Lost-luggage store offers unusual bargains -- Page 2

Bowen and Dean Headley, marketing professor at Wichita State University's W. Frank Barton School of Business, conduct the annual Airline Quality Rating study, which ranks the nation's 16 largest U.S. carriers on a number of criteria, including mishandled baggage.

Despite improvements in baggage automation at some airports, lost luggage continues to be a leading consumer complaint.

"There's a lot of it," Bowen admits. "It does not seem to be getting better, at least with the 14 carriers that we deal with. People accept it as a given that their bag is going to be there and they're devastated when it's not. Not all travelers are savvy enough to pack 24-hours' worth of belongings in their carry-on."

Bowen estimates that 1 to 2 percent of airline luggage is misplaced annually and of that, 98 percent ultimately finds its way home.

"If it doesn't happen within the first 24 hours, it's probably not going to happen," says Bowen. "But recovery is a big word; it may only mean that they know where it is and it may not be with you."

Do the double tag
Bags wander off for any number of reasons. They may have been mistagged at check-in, sent ahead, delayed or routed via another carrier, misplaced at the end destination or picked up by mistake by a passenger with similar luggage.

The airlines search lost luggage in hopes of identifying the owner and avoiding customer wrath. But when a bag can't be identified by luggage tag or a description of its contents after three or four months, it's off to the UBC.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently raised the airlines' lost luggage liability from $2,500 to $2,800 per passenger (not per bag), though the carriers are not responsible for high-ticket items such as collectibles and jewelry.

Cantrell says her biggest surprise has been the stream of fine jewelry that winds up at UBC, where it is sold at half its appraised value. Cantwell bought her own platinum wedding ring at UBC for a third of its retail price. (By the way, employees don't get first dibs; they have to wait three days after an item hits the floor to buy it.)

"Do not pack your fine jewelry when you travel!" she advises. "We have seen amazing pieces of jewelry, many, many thousands of dollars. Back in 1998, we had a 5.8-carat diamond solitaire ring that appraised at $46,000."

Savvy UBC shoppers know to time their shopping spree to the three- to four-month lag time it takes airlines to abandon hope of finding the owner. Christmas items, for instance, flood the store in April and May. Looking for winter sporting goods? UBC saves them up for a door-busting blowout the first Saturday in November.

Most lost luggage would ultimately be found if travelers followed one simple tip: tag your luggage and carry-ons on both the outside and inside of the bag. Otherwise, finding a match based on the description of contents can be a needle-in-a-haystack exercise. And if you're traveling with high-priced items, by all means insure them separately.

Otherwise, you may have the pleasure of buying it all over again at the Unclaimed Baggage Center.

Jay MacDonald is a contributing editor based in Mississippi.