Lost and Unclaimed Baggage, a Traveler's Headache

Many of the airline's operations were disrupted. Airline executives blamed the complications on worker absences, while union leaders pegged the difficulties to inadequate staffing in Philadelphia.

According to the department of Transportation, Unclaimed Baggage Center, here's what happens when the baggage is lost

1. The bag is sent to an airline's claims center. A description of the luggage is entered into an electronic tracing system used by the major airlines.

2. The airlines take from 90 to 120 days to track down owners of lost luggage. Airline officials will search the baggage for anything that might offer contact information. In most cases, owners are found and contacted. The luggage is then shipped to the owner or kept at the airport for the customer to pick up.

3. If the owner of a bag is not found, the luggage and its contents are sold to the Unclaimed Baggage Center, a private store in Scottsboro, Ala. The store resells, donates or discards the contents. The company has contracts with most major airlines. The terms are confidential.

4. Passengers whose bags are misplaced, meanwhile, are compensated up to $2,500 by the airlines.

Who are the shoppers at the Unclaimed Baggage Center?

They range from curious travelers to true shoppers and bargain hunters. The center sells at a fraction of the true value of the items. So many people make it a point to travel to Scottsboro to shop. Travelers can find anything at the store. Anything that people buy can get lost and be found at the stores. Most of the airlines and freight companies have contract with Unclaimed Baggage Center. They are confidential contracts. The good news is that Unclaimed Baggage Center does not or smell like Goodwill stores. The clothes are drycleaned to combat smell. The other items are cleaned before they make their way to the display shelves.

If people are traveling, they will lose baggage. Most of them will find their way to Unclaimed Baggage Center. Every year, the holiday travel season starts in earnest right about the Thanksgiving season. It goes all the way to the new year. Some of the items that get lost include clothes, shoes, portable electronics, dresses, wedding dresses, watches, kayak, toys, books and many more. People visit to see what others pack. Visitors have a blast walking through the aisles of the Unclaimed baggage Center. Some losers often make their way to the store, but they have no guarantee they will run into their own items. They will most likely buy others' lost and unclaimed baggage.