Unfriendly skies
On Feb. 6, I left Doha, Qatar, in the Middle East to travel to St. John’s to sadly attend my grandfather’s funeral.
My ticket was purchased with United Airlines and cost me approximately $2,000.
The journey took me from Doha, through Dubai, through Washington, through Newark, until I reached my final destination in St. John’s. The total travel time, including stopovers, was roughly 36 hours, all of which, considering the reason for my travel, were under emotionally trying and physically uncomfortable conditions (picture 125 lb. me sandwiched between two 200 lb. slices of male white bread).
Upon arrival in St. John’s, while all of the passengers were waiting for their baggage to be unloaded, we were advised by the United representative that all of our baggage was purposely unloaded from the plane in Newark and left there in order to accommodate the largersized bags of the Connecticut AHL hockey team who were also travelling on the same flight.
We were told that because of a contract between United and the hockey team, their baggage took priority over that of the other paying passengers.
In addition to this, we were also advised that due to upcoming inclement weather, there would be no incoming flights from Newark in the foreseeable near future and that they had no idea when our bags would be forwarded.
Picture, if you could, my grieving father and brother arriving at the airport to pick me up, only to find me standing there, a sobbing mess, mascara running down my cheeks, not having slept for the past 48 hours, two days of body odour and under extreme stress, trying to fill out a missing baggage report. I was so exhausted and stressed that in completing the form I even used the wrong address — one where I used to live 10 years ago!
Here I was, arriving from the Middle East, where the temps average approximately 25 degrees dur- ing the winter months, to St. John’s in the middle of a blizzard, with temps of approximately -20 degrees — and all of my warm clothing and toiletries, plus clothing for the funeral, was left at the airport in Newark in my checked bag.
When I got to where I was staying (at my grieving grandmother’s house), I called the United Airlines’ lost baggage representative to follow up on the process of recovering my luggage.
I was told that while United was not flying into St. John’s the next day, they would put my baggage on the next flight coming in to St. John’s (i.e. Air Canada, American Airlines, etc.). I was also advised that I could purchase what I needed to replace what was in my baggage and submit a claim to United for reimbursement.
Given the fact that it was 2 a.m. at that point and my grandfather’s funeral was in 12 hours, there was obviously no opportunity for me to do that.
As a result, I ended up having to wash my underwear in the sink and borrow appropriate clothing from a family member to wear to the memorial service.
It is now two days later, and my baggage still has not arrived. All I have is the clothes that I wore on my 36-hour journey over here and my travel toothbrush which happened to break on the journey. With the funeral now over and still no sign of my luggage, I thought I would go today to purchase replacement items I would need for the next day or two until my luggage arrives — hopefully in time to join me on my return flights to Doha.
I then contacted United Airlines again to see what the claim process involved.
I was asked by the United representative how much I thought it would cost.
Given the fact that everything is in my checked bag and I don’t even have a clean pair of underwear, let alone a coat and boots to wear in this kind of weather, I had difficulty putting a price on it.
The representative then came back and asked if $35 would cover
it.
Needless to say, I nearly lost it. That would barely cover the cost of essential toiletries and certainly not any items of clothing. The representative then went to his supervisor and came back, saying that because it was an international flight, they could generously (and I say that most sarcastically) increase the amount allowed up to the value of $100. Attention K-Mart shoppers!
In all seriousness, even $100 is not worth the cost of a trip to the mall. So here I sit, knicker-less, in borrowed pyjamas, broken toothbrush in hand, using this letter to vent my frustrations. All other options would land me in jail.
This is the saga of my flight with United Airlines. I urge you to not only share this traumatic experience with others but to make United Airlines your last choice when planning your next trip.
So, do you think the boys from Connecticut would loan me some underwear?