[atdomd]

On 8/21 we flew from Pensacola, FL to JFK with a layover in Fort Lauderdale.
First, our flight was delayed 1 hour leaving Fort Lauderdale. Upon arrival at JFK, we had no luggage. After waiting in line for 1 1/2 hours to put in a claim I was told that 1 of 2 bags was actually in NY but was brought to storage because we had not picked it up! Our other bag got left behind in Fort Lauderdale and would POSSIBLY arrive the following day. While I was upstairs in line my son was downstairs waiting to see if the luggage would eventually come out. It never did so I'm not sure how we didn't get to "pick it up" and customer service couldn't expalin that either... I was sent over to the next terminal where I waited another hour in line with people from a different flight whose luggage was also missing. Finally I was brought into a back holding room to identify and claim my bag. On my way out of the holding area I noticed a bag in another area that looked like mine. Sure enough it was our missing 2nd bag that I had been told was still in Fort Lauderdale. The agent could not explain how it had arrived there or why it had never been scanned. At this point it was very late, we had traveled all day, waited almost 3 hours to actually get our baggage and I just wanted out of there. We threw the bags in the car and drove home to CT. This morning I noticed that the feet from one of our bags was completely missing and both bags had the steel frames badly dented. When I opened the bag that had mysteryly arrived in NY, it had obviously been gone through and 3 cartons of cigarettes were missing! Of course, Delta takes no responsibility for any of this mess. If my luggage was damaged I had to report it immediately so that an agent could inspect it and what proof did I have that cigarettes had been in my bag. Like I'm going to come home and break up my own luggage and spend the time and hassle reporting 3 cartons of missing cigarettes just for the fun of it! I will never travel with Delata again and seriously doubt that I will chack baggage with any carrier.

[dragonfire6.delta.com]

Delta did you a favor by taking the cigarettes.