The Empty Carousel a Consumer's Guide to Checked and Carry-on Luggage

By Scott Mueller

Why do you need The Empty Carouse: A Consumer’s Guide to Checked and Carry-on Luggage? Because it’s a ground breaking resource for anyone who travels and is concerned about lost, delayed, damaged or stolen luggage—and that means just about anyone who gets on a plane these days!

The Empty Carousel was written by an insider who has worked 20 years in the commercial aviation industry. Scott T. Mueller managed 52 cities for baggage services and was the sole decision maker on what to do when vacations, business meetings, family reunions, honeymoons and more were disrupted or ruined because the airline mishandled their luggage.

Scott shares his inside information with you to help prevent you from becoming a luggage statistic. In the event your luggage is mishandled, he tells you what the airlines won’t. Scott provides little-known facts that will empower you to deal with the airline when your luggage is lost, delayed, damaged or stolen. You will be in a position to get back all you deserve and avoid the pitfalls most customers fall into.

The Empty Carousel will provide you with the answers to these questions and so much more:

In the event your baggage is mishandled, did you know you will most likely receive more understanding and help from an airline on your outbound leg of travel than you might on your return travel?

Do you know how much bargaining power you have if your bag is lost on your outbound day of your cruise and the ship leaves before your lost luggage arrives?

Do you know the difference in compensation for mishandled luggage when you travel internationally versus domestic?

Do you know why you should get to the luggage carousel as soon as possible after you deplane?

Did you know that many of the airline baggage personnel you might have to deal with if your luggage is mishandled do not even work directly for the airline you might have flown on?

Do you know what happens if another passenger accidentally picks up your luggage off the luggage carousel and drives home with it, and now you end up with their dirty clothes? Are the airlines responsible for solving this or are you?

Do you know what to do if there is no overhead space left on the airplane when you board and you are forced to check your carry-on luggage?

Do you know who is responsible for items stolen from your carry-on luggage while on board an airplane?

The Empty Carousel provides you with answers to these questions and so much more. You will have the information you need to know now, before you travel. If you find that you have become an unfortunate statistic of airline luggage mishandling, a copy of The Empty Carousel in your carry-on will be as indispensable as travel insurance as it guides you to the solution for your situation.

Many travel guides tell you where to go, what to see, what to do, where to stay and much more. Those books are great provided your luggage arrives when you do. Imagine you take your trip of a lifetime and you arrive but your luggage does not! Your vacation time is ticking away while you are in the early phases of what could prove to be a nightmare instead of a vacation. The frustration, anger, and anxiety have begun. How will your lost luggage claim end?

The Empty Carousel was written for you, to be your luggage guide before, during, and after you travel. A small investment in becoming an informed expert yourself can save you thousands of dollars in losses if you face these problems, and tens of millions of people face lost luggage claims every year.

I wish you safe and happy travels wherever your trip may take you.

Thank you!

Scott

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scott Mueller
• Release date: Feb 23, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452413105

Scott Mueller

About the AuthorMy name is Scott T. Mueller. I was born and raised in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, where I lived most of my life. I grew up riding dirt bikes, and my family and I did a great deal of canoeing and camping with our friends and relatives. I was on the swim team from the age of five, and also loved to explore, ski, bicycle ride, ice skate, water ski, and roller skate. These were all a major part of my life as a teenager. I backpacked Glacier National Park in Montana with my brother and two of his friends for a week when I was 15 years old. I also did three one week trips to the Boundary Waters National Canoe Area. I love all things water and nature and aspire to spend as much of my time these days enjoying both.I moved to the Orlando, Florida area in 2003, where I can now enjoy doing the things I like year-round. My hobbies, besides writing and promoting The Empty Carousel and helping air travelers to this day, are kayaking the beautiful rivers of Florida, snorkeling, hunting for fossils, camping and the War Between the States. I even became a Civil War re-enactor for a number of years. I participated in many Civil War events in my home state of Wisconsin, and I attended three National Events: the 135th anniversary re-enactment battles of Shiloh, Tennessee; Antietam, Maryland; and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I like people, and helping people has been a passion of mine for years. I believe in the Golden Rule, which is to treat others the way I want to be treated, and this is how I live my life. It serves as my work philosophy as well, when managing others or taking care of my customers. I want to make a difference and found a way to do so by writing The Empty Carousel in the hope that it will help you, the air traveler.I am a single father of three wonderful children, two daughters and a son. I cherish the memories of taking my children to the apple orchards, pumpