An American flew from Costa Rica to Miami just to retrieve his beached bag, which he said contained thousands of dollars worth of drone gear.

• Robert Gentel flew from Costa Rica to Miami simply to retrieve his stranded baggage.

• The bag obtained caught in Miami after her flight was canceled in June.

• The aviation trade faces a messy summer time journey season with flight delays and chaos.

An American flew from Costa Rica to Miami simply to gather his baggage after his baggage had been mistracked.

Robert Gentel, a drone racing fanatic who lives in Costa Rica, informed Insider the difficulty began on June 15. He needed to fly from his mother and father’ home in San Antonio, Texas, to return house to Santa Ana, Costa Rica, to have fun his birthday. He booked a first-class seat on American Airways with a layover in Miami.

He checked two baggage for the flight. Gentel informed Insider the baggage contained 1000’s of {dollars} value of drone gear, as he competed within the 2022 MultiGP Worldwide Open drone race in Indiana from June 8 to June 12.

Nevertheless, after checking his baggage, his flight to Miami was canceled resulting from a upkeep situation, he stated. The airline booked him on United Airways flights to Houston after which to Costa Rica on June 16.

“I got here again to the airport the subsequent day and checked with the US workplace about my baggage, and was informed every part was high quality and the baggage was already on its method,” he stated. informed Insider on Twitter.

However Gentel later came upon they weren’t. He had positioned Apple AirTags in checked baggage and seen them heading in the direction of Miami.

Gentel traveled to Costa Rica for his birthday on June 16, however spent the day texting American and United about his baggage as he was bounced round from division to division. Insider reviewed a number of the discussions he had with the airways.

One among Gentel’s two baggage was despatched to Costa Rica after a number of days, however the different – primarily based on its AirTags location – was nonetheless caught in Miami, he stated.

“With every passing day, I used to be an increasing number of anxious that the baggage wouldn’t attain me and find yourself being misplaced for good,” he informed Insider.

The story continues

Reserving a brand new flight

After days of no decision, he determined to fly from Costa Rica to Miami on June 20 to gather the bag himself.

As soon as in Miami, he stated he gave his baggage tag to the individual within the storage room. “The man in search of it within the storage room stated it wasn’t on the rack it was alleged to be on, so I used the AirTag to find it on the rack subsequent to it,” a- he added.

This time, he stated, he unpacked all of the issues he “” in and took them on the aircraft house.

Gentel stated he booked most flights with bank card factors. Insider checked his flight particulars for the three flights concerned within the multi-day baggage trial. He contacted Insider along with his story after studying {that a} passenger in Eire had bought a aircraft ticket to Dublin airport to seek for his misplaced bag.

A summer time of journey chaos

Gentel’s expertise comes amid a messy summer time journey season with flight delays, misplaced baggage and disruptions as demand has returned to pre-pandemic ranges. The chaos started on Memorial Day weekend and is now notably pronounced in Europe. Airways are going through a number of issues, together with employees shortages, absences as a result of ongoing pandemic and dangerous climate.

Whereas the method to get his bag again was time-consuming and cumbersome — he says neither American nor United supplied compensation for the problem — Gentel stated he was simply “extraordinarily relieved” to get his gear again. There would even be “loads of draw back to changing my key drone racing gear like my goggles and controller,” Gentel added.

American Airways didn’t reply to Insider’s request for remark.

“We’re dedicated to delivering baggage to clients’ last locations on time, and once we miss the mark, we work onerous to attach clients with their baggage as shortly as potential,” a United Airways consultant informed Insider.

Gentel is already enthusiastic about what to do the subsequent time he travels with extra gear than he’s allowed to hold.

“I lately thought of reserving a ticket for a pal on flights so I may have additional carry-on baggage and keep away from checking in costly gear,” he stated.

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