 Poster: A snowHead
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My (beautiful brand new) skis have failed to make the journey with a friend from Vancouver to Gatwick with Zoom. This was last weekend and the airline have still not found them.
Whilst getting home safely is what matters I must admit I'm getting a bit distressed now. Alas, I'd only used them four times, they'll be hard to replace at this point in the season and in the the UK, and the insurance won't cover their value as they were on the pricey end, with touring bindings.
Has anyone had lost luggage turn up quite a lot later?
Is there anything I should be doing from your experience that might help?
Thanks very much,
A sad and ski-less snow_rat
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No advice that I can give, but I feel really pissed off for you.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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snow_rat, they owe you a pair of skis and we should use the power of the Internet to help them decide to replace them like-for-like or else 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Bode Swiller, I have used the power of the internet to get a lot done - it really can help!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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My brother lost the skis when he arrived at Munich in one year.
The next day in St Anton before he managed to hire a replacement set for each of the four family members the airline company delivered all the skis to the door.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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snow_rat - a friend lost his ski boots on a flight. They turned up nearly a month later, but they did turn up. Your chances really depend on how well they were labelled and whether they've be stolen.
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Thanks all for your quick and sympathetic responses.
Nearly a month later! Blimey. Some hope then, although they weren't well labelled (a last-minute shopping trip to find a luggage tag for that purpose failed).
Damn it, why did it have to be the new ones, not the ex-rental ones I picked up!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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snow_rat, Airlines have an Insurance up to the value of 818 pounds, it is not necessary for you to use your insurance as it was not your fault but theirs. You need to keep on at them and write a letter with a quote or invoice from the shop where you purchased the skis as to their value and possibly a replacement quote.
BA lost my full ski equipment for 3 days but I was on a touring course and so needed to replace the lot or would have lost my holiday booking. I purchased witht he authorisation of BA £800 pounds of ski equipment and £80 of essentials such as pants , toileteries etc. All receipts were kepts and on writing a letter the response was a fat cheque for 818 pounds and an apology.
Whatever you do do nto accept anything but a full refund but always keep your cool.
Good luck
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You need to check Zoom's insurance policy. As they're a budget airline it might not be as generous as BA and might not even cover your skis at all. Should be easy to check on their website. Some carriers eg Air Canada won't cover skis on their insurance unless carried in a hard case.
I think airlines have at least 21 days before items are considered "lost", but check that too. Most lost luggage turns up eventually, so I wouldn't write them off just yet.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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snow_rat, hard luck. There's no reason yet to suppose that if they don't turn up, the airline will not do the decent thing and replace them for you.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Had late deliveries of skis twice, but never more than 24 hours.
Time to start getting heavy. With modern baggage tracking systems they either know where they are by now, or they are gone. 
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You know it makes sense.
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ski-finder, true - but they certainly knew where the bags were!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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snow_rat,
As you've already named and shamed I'd keep a detailed record of your interactions with them and do your best to keep this thread updated - surprising how high it might rise to the top of a google search under zoom ski baggage. Zoom don't have a complex route map so I'd guess your luggage is either in the UK or Canada & they can't pull the LHR excuse.
Then if you're getting no joy after a reasonable period consider taking out a small claims against them while notifying them of the positive publicity they seem to be getting.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Rossfra8, skis _and_ your case. Awful, bad luck. How long ago was that? Are you still hoping the suitcase might show up?
Thanks to everyone for the advice and kind words, you're all wonderful.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have had to wait up to 2 weeks before to get my skis back. It's useful to put your home address inside any bags as well as on the outside. Also, if they give you a website address, that's the same one that they use (something like "worldscan", I can't quite remember). If they haven't, then just keep bugging them every day.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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snow rat - did you land at Heathrow -T1,2,3,4, ? If YES -how long did you queue up for passport checks and did you go to oversized luggage belt (usually on the side ) .There are lots of ski equipment missing form Heathrow these days and this is because to get through passport control can take you up to an hour and for that time your skis are exposed to other dishonest skiers and they can easily can pick them up and walk out with them. Back in Jan on my return form a ski hol. I made a big row on Heathrow T2 because I’ve tried to jump the queue on passport control(successfully, but not without the warning that ill be arrested next time if I don’t keep quite and wait on the queue) to get my skis before someone else get to them. Around the belt there were about 10 ski bags and no one to check what I am taking. The moral of the story is - try to get to the luggage reclaim as quick as possible.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| SERJOE wrote: |
| passport control can take you up to an hour and for that time your skis are exposed to other dishonest skiers |
Highly unlikely in my experience, although the potential is certainly there for an opportunist ski theif passing through the terminal. Far more chance of someone taking them by genuine mistake, which must happen occasionally. But in that case you would be likely to get them back pretty quickly once the idiot in question contacted the airline to get their own bag back. Again another reason to mark your bags very clearly.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| uktrailmonster wrote: |
| SERJOE wrote: |
| passport control can take you up to an hour and for that time your skis are exposed to other dishonest skiers |
Highly unlikely in my experience, although the potential is certainly there for an opportunist ski theif passing through the terminal. Far more chance of someone taking them by genuine mistake, which must happen occasionally. But in that case you would be likely to get them back pretty quickly once the idiot in question contacted the airline to get their own bag back. Again another reason to mark your bags very clearly. |
come on - be serious - how you can mistake your ski bag - the only way to do that is if you are blind.There are no more than 15 bags there at any one time and 2 to be the same is highly unlikely.
To OP - next time get travel insurance which cover the full value of your ski equipment -even if that will cost you more. Better safe than sorry.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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SERJOE, he said in his original post that he landed at Gatwick. Friend has his skis taken by someone with the same ski bag, so not impossible, the only one remaining had a different set of skis in it. Fortunately it was a genuine mistake, and the bag was labelled.
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I have seen someone I was on holiday with walk off with the wrong but identical ski bag at Heathrow, and the real and rather upset owner turn up 5 minutes later.
I have bright coloured ribbons on all our bags now.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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stoatsbrother,
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I have bright coloured ribbons on all our bags now
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I have a Sportube with my name stenciled on in bright yellow.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Heathrow T3 was very quick for me the other day as well (though with waiting three hours for a coach afterwards so they could have taken their time!), but yes, the skis in question should have been going to Gatwick with my friend.
Anyway, some good news - I've just now been told that they have located the bag in Vancouver. I couldn't actually believe it until the guy (now my new best friend) started listing the contents.
The weird thing has been trying to get through on the phone. The number my friend was given for Aviance is mostly an ansaphone, Zoom's desk is only open 1pm-10pm during the week, but I got through straight away on the number given on Gatwick's website that I thought just I might as well try, and they sorted it.
Here's hoping I'll be reunited with my lovely new skis later this week.... they'll be owed a good waxing and lots of love.
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Good news.
On the subject of taking the wrong bag, by accident or not, at some minor US airport or the other I was asked to show my baggage tix when leaving the reclaim area (it was an internal flight, no customs involved). Fortunately, I still had them. It's a good wheeze, but at most airports it would be yet another tedious, badly organised, understaffed queue to join.
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You know it makes sense.
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richmond, yes, that was the normal arrangement when I used to travel through Cleveland Airport fairly regularly in the latter half of the '80s. I never really understood why it wasn't more generally employed.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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snow_rat, Aviance is a ground handling agent, so Zoom probably contract to them to manage their check in etc. I hope you get everything back soon.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| SERJOE wrote: |
| uktrailmonster wrote: |
| SERJOE wrote: |
| passport control can take you up to an hour and for that time your skis are exposed to other dishonest skiers |
Highly unlikely in my experience, although the potential is certainly there for an opportunist ski theif passing through the terminal. Far more chance of someone taking them by genuine mistake, which must happen occasionally. But in that case you would be likely to get them back pretty quickly once the idiot in question contacted the airline to get their own bag back. Again another reason to mark your bags very clearly. |
come on - be serious - how you can mistake your ski bag - the only way to do that is if you are blind.There are no more than 15 bags there at any one time and 2 to be the same is highly unlikely.
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You have obviously never been sking with your own skis, if you can honestly say that.
For there to only be 15 ski bags on one flight would be exceptionally rare, mnever mind on all the flights coming in at nearly the same time.
And for there to be none in very similar bags, you would have to have a fairly unusual bag.
Admittedly, mine is one of the more common style of bag (bog standard Salomon type in Red and black), but I have never yet found it to be the only one of that type on a flight. I painted my name on the ends with tippex, which makes iyt very much easier to recognise them now.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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alex -you are wrong here! ive been traveling with my own skis just after cristmas and yes there were no more than 10-15 bags.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| SERJOE wrote: |
come on - be serious - how you can mistake your ski bag - the only way to do that is if you are blind.There are no more than 15 bags there at any one time and 2 to be the same is highly unlikely.
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I use a sport-tube and there are often several identical ones on the same flight. In fact almost always when travelling to Canada. As for other ski bags, there are often several of exactly the same type. It's not uncommon to see a couple of identical Salomon bags for example. IMHO it's more likely to happen than someone deliberately stealing your bag. I've never known anyone to have bags stolen at an airport, skis or otherwise.
Anyway good to hear it's been found alive and well in Vancouver!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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snow_rat, That has to be good news - I'm very pleased for you - I hope they turn up in due course. I think I will go and put some big labels on all my luggage - I rarely fly, with huge amounts, but clearly well labelled luggage stands a chance of getting back to you if it gets misplaced. What sort of paint is best to stencil canvas with - would an emulsion work or would it crack off?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Megamum wrote: |
| What sort of paint is best to stencil canvas with |
Oils.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Megamum, easiest thing to do is to put a luggage label inside the bag/case. That way your home address isn't plastered all over your luggage for the outbound flight (giving people the impression that your house may be empty), and the label is unlikely to get ripped off.
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laundryman, Thanks - I'll get busy I think in case someone else in April has the same bag that I do - not so critical as it could be swapped round, but easier not to make the mistake in the first place
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Elizabeth B, indeed. You definitely don't want a luggage label with your home address outside your case, and preferably not inside either. I use my office address for both. I remember seeing some CCTV footage of LHR baggage handlers not only sifting through cases for anything worth nicking but noting down addresses for va visit on their day off. I doubt that the prosecutions that followed stopped it or that it's unique to LHR.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Interesting - I'd always assumed that a luggage label on the outside was a good thing to do if you had taken the trouble to slip the address paper in backwards so that a baggage handler could easily get to it, but a casual observer/would be thief couldn't. It's a great idea to use an office address though.
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I would suggest never putting an address or even a name outside or inside baggage ... if you must do something -- use an unattributable ( to an address) personal contact telephone number.
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FAQ
's on them later 
So now my friend has a nice posh overcoat. 
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