Pilferage

[damppussy]

While travelling recently on South African Airlines my flight back to Angola where I work the flight from JoBurg was delayed due fog. On arriving in Luanda I retrieved my luggage from the luggage area, only to notice it had been broken into lock removed half open etc. Of course no SAA staff on hand (this is Angola) On going through my luggage I was lucky to find only my mobile phone had been taken. There were cameras and clothes but no only the mobile after complaining at head office in Angola. I was given th usual ignore. Not even the fact that a lighted cigarette butt had been dropped in the bag raised an eyebrow. I know it was lighted when dropped because it singed what it fell on. I don't smoke I was travelling on my own and here I am having a dirty cigarette butt left in my luggage but worse a light one. imagime the possible scenarious. I have since been to SAA in Joburg via email and fax.to no avail. Over look this matter and we are sure you will enjoy our ongoing service a rare event so they say. Well I am here to tell them it is not a rare event. There are 20 crew here Captains and engineers and we have nearly to a man/women had our luggage gone through. SAA will not compensate me for the phone loss and are sweeping what could have been a disaster under the mat. In this event had the cigarette caused a fire then we would have possibly still been on the ground due to delay (3hours) But say the flight had taken off on time what one of you wants to deal with a fire in the hold. I have to dead head once again on SAA but that shall be the last time. It was just lucky as to where the cigarette landed this is a disaster waiting to happen. And I for one shall ask my company to find another way to Angola than by SAA and seeing most of us travel via Zurich this won't be hardnull null

[DownIn3Green]

If you live and work in Angola then you should be used to this kind of thing.

I agree 100% with you regarding the safety and frustation level you endure, but in finding yourself another way to Luanda you may be booking yourself onto TAAG.

[The Guvnor]

Rule number one (especially in Africa) - never put anything into checked luggage that you don't mind replacing. Why on earth did you not have your valuables in your hand baggage anyway? :cofused: :eek: :confused:

[Justin A Beaver]

Now as a fare paying passenger, I am always asked "Do you have any electrical items in your hold baggage"? These items are banned following the Pan-Am 747 explosion. So how do you justify putting valuables in the hold baggage?

My wife had her hold baggage 'examined' but as there were no valuables and certainly not a mobile phone in this luggage, they moved to another bag I guess! The contents probably smelt foul as it also contained 15 days of my smelly socks!

So why do you put valuables into the hold?

[DrSyn]

This has to be either an amusing wind-up or an exceptionally inept attempt to knock SAA, damppussy. Difficult to tell from your first post!

Presumably, your laptop, Rolex and the jewellery box, containing your 24k bracelets and the tiara, also escaped the baggage handlers' attention?

After all, these items are all routinely included in one's checked luggage ;)