American,United or Delta?

[GaryS]

Once a carrier has accepted a checked bag they are responsible for it until it reaches its destination. Even if, as once happened to me, you are booked on a different airline the original airline is responsible for getting it to you.

About ten years ago, we got hung up in VA overnight. Our final destination was Mobile, AL and we ended up rebooked on a different airline.

It took 48 hours to find my checked bag and I had to go back to the airport to get the counter staff to look for it.

All of the airlines subcontract lost baggage retrieval and delivery. The companies that do it are accomplished liars and will string you along until they get around to finding it.

Back on original topic, my son flies a lot and says United is the best of a bad lot. They just stink less than the others.

Flew United recently from Key West to Dulles and then LaGuardia. We left Key West LATE, missed our connector at Dulles (but they graciously booked us a flight for two days later). They wouldn't remove our checked bags (but graciously made arrangements to get them to LaGuardia the next morning even though we weren't getting there)
After renting a car at Dulles and driving home to Long Island we had to drive to LaGuardia twice to finally retrieve our bags which were never loaded on the plane as promised.
BUT, with all of this aggravation, United still had our money. Talk about terrible customer service!

 

[Rustyt1953]

Brent, It has been a long time since I have flown so I have no recent experience with airlines.

I can only wish for a pleasant journey for both you and Karen.

 

[hsguy]

Brent, I can't offer any advice as to the airline to fly as I always fly United from San Francisco to Auckland as I fly standby but was excited to see UA is starting new options in the fall! I was in NZ in March of 2020 at the start of the Pandemic and the UA flight filled up with folks bailing out before the borders closed so I grabbed a Qantas flight to Sydney and flew to SFO from there on UA. I found the Qantas flight very pleasant and superior to our domestic service.

My fondest hope is to return to NZ again next year as my immune system and energy recover sufficiently from my transplant to travel again.

 

[Doug M.]

I would get a long, even life time suspension if I gave my real opinion of UA. I have not flown AA is so long I can't recall it; I doubt I have as an adult.

Delta annoys me with their additional messing with firearms transport, which becomes a huge annoyance (I had to buy a special first aid kit to get and discreetly transport stuff which to cut their zip ties, and I had a clerk go to extreme lengths to reject a firearm case I have used a bunch). However, I always fly first class due to being a bit too big for sardine class and the reduction in BS and improvement in check-in and other stuff is worth it to me.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

All US airlines these days act like they are doing you a favor by letting you squeeze like a sardine into a child size seat on their plane. Does Lufthansa go where you need?