Written by: Frank O'Connell
I’ve traveled extensively over the years, both domestically and internationally, and I’ve never once lost a piece of luggage. Naturally, I was determined not to break that streak on my recent trip to Barcelona, Spain.
This trip was one we had been eagerly anticipating for months. The itinerary included stops in Barcelona and Cadiz, Spain, Lisbon and Porto in Portugal, and finally, Tangier, Morocco. We hoped for a smooth journey, but as it turns out, there’s a first time for everything.
The trouble started when we landed at the Barcelona airport. After 11 hours of travel, with a layover in Philadelphia, we arrived with 200 other passengers at 9 AM. My first piece of luggage arrived early, one of the first onto the carousel. That’s when the waiting game began—waiting for the second bag. After what seemed like an eternity of watching the luggage carousel spin, it eventually came to a stop with just one bag remaining. Unfortunately, it wasn’t mine.
At this point, my pre-arranged (and prepaid) driver started texting me, saying his waiting time was up, and he’d have to leave soon. Meanwhile, I spotted the remaining bag—similar to mine—and figured there had been a mix-up. I expected the person who grabbed my luggage by mistake would realize their error and return it quickly. No such luck.
This was the moment I hoped my Apple AirTag would prove its worth, especially in a foreign city like Barcelona. I went to the American Airlines lost and found office and explained the situation. I handed them the unclaimed luggage, and they agreed it was odd that no one had come to claim it, even 90 minutes after the carousel had stopped. According to my AirTag, my bag was somewhere in the city, but it hadn’t moved for a while. I was left wondering—had someone stolen it, or was it just abandoned?
To make matters more interesting, I noticed a cruise tag on the unclaimed luggage, and it just so happened to be for the same cruise we were scheduled to take the next day. My mind raced with possibilities. What if my bag was returned too late for me to pick it up? What if it didn’t get recognized until it was already on the ship? I needed to act fast.
American Airlines tried contacting the phone number on the unclaimed bag’s tag, but no one answered. It seemed that the person hadn’t turned their phone on yet. Fortunately, they gave me the name of the passenger, which was a huge help. My next move was to ask my travel agent to contact the cruise line to see if this passenger was staying at a cruise-affiliated hotel. But with the six-hour time difference, that approach fell flat.
Thanks to Google Maps and some sleuthing, I located a couple of hotels near where my AirTag indicated my bag was. With help from the Hilton concierge, we called both hotels and struck gold—our mystery passenger was staying at one of them. Now came the strange part.
The hotel concierge contacted the guest, who had been asleep since our overnight flight. He was adamant that all the luggage in his room was his. That was the end of the conversation—until I decided to handle it in person.
Unfamiliar with the city and unsure what to expect, we took a cab to the hotel. Upon arrival, the hotel clerk—who had been briefed on the situation—agreed to take us to the guest’s room. When we knocked on the door, the man, still groggy and clearly unhappy to be disturbed, insisted again that all the bags in his possession were his.
I asked if I could take a look. He opened the door—wearing just shorts—and his partner was lying in bed half asleep. I stepped inside, pointed to my bag, and explained the mistake. Embarrassed, both he and his partner quickly realized their error. I retrieved my bag and, before leaving, told him where he could find his—back at the airport. After a seven-hour ordeal, we finally returned to our hotel, ready for a swim and a much-needed dinner.
But the story didn’t end there.
As luck would have it, we were on the same cruise as this couple. Over the next few days, we made awkward eye contact a few times. Then, while disembarking in Lisbon, I overheard him telling another passenger the story of the luggage mix-up. Not one to shy away, I jumped in and said, “And that was my bag.” His partner chimed in, saying they had been sharing the story with everyone! Apparently, there were many other passengers who lost luggage on this trip—some never even saw theirs for the entire nine-day cruise.
Thankfully, I had my Apple AirTag, or this story could have had a very different ending.
So, that’s my adventure. We got to explore some unexpected parts of Barcelona, and I’m sticking to it!
Yorumlar