However, this experience is not without some lessons learned:
1. We should pack "outfits" (top and bottom pairings) and both of us should have several outfits in each bag so that if one bag goes missing, we both still have some clothes and not just all pants and no shirts or all shirts and no pants - or even worse, shirts and pants that don't go together.
2. We should try to find bags that hold a lot of stuff but can be carried on.
3. I should find makeup that is powder-based instead of liquid so it can go in the carry on bag.
4. We should book earlier to avoid connecting flights.
In the meantime, I've been thinking about what might have gone wrong with the bag in the first place. Here are my theories:
The BBQ Sauce Theory. I was carrying two bottles of BBQ sauce in the missing bag. (They were intended as gifts. And as far as I know, BBQ sauce is not a banned substance.) We had vacuum sealed each bottle in plastic and then placed them into an insulated wine carrier. Then we vacuum sealed the wine carrier and wrapped it in plastic. No way was any BBQ sauce going to get on my clothes in the event of breakage due to mishandling! My theory is that this turned up as something strange on the x-ray. Since the TSA was no doubt on high alert that week, they tried to detonate my BBQ sauce This process ruined my clothes and they just decided to destroy my entire bag so that no one would know what happened to the BBQ sauce.
The High-Tech Theory. The day we were leaving for the airport, my new iPhone arrived. I opened it and there were some rather large Apple logo decals included in the box. Mark took one and slapped it on his wallet. Despite my protest, he slapped the other one on my bag. He said it would make the brown and black bag easier to spot on the baggage conveyer. I had to concede. The theory is that someone saw the Apple logo and assumed that the bag was full of high-tech equipment and stole it. Angry with the lack of high tech equipment in the bag but not wanting to admit to any wrong doing, they just destroyed the bag so it could not be used as evidence.
The Houston We Have a Problem Theory. This is my first experience with a bag that was delayed for more than 24 hours. This was also one of the rare occasions when we didn't fly direct. The inability to fly direct is often a hazard that accompanies a "free" ticket. Going through Houston seemed a better idea than going through Chicago or New York. We thought there was less chance for things to go wrong through Houston than anywhere else. I must say that the times I've never lost a bag when I connected through New York, Atlanta, or Chicago. But it could have fallen off the cart and never made it onto the plane. I don't know, but it's possible that I may have misjudged the capabilities of the Houston workforce.
The No Customer Service Theory. British Airways personnel are a bit pompous. No, it isn't just the accent. These people try to make you think that the missing bag is your fault, not theirs. Their web site claims that they "pull out all the stops" to reunite you with your bag - (more on that at a later date) but the truth is that they tell you anything. During the past four weeks, I've been told that my bag was in Paris, Houston, London, Manchester, Rome, and Zurich. If I called twice in one day, I'd be given two different cities. I was told it was with a courier for delivery more than once. Twice I was told it had been delivered. When I asked to speak with a supervisor I was told they didn't have any. When I asked for the customer service number I was told they didn't have customer service. That I could believe. But the theory is that they just really don't have a clue and are trying to put me off until some kind of statute of limitation runs out and I won't be able to file a claim for my lost stuff.
Anybody else have a theory?
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