Until now. My good-baggage-luck is officially over.
I had two checked pieces of luggage, and one carry-on. In the carry-on, I had a change of clothes, toiletries, my European cell phone charger, things for the people in Marseille, and last minute stuff from the wedding that I couldn't fit into the other bags. I also did something I always do: I put ALL my underwear in my carry-on. That way, if my checked bags get lost, I'd have plenty to last me until they showed up.
I checked the two bags to Marseille, and got through security in Atlanta with my carry-on. At the gate in Atlanta, and again at the gate in Philadelphia I was asked if I'd like to check my carry-on all the way through to my end destination.
I explained that I was on a several-leg international flight and I'd like to keep it with me so that I could change clothes and freshen up. No problem.
In Barcelona, I charged my cell phone during my lay-over. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, put my contacts in, changed my clothes, and felt pretty good for not having slept in 3 days and just flown across an ocean. As I went to go through the gate, the airline worker points to my suitcase and says, "That's too big, you'll need to check it plane-side on the ramp."
Note: they didn't make anyone else check their bags that were equally as big as mine. I think it was solely because I had an American passport and she just decided to be snooty.
So I walk down the ramp and explain to the stewardess that I was told I had to check my bag. She gives me a ticket, and I leave my suitcase on the ramp. I've done this before and always gotten my bag back.
Not so this time. My two checked bags showed up just fine...but no carry-on. I finally went to the missing luggage office and explained that my carry-on had not shown up.
Note: I do not know how to say "checked" or "carry-on" in French.
The nice little French worker man called the Barcelona airport, who explained that my suitcase was still sitting there. Because there is only one flight per day from Barcelona to Marseille, there was no way my suitcase would arrive before the following day...when I would be leaving on a train to Besancon. Well, that complicated matters, didn't it?
And...everything I needed was in THAT bag! I had to buy all new everything...even though I'd just bought all new everything in the US. I had to throw out my contacts, because my saline solution was in the carry-on. I had to not give the stuff to the people in Marseille because well...I was leaving and my bag was not with me. It was, to say the least, an annoyance.
I got back to Besancon and checked into the hotel to wait for my bag. After three more days, and no news of the bag, I checked out of the hotel and returned to the Wise's house, who promptly help me write an email in French to the airport.
Their response? "Because you live far away from the airport, we had to get permission from SpanAir to deliver your bag to you."
Permission!? It's my bag! Slight annoyance turned into beginning to feel a little angry.
"And by the way, we don't deliver on weekends, so we'll have your bag to you on Monday."
Make that more than a little angry.
Monday came and went and still no bag. (This was now one week after I'd arrived back in France.) I was beginning to think I was going to have to make an insurance claim for a lost bag of luggage, when, on Tuesday, my bag finally arrived.
With my cell phone charger and ipod radio transmitter stolen out of it. Well, I now can commiserate with everyone who's ever had their bag lost or things stolen from it. The good news: my Kindle charger was not stolen and is the same kind of plug as my cell phone, so I am at least able to charge my phone.
Lesson learned: Don't pack all your underwear in one bag.
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