The Ridiculous Lengths A Magician Went Through To Make His Checked Bag From United Airlines Appear
This is a story about customer service. Or the lack thereof. The ability to let rules overrule common sense. Let’s review the story of a magician named Danny and his checked back lost, found, yet irretrievably out of reach, all at Newark International Airport.
Abracadabra: United Airlines Makes A Magician’s Bag Disappear Through The Old Tarmac Trick
Danny Orleans is a magician. On Tuesday, he took a United Airlines flight from Chicago (ORD) to Newark (EWR). He’s a frequent flyer for work and although you generally want to avoid checking in valuable items, his work depends upon it: try taking the hacksaw you use to cut a woman in half or the sword you use to impale the man in the box past the TSA…
(Danny had sound equipment in his bag, also too big to check, worth about $1500).
He arrived in Newark, headed to the United Club for a “free” lunch (a man after my own heart…), then proceeded down to baggage claim. He made it before the bags had even started coming down the belt.
But as the bags appeared, his did not.
He had another trick, though: Apple AirTags.
It showed his bag was on the tarmac.
He entered the customer service line and waited patiently for an agent. It was finally his turn and he got Carol Beer.
The United rep told him that his bag was not in Newark: that it had not been scanned past Chicago.
But, wait Danny said. He pulled out his phone and showed the agent that the bag was actually in Newark…on the tarmac.
But Carol said that there was nothing that could be done beyond sending the bag to his hotel within five days.
Of course, his show was over the next three days…
So Danny decided to book himself a refundable ticket, proceed though security agian, and try to locate the bag himself.
And he did.
The AirTags indicated that his bag was near gate 90 in Terminal C (even though he landed at gate 113). He walked to gate 90 and looked out the window…
…and there was his bag, sitting out there all by its self.
A member of United ground staff walked by it. Would he grab it? Nope. He just ignored it.
So Danny summoned a United employee and pointed out his bag.
The employee was mollified…and personally went out to get the bag, meeting Danny in baggage claim.
Lesson: listen to your customers, especially when they have AirTags.
Ironically, on Wednesday Danny received an email concerning the matter from United Airlines. An apology, right? Nope. United let him know it was still looking for his bag and would update him when found…
When asked to comment, a United spokesperson said:
“We do our best to deliver bags on time for everyone – we are pleased to have Mr. Orleans as a customer, are glad he got his bag, and refunded him the cost of the extra ticket.”
How generous.
CONCLUSION
Usually, it is Danny that makes things appear and disappear, but not this time. This time it was United.
I find this story absurd that the baggage agent in Newark refused to deviate beyond what the computer said, but laud the other employee for going out to retrieve the bag. But it really never should have come to that. Once again, we see what an important accountability check AirTags provides.
image: Danny Orleans superimposed on photo of Newark Airport
Source: Live and Let's Fly
