An open and shut case
What’s your worst nightmare?
I’ll tell you mine.
It is landing in Los Angeles airport late on a Sunday evening after 16 hours of travel and to find out that your suitcase has not arrived with you, and in fact according to American Airlines it decided to see Mickey in Orlando instead of coming to LA with me to work.
To know that I have a full day of meetings starting at 9am with clients and potential clients and having no clothes except the shorts, t-shirt and trainers I travelled in or absolutely no toiletries whatsoever.
Then being dropped by a taxi driver in a very seedy looking area to trawl a depressing Target searching for a new wardrobe and bags full of toiletries with a measly amount of allowance American Airlines offered me and in fact will only pay me back once I have spent hours of my time chasing them for it no doubt.
Then standing out like a sore thumb I had to wait 50 minutes for a taxi to take me to my downtown hotel with my phone on it’s last breaths of battery.
Unsurprisingly not really sleeping and being wide awake at 4am.
If only the shops were open!!
Chicago Addick 
I went on holiday to Dominica, via Antigua, and watched from the small plane in St Johns as our bags, and lots of others, arrived air-side and were sent packing (no pun intended) as the hold was full. On arrival in Dominica, had to fill in the forms then be driven to our hotel 40 minutes away, as you were, with just the clothes we were wearing. Out that night, and walking around next day in jeans and shirt (that stunk by then!) until our luggage arrived after lunchtime. Basically, the early plane left without anyone’s luggage and the later plane had the early plane’s luggage, so we just suffered knock on effects and could do nothing about it. No compo either! Now always have clean t-shirt and shorts in the hand luggage just in case…
CA, I’m surprised a seasoned traveler like yourself would end up in such a state and I don’t mean California!! 🙂
I know, in recent years with TSA requirements more and more stringent I have just thrown everything in the checked luggage and take little in my backpack – just enough’ stuff’ for the journey, but as Pedro commented, I may need to review that.