lost cpap in san antonio airport

Was flying out of san antonio to houston and ultimately st. Louis yesterday, Saturday 7/14/2007. While going through the security checkpoint, somebody else inadvertently picked up my bag with machine. Have not seen it since.No help from those over officious jerks with TSA. Hoping that somehow it gets returned. If anyone has any info please email machadolaw@aol.com. Desperately need to replace it soon, had a bad sleepless night.

Contact your homeowner's insurance company. They may be willing to replace your CPAP.

Have you stressed to the airline that your CPAP machine is a MEDICAL NECESSITY? Might it be covered under the baggage liability?

Contact your health insurance company. Be prepared to provide proof of your claim of loss to the airline. They "might" assist w/replacment.

Hopefully your bag was tagged with your name/info and some honest person will contact the airline or you and return to you unharmed. Keep us up to date. In meantime-contact your DME and see if you can arrange for a loaner machine.

Duh! EXCELLENT suggestion, lvwildcat!!! Why didn't "I" think of that. Your local DME supplier should be willing to rent you a CPAP until your current situation can be rectified. Be forewarned tho, to ask clearly what the rental will cost. Just a couple of months rental "could" conceivably buy you a new CPAP!

lvwildcat wrote:Hopefully your bag was tagged with your name/info and some honest person will contact the airline or you and return to you unharmed.

Excellent point! I know I don't have my contact info in my CPAP bag--never thought to put it in there because I always carry it on, and I never thought about losing it at the security checkpoint.

Thank you for the reminder.

Good luck, machadolaw. I hope you either find it or can easily get it replaced.

Slinky wrote:Duh! EXCELLENT suggestion, lvwildcat!!! Why didn't "I" think of that. Your local DME supplier should be willing to rent you a CPAP until your current situation can be rectified. Be forewarned tho, to ask clearly what the rental will cost. Just a couple of months rental "could" conceivably buy you a new CPAP!

I'll never be on another plane, but I used a "MEAN STREAK" marking stick to mark my bag, "In Big Ugly Print", it stands out like a sore thumb, no-one would want to carry it.

It's not that I'm afraid to fly, I've used up my lifetime air miles 27,000 miles, now we stay close to home. Jim

TSA sould have been able to stop them. Says a lot for security.

They should replace it, I would call and talk to everyone from a customer service rep up. Then again I am a real B**** when I want to be and 99.9% of the time I get what I want when I call customer service for any reason with anything. I got my mom $500 in flight vouchers after one of her flights.....and trust me it wasnt as big of a deal as losing a CPAP machine. An airline lost my sisters carseat for her 10 month old when she flew a while back. They told her it wasnt their problem. But I got a hold of them and told them it was illegal to transport a baby without a car seat and that she would be sitting there in front of the ticket agent until the problem was resolved....as she could not take the baby anywhere without the carseat. They fixed it, and paid for a new seat and $200 in flight vouchers.

The airline has insurance in place to cover this kind of thing. It should be as easy as filling out a form for reimbursement. You can bet that if the person had picked up airline property they would have stopped them.

My wife and I took a cruise some years ago. We flew to Miami and then boarded the ship there. When we got to the baggage claim in Miami, my wife's bag didn't show. We informed the airline personnel of this fact. We had to move on to the ship docks and get aboard. We were assured that when it came in, it would be sent to the ship. The ship left port headed for Key West and we didn't get the bag. Once in Key West I phoned the airlines in Miami again and they still didn't have a handle on where the bag was. We decided to go shopping for some clothing for my wife in Key West. I kept receipts of all that we purchased. Since our ship was to leave for Cozumel later that evening, I again, called the airline baggage claim in Miami and they said that they located the bag and it would be sent to Key West. It didn't make it in time and the ship left. Once we arrived in Cozumel, we called the airline again and informed them that we were now in Cozumel and wanted the bag sent there to the ship's dock. The airline flew the bag to Cozumel and we did eventually get the bag. When I returned home, I began calling people with the airline and demanded that I get reimbursed for the clothing expense that we had to incur due to the incompentence of the airline. I had to talk to several people, but I did finally get a check from them for the amount that I was able to prove with the receipts. You should be able to do the same thing. I would also throw in any rental fees that you might pick up from a DME that rents you a short term replacement. The airlines ARE insured for this kind of thing but they will always balk at paying anything. The squeaky wheel will however, get the grease. Get names of people you talk to and don't let them blow you off. I continued to make the case that my vacation was ruined by the whole thing and it was the fault of the airlines. I would have taken a free trip if it was offered, but they sent me a check and that was more what I needed right then anyway.

