Have You Seen This Bag?

MISSING

Three pieces of luggage, including two black suitcases and a black "MEC" brand duffel bag, similar to those pictured at right. These bags were last seen in the company of a United Airlines official at the Salt Lake International Airport, who scanned them and (presumably) sent them along to their destination (Ottawa, Canada).

Airline authorities were immediately contacted, and reassured the beleaguered owners that 95 percent of all "delayed" luggage is returned within 24 hours. However, with 60 minutes remaining before the expiration of the 24-hour mark, hope had begun to fade.

The owners were also referred to an online tracking service, which should detail the whereabouts of the misdirected bags. This service has brought no comfort:

The owners were given a toll-free number which they could use to make inquiries. The automated system spat out the the same info as above, verbatim. After choosing the option to speak to an agent, the owners were informed that the transfer was unsuccessful, and that they should try calling back later.

For supplementary horror stories about baggage, please refer to this traveler's posting and this news article.