This Is Why You Should Always Double Check Your Luggage Tags at the Airport
Chalk this one as a (rare) win for the airlines. In a case of mistaken identity, one American Airlines passenger had to eat her words — or Tweet, rather — after taking to social media to report that she had been "robbed" upon finding the contents of her suitcase replaced with airport equipment.
Instead of passenger Anna Knight's usual wares, the suitcase she grabbed from the baggage claim contained "harnesses, power strips, orange clothing items typically worn by crew members on the tarmac, and a pair of black work boots," according to People.
Knight aired her grievances via a now-deleted Tweet saying:
"NEVER fly with @AmericanAir again. All of my items were taken out of my luggage and replaced with airport equipment, & all they did was tell me to fill out a form. This is OUTRAGEOUS!! Pls REPOST & don't book flights with them! #AmericanAirlines #NBCNews #ABCNews #Travel #ROBBED"
A Facebook post from Knight was equally distraught:
"I just got robbed by American Airlines . . . ALL MY STUFF IS GONE & replaced with airline equipment! $8000 worth of items GONE! Priceless souvenirs from my trip GONE!!"
According to People, another deleted tweet from Knight stated that "she was 'in tears' while talking to police, who she says are investigating the incident."
Turns out, however, that Knight simply grabbed the wrong bag from the carousel at Miami International Airport (MIA).
People posted the following update after getting in touch with TSA about the matter:
"A spokesperson for the TSA confirmed to PEOPLE Thursday night that Knight took the wrong bag from the luggage carousel, noting that the agency takes all allegations seriously and investigated the situation, but the mystery was ultimately solved by the airline as the bag was not mishandled by TSA. An airport source shared a photo of her intact suitcase waiting for her at Miami International."
AA took it all in stride, responding, "It happens and we're glad we could help clear things up!" The airline even said Knight could keep the case's contents since the equipment didn't belong to AA.
So let this be a lesson to us all: Before you walk away, always check to make sure you've grabbed the correct suitcase. In a sea of black Samsonites, going for a bad that's not yours is not hard to do. And if your luggage is lost, remember to tap into your credit card's trip protection.
H/T: People