I have recently flown to Las Vegas from Colorado Springs and back. To begin with, my suitcase did not arrive when I did. They did not deliver it to my hotel until 3-4 hours after they said it would arrive. As I was unpacking my suitcase, I found that things had been moved aroun, which is usual when TSA checks suitcases. But when I removed everything I noticed that there was a large tear in the bottom of the suitcase (which was a canvas sports bag). I immediately went back to the airport and brought the suitcase to the baggage claim area. The person I talked to there was not very friendly and was actually very rude. She had given me a paper with a phone number to call, saying that they don't cover that type of claim (seams). When I phoned the number, they said that I had to make out a claim form at the airport that I recieved the baggage from. I went back to the lady and she would not give me a form. Even a security person at the airport tried to talk to her to find out what I could do and she was rude to him also. I talked to a person on the phone, finally, the next day and she suggested that I should buy a new suitcase and then send in a claim to TSA and see if they would reimburse me for it. I have already dealt with TSA on a bag that they ruined last year - that's another story! She did say that I could have my bag wrapped at the airport so that I could get home without losing all of my items. She would let them know (at the check-in desk) that I needed that done and I should arrive at the airport a little early so that they had time to do it. And since that was the second time in a year and a half that I have had problems, she would e-mail me a $250 travel voucher for my troubles. I have been home over a week and have not seen the voucher, the people at the United check-in desk had no clue about me getting my suitcase wrapped and I had to run for my flight and almost didn't make my flight because I was delayed for so long. I also had done the on-line check in process the day before and printed out my boarding pass and claimed one suitcase to send through so that I would pay less. Of course, when I got to the airport, they said that they had to charge me the extra amount because they didn't see where I checked in the bag earlier. I wasted quite a few hours of a 3-day trip! I will look for other airlines when booking air travel from now on. It is not worth the hassel and time for saving a couple of dollars. Actually, I didn't save anything since I have to buy another bag.
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