post to ask for suggestions (there are some great ones here, and I will pursue many of them. sincerely, thank you) and also to warn folks about this happening. Sure, you hear about it and read the little warning on the back of your ticket, but if I had read this post last week, I wouldn't have checked my stuff. Simple as that.

Someone pointed out that, if it's this easy to slip stuff out of a bag, it must be equally easy to slip stuff into one. That's a really scary thought to me. I am surprised that TSA and the airlines don't have cameras on the bags every inch of their way.

And someone else asked why I think it happened at National. Of course I can't be certain, but I checked in well in advance of my flight and my bag sat with US Airways for at least 45 minutes or so. I got it within a couple minutes of getting off the shuttle in NYC - super fast, with little time for mischief. So I figure that there's a larger chance that something happened in DC, but who knows?

Thanks again for your comments and suggestions. I appreciate your kind words and helpful ideas.

I don't know if you don't get out much or what but people steal all the time. I guess I should warn you not to leave your GPS in plain sight in your car. Someone may steal it.

This is EXACTLY why I leave all of my bras in a safe. Gosh OP, you are so ignorant for not also keeping your undergarments under lock and key.

Especially my maternity and nursing bras--they were so lovely, and roughly the size of a hammock.

[Anonymous]

Unless your bras are gold-plated, they don't cost $1500 to replace. A laptop, on the other hand...

Just sayin.

[Anonymous]

Please call the airport by its proper name -- no longer National, but Reagan. And today is His 101st birthday!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you were going to a wedding and you couldn't live with a computer for a couple of days? This is a sad commentary on our lives. When I go on vacation, no computer and do not answer calls on cell because it is for my convenience. Break the hold of modern technology on your life.

Are you a union worker?

No, but I like having a life without constant communication, particularly if I am on vacation or attehat Inding an out-of-town event.