New policy: putting your luggage on earlier flight without telling you? My wife and I discovered that US Air has a policy where they can put your luggage on an earlier flight without letting you know that they have done so (at least on “shuttle” flights).

So after waiting 20 minutes at the luggage pickup we decided to go check with the US Air luggage department to try and figure out what happened to our luggage. As we walked into the US Air luggage area we notice our luggage sitting there and asked the customer service rep what happened. They explained that they will sometimes put people’s luggage on an earlier flight. I asked the rep how was it that the person whose luggage was put on an earlier flight would know this has happened and therefore not waste their time waiting at the luggage belt? They said that “if they have time they would walk down and make an announcement to the passengers”.

I was baffled that they would think such a policy is acceptable. What if they lost my luggage? I would unknowingly report the wrong flight number to the customer service agent. Who’s watching my luggage as it sits on the luggage belt going around and around? Why doesn’t the agent who checks you in offer a simple message, “you’re checking in early therefore your luggage might be put on an earlier flight”? I honestly do not understand what US Air has to gain by adopting such a policy other than to piss off customers, something they already excel at. Lastly I thought the TSA frowned on separating passengers from their luggage, especially in such a predicable manner?