Book Review - The Empty Carousel by Scott T. Mueller
Category Book Review
So what happens when you show up at the airport after a flight, and your luggage decided to take a different itinerary? Those are the questions and issues that Scott T. Mueller deals with in his short self-published book The Empty Carousel: A Consumers Guide to Checked and Carry-on Luggage. This is a very quick read that doesn't guarantee you *won't* lose your bags, but you'll be in a much better position to deal with the situation after reading it.
Contents:
Baggage Check-in - Proper Identification; Luggage and Locks; Before You Pack; Luggage Damage - What's Covered? What's Not?; What Thieves Target and When; Domestic vs. International Compensation - What's Covered? What's Not?; Luggage Security at the Carousel; Where Does Luggage Go When It Disappears?; Filing a Luggage Claim with the Airline; Make the Best of Your Travel Experience
Mueller shares his nearly 20 years of experience in the airline industry when it comes to how the luggage handling system works. When it comes to dealing with lost luggage, he's seen it all... including lost cremated remains of husbands and favorite pets. His goal here is to help you pack properly to avoid damage and expedite the process of reconnecting you and your luggage should you become separated. The first couple of chapters are probably familiar to anyone who's traveled a bit. But when you start into the Before You Pack chapter, you start to see things from the "other side" of the desk. You learn what things the airline will not cover in case of loss (it's a larger list than you'd expect). You'll find out that your definition of luggage damage and the airline's definition are probably different (luggage is designed to protect the contents, not to avoid wear and tear). The process for filing claims is more complex than you'd imagine, and the documentation required to prove value of certain items probably doesn't exist (like receipts for that leather jacket!). Knowing all this going in, you can pack appropriately to decrease the chance of irreplaceable loss, while giving yourself a better chance of a happy outcome should the bags take a different vacation than you did.
My only knock on the book is the size. At 80 pages, it's not very long. Add in the fact that the font type is relatively large and the lines are double-spaced, and you're almost dealing with a bound article instead of a book. That's not meant to diminish the value of the information. In fact, it's likely that the size and format will lend itself to actually reading the material at one sitting. Still, you need to keep that in mind so you're not disappointed when a very thin book shows up in your mailbox.
As my wife and I get ready for a vacation, we'll be using the information we learned here to guard against loss. Hopefully we won't have to use it, but better to be informed and prepared.
So what happens when you show up at the airport after a flight, and your luggage decided to take a different itinerary? Those are the questions and issues that Scott T. Mueller deals with in his short self-published book The Empty Carousel: A Consumers Guide to Checked and Carry-on Luggage. This is a very quick read that doesn't guarantee you *won't* lose your bags, but you'll be in a much better position to deal with the situation after reading it.
Contents:
Baggage Check-in - Proper Identification; Luggage and Locks; Before You Pack; Luggage Damage - What's Covered? What's Not?; What Thieves Target and When; Domestic vs. International Compensation - What's Covered? What's Not?; Luggage Security at the Carousel; Where Does Luggage Go When It Disappears?; Filing a Luggage Claim with the Airline; Make the Best of Your Travel Experience
Mueller shares his nearly 20 years of experience in the airline industry when it comes to how the luggage handling system works. When it comes to dealing with lost luggage, he's seen it all... including lost cremated remains of husbands and favorite pets. His goal here is to help you pack properly to avoid damage and expedite the process of reconnecting you and your luggage should you become separated. The first couple of chapters are probably familiar to anyone who's traveled a bit. But when you start into the Before You Pack chapter, you start to see things from the "other side" of the desk. You learn what things the airline will not cover in case of loss (it's a larger list than you'd expect). You'll find out that your definition of luggage damage and the airline's definition are probably different (luggage is designed to protect the contents, not to avoid wear and tear). The process for filing claims is more complex than you'd imagine, and the documentation required to prove value of certain items probably doesn't exist (like receipts for that leather jacket!). Knowing all this going in, you can pack appropriately to decrease the chance of irreplaceable loss, while giving yourself a better chance of a happy outcome should the bags take a different vacation than you did.
My only knock on the book is the size. At 80 pages, it's not very long. Add in the fact that the font type is relatively large and the lines are double-spaced, and you're almost dealing with a bound article instead of a book. That's not meant to diminish the value of the information. In fact, it's likely that the size and format will lend itself to actually reading the material at one sitting. Still, you need to keep that in mind so you're not disappointed when a very thin book shows up in your mailbox.
As my wife and I get ready for a vacation, we'll be using the information we learned here to guard against loss. Hopefully we won't have to use it, but better to be informed and prepared.
| Permalink |
