Dude, Where's My Luggage?

By: Sam | September 26, 2007 | Category: Travel

Rounding out the fab five is me, Sam, your Wednesday blogger.  Since this is my first post, I wanted to start off by talking about one of my favorite topics....travel!

Who hasn't at one time had the unfortunate realization that your bag with the easily identifiable ribbon has not joined you at your final destination?  Simply put—it's not fun.  (Who can survive with only one pair of shoes?)  And if you flew in 2006, there's probably a good chance you said "Dude, where's my luggage?"  Lost Luggage

According to the 2007 Airline Quality Rating report, for every 1,000 passengers, 6.5 bags were lost, stolen, or damaged in 2006.  So, what's a jet-setter to do?

Delayed or Damaged Bags

ConsumerAction.gov offers these tips:

1.  File a report with the airline before you leave the airport.

2.  Some airlines give you money to purchase a few necessities.  If they don't give you cash, ask what types of articles are reimbursable, and keep all receipts.

3. Ask if the airline will deliver your bags free of charge once they arrive at the right airport.

Lost Bags

If your bag is declared officially lost, first, take a moment of silence to mourn for your lost items and then submit a second, more detailed form within a time period set by the airline.  The information on the form is used to estimate the value of your belongings.  The most an airline will have to pay, according to the Department of Transportation, is $3,000 for domestic flights and about $1,000 for international.

Here's wishing you safe, hassle-free (fingers-crossed) travels this fall!

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Commence Gabbing

By: Nancy | September 20, 2007 | Category: General

computer key labeled "blog"

I wish you could feel the energy around our office this week. It’s been a long time in the works and we’re so happy to be blogging!

Gov Gab comes to you from the U.S. General Services Administration, where the blog team’s “day jobs” all involve making it easier for people to find government-related information online through sites like USA.gov, Pueblo.gsa.gov and ConsumerAction.gov, and by phone via 1 (800) FED-INFO.

When we began thinking about creating this group blog, we didn’t realize how much would need to go into it, before writing a single word for you to read. Refining the blog’s focus, choosing software, layout and graphics, and even finding a name that worked for everybody took lots of teamwork and creativity. And it was really worth it.

So why are we entering the fray of millions and millions of blogs worldwide competing for your attention, and joining the growing list of federal agencies that are blogging? Well, we’re constantly surprised by the breadth of federal, state and local government resources that we come across in our jobs and end up using in our everyday lives. And by blogging, we can share those fantastic finds, tips and information with you on a more personal level, to help you make your own life a little easier.

I’ll see you back here every Thursday. And I know you’ll get a kick out of getting to know my blogger friends between now and then. Hope you’ll stop by every weekday to read, join in the conversation and enjoy the latest from Gov Gab.

| Comments [6] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: blogging   consumeraction.gov   gsa   nancy   pueblo.gsa.gov   usa.gov