This comment was received from a longtime reader.
I hope someone who can help reads this. If so, email me at ian@ilind.net and I can put you in direct contact.
Dear Ian,
I have been a big fan of yours ever since you were the head of Common Cause, and I have paid close attention to your description of the trials of flying Hawaiian/Alaska Airlines.
Now, in desperation, I’m wondering if you can help us with our current nightmare situation. Any ideas would be warmly welcomed!
My son and his family flew in from Pennsylvania on Saturday night, arriving around 9:00 pm after a brutally long day of travel and two connecting flights. Unfortunately, their luggage didn’t make the last connection.
They flew Alaskan Airlines Flight 289 from Newark to LAX, and Hawaiian Flight 809 from LAX to HNL. The Alaska Airlines to Hawaiian Airlines baggage transfer in LAX didn’t work!
As you have written, the Hawaiian – Alaska merger is NOT working!
Two hours after their arrival in Honolulu, Hawaiian Airlines finally informed 10 passengers from Hawaiian Flight 809 that their luggage had been left in LAX, and that Alaska Airlines was responsible for it. Hawaiian then gave them an outdated number for Alaska Airlines luggage services at LAX. It didn’t work! And their baggage didn’t arrive on Sunday.
It’s Monday afternoon now and they have still not managed to be in communication with Alaska Airlines!!! There are Christmas presents and medications in the luggage, which was actually all carry-on until Alaska Airlines asked them to check it due to the full flight. They politely agreed, and now certainly wish they had not!
We are at a loss as to what to do! It has now been almost 48 hours and there is no hope for progress!!!
This merger is proving to be a total nightmare for those of us who live in Hawaii. And so unfair!
Please let me know if you have any idea how we can resolve this!!! We would at least like some indication that these Airlines care about the horrible impact they are having on those of us who travel to and from Hawaii.
Mahalo
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Can we get more news coverage on this? That seems to motivate airlines to take action. Or can you post on their social media, or send to news reporting agency? Good Luck. Sometimes if you threaten that you will sue them baed on them losing your medication, it may be the squeaky wheel to get some results.
Yikes, I would be upset too. My son flew on United from Arizona to Honolulu, with a 5-hour layover in Colorado. Arrived on Saturday night about 7:30 pm, with two checked bags. No mishaps, except for a 30-minute delayed departure out of Denver. Hope your reader’s son’s luggage arrives soon. May need to go to the airline ticket counter in person to inquire.
These things happen unfortunately. It’s the holiday season, and luggage transfers go wrong between connections daily, no matter the airline.
I would go down to HNL and speak to representatives from Hawaiian and Alaska and get this sorted out.
– A seasoned traveler.
I was thinking about this while on my ride the other day. If they had checked their bags as they boarded, which happens often, they should have been able to pick it up as they deplaned. Did they forget to do that? Or were they asked to check their carryons at the main desk?