machadolaw wrote:Was flying out of san antonio to houston and ultimately st. Louis yesterday, Saturday 7/14/2007. While going through the security checkpoint, somebody else inadvertently picked up my bag with machine. Have not seen it since.No help from those over officious jerks with TSA. Hoping that somehow it gets returned. If anyone has any info please email machadolaw@aol.com. Desperately need to replace it soon, had a bad sleepless night.

Call the local news media they will get something done.....and then call the airlines and the TSA and maybe your congressman

That might no do any good but it can't do no Harm !!

Can someone tell me why it is the airlines fault.

They don't run the security line.

It was lost in the security line.

How about a person being responsible for their own things.

I fly quite regularly. Due to artificial joints in both legs, I make sure my machine, my laptop, and briefcase are accounted for before I am had wanded at security.

This isn't any airlines fault.

machadolaw isn't going to like paying the deductible on his homeowners policy for this. That is who they should be looking to.

MartiniLover wrote:How about a person being responsible for their own things.

I fly quite regularly. Due to artificial joints in both legs, I make sure my machine, my laptop, and briefcase are accounted for before I am had wanded at security.

I agree with you that it's not the airline's fault.

However, it's not always possible to take control of your own belongings. I have been through certain airports where I had to be wanded, and although I asked to be permitted to collect my laptop and CPAP prior to being taken aside (some distance from the belt, where I couldn't easily keep an eye on my things), the TSA agents wouldn't allow me to do so.

Technically the person responsible is whoever picked it up, but the current TSA procedures which separate people from their belongings certainly contribute to the situation.

I am vigilant about my carry-ons when I travel. If I am traveling with a companion the first one goes through and clears before the second even places the bags on the conveyor. Security hates this because it slows things down a bit but I just pretend to be fiddeling and ignore them until the reciever is on the other side. If I am traveling alone I don't put my bags on the conveyor until the person in front has cleared the metal detector. Even with these precautions I have been seperated from my bag. Once they stopped the conveyor and told me to move along. I refused. Security had a hissy fit and I told them I would move when I got my bag. They walked back took it out of the conveyor and delivered it to me by hand. Most people won't stand their ground and politely do as they ask because they can be very intimidating. that is when things get stolen. I firmly believe that if they are going to check our belongings, and I have no problem wiyh that, then they have to be accountable if that check results in loss to the customer.

lvwildcat, you make an excellent point! ALWAYS have identification and contact information not only on, but also IN every bag when you travel.

I travel (by airline) on the average about one week per month for work and have travelled with my CPAP for 2 1/2 years. I've been really lucky (or blessed), to have only had the airlines misplace my checked luggage a couple of times. It was located and delivered to me each time. I carry my CPAP in its travel bag each and every trip as carry-on luggage.

As far as loosing the CPAP during a security screening, that's almost unthinkable! And trying to blame the airline? Ludicrous!

I can understand someone picking up the wrong bag and walking off with a CPAP unit only if the CPAP unit was not packed in it's own brand-name, padded carrying case (and most CPAPs come with a carrying case, no?). Not noticing until it's too late....until the trip is completed (or at least one leg)? Sorry, but I'm a big fan of personal responsibility. It's YOUR CPAP, you take care of it and keep track of it.

I notice machadalow didn't try to blame either TSA or the airlines. Good for him/her! All he/she is trying to do is get the CPAP back. Good luck!!

Kajun

Lost mine in the Newark airport a few months ago.
My homeowners insurance company (Nationwide) said that they do not cover "misplaced" items. Airline (even tho I am a frequent flyer) said that the only way they will accept liability is if the bag is checked.
Finally got tired of wasting time on it and bought a machine. Airline called two months later and said that it never showed up in lost and found.
They told me that in certain airports people walk around looking to grab carry ons. Whoever it was probably thought that it was a portable computer.

Go to craigslist.com, click on the city you lost it in and it will probably show up for sale there.