Checked Baggage Question

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KC Ghost Rider

KC Ghost Rider

Service Attendant
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
131
Location
Kansas City, Kansas
Mrs. Ghost and I are scheduled to go on a long overdue Honeymoon (let us just say 24 years overdue). Our Trek starts in KCY to CHI aboard the SWC on May 14. At CHI we switch trains to the LSL with the destination of NYP, arriving 15 May. Since our plan is to go to Europe aboard the Queen Mary 2, we has two rather LARGE pieces of luggage. I have already decided those must be checked from KCY thru NYP. My question is will those bags follow us on the same trains we are taking? I would hate to find myself waiting on them because they went a different route and Mrs. Ghost would be having a bad start to the Honeymoon :unsure:
 
Many times, if they do not go on the same routing as you do, they are sent on the most direct routing. (Example: You go WAS-CHI-LAX-SEA. It may be sent on the CL and EB instead.) However in your case, these trains (SWC and LSL) are the most direct routing. So the chances are 99+% yes!
 
Traveler already answered the luggage portion, so I'm just going to chime in to say that I am SUPER JEALOUS you are taking the Queen Mary to Europe. I have always wanted to do that. :)
 
That brings up the topic - how does Amtrak handle misdirected bags? If I take the train to city A then fly or drive to city B, will Amtrak forward my misdirected bag to city B? What if Amtrak doesn't have a station nearby?

In the old days, the airlines would get it to you even if it meant putting it on another airline or bus then a delivery service but now, my guess is, "Here it is in Nowheresville where you will never return to. Come and get it!"
 
Sarah, perhaps you will be more jealous to know the plan is a trip over to Europe and return via the same ship. Plus a stay at Waldorf Astoria NYC...both ways. I want to make it special.
 
One thing you could do to ensure it goes on the same routing as you is to ask the baggage agent in KCY to write on the pink transfer tag "#48." It is theoretically possible that they could transfer your bag on to the Cardinal, but since that's a longer route it's not likely.
 
me_little_me said:
That brings up the topic - how does Amtrak handle misdirected bags? If I take the train to city A then fly or drive to city B, will Amtrak forward my misdirected bag to city B? What if Amtrak doesn't have a station nearby?
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I doubt there's a hard-and-fast system-wide rule. In the OP's case, Amtrak is certainly not going to charter a helicopter and bring the bag out to the deck of the QM2. They probably won't send it over to Europe, either. (Though of course this would be relatively easy if they had a partnership agreement in place with one of the many airlines serving NYC-Europe.)

My guess is that generally speaking Amtrak doesn't feel obligated to get the missing luggage to anywhere except the originally ticketed destination, with the obvious exception being if the bag's owner has already returned home via Amtrak.
 
On our 2012 trip that started in Spokane and went to Cleveland, I checked a bag that went with us on the EB to Chicago and then went on the CL and was waiting for me when I got to CLE on the LSL.

The really nice thing that a conductor did for me was to box up my laptop that got misplaced before I got to MKE. I realized that I didn't have it when I was in Chicago Union station and thought it was lost forever.

He figured out that it was mine and called my cell and let me know that he had it. I picked it up several days later in Washington. It was sent to CHI on the EB and was then transferred to the CL to be held for me in WAS even though I was driving a rental car.

On the return trip I checked the bag in CLE to SPK. We got off the EB in CUT for 24 hours. The bag was waiting for me when we got to SPK the next day.
 
Alas, no discount for traveling Cunard. Since that is considered a premium brand, you have to pay the premium price. I really do wish Amtrak had it as a cruise partner, saving money is always good!
 
If there is any doubt as to the routing, when checking the bags, just ask them to put a routing tag on it with your trains.
 
Check the routing on the tag yourself, be sure you know your train numbers and the Amtrak codes for the transfer point and final destination. Put an itinerary "retriever" tag on the checked bags (buy at Magellans, there could be other vendors). Tuck your complete itinerary inside with all trains, hotels, ship, etc. and your contact phone numbers.

I hope you're going to be in NYC at least overnight, in case the bags don't show they can catch up with you before the ship. I worked for an airline for years and handled hundreds of missing bag reports, I'm overly cautious when traveling. Another tip is "cross pack," where you put half of each person's clothing in each of the two bags. That way if one of them goes missing both people will still have clothes.

Sounds like a wonderful trip, enjoy!
 
KC Ghost Rider said:
Sarah, perhaps you will be more jealous to know the plan is a trip over to Europe and return via the same ship. Plus a stay at Waldorf Astoria NYC...both ways. I want to make it special.
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Cool...got me beat! I'm looking forward to "just" doing the Coast Starlight to Seattle and back to go on an Alaska cruise!
 
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