Not even airline executives are safe from having a bad flight.
Last week, Alaska Airlines president and CEO, Brad Tilden, got on stage at an airline gathering in Washington, D.C. and according to a report in the LA Times, told the audience that his checked bag had been misplaced during the flight and was delivered to him a day late.
It's happened before, too. The airline exec said the last time his airline misplaced his bag was 25 years ago.
Reached for comment, Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said, "Brad often will often check his carry-on bag on busy flights to make room for customers to stow their bags in the overhead bins. While very rare since we implemented our baggage service guarantee, there are times when we misplace a bag and this was one of those times." She said his bag was ultimately delivered within 24 hours after he landed on September 28th.
Alaska Airlines is one of the airlines that prides itself on its modern day baggage delivery rate.
Since 2010 the Alaska-based carrier has offered passengers a baggage guarantee that awards passengers a $25 discount code or 2,500 Mileage Plan bonus miles if a checked bags doesn’t arrive on the baggage claim carousel within 20 minutes of the plane’s arrival at the gate.
No word yet on whether Alaska Airlines chief Tilden will claim the bonus code or the miles as result of his suitcase snafu.
Last February, Delta Air Lines began a similar bag delivery guarantee program that gives passengers 2,500 SkyMiles if a checked bag doesn't arrive at the carousel in 20 minutes or less after any domestic flight and American Airlines recently introduced a free real-time tracking system for checked bags.
While likely no consolation to Tilden and others who got their checked bag late last week, recent statistics from Department of Transportation report show a year over year decrease in the number of mishandled baggage reports filed by passengers.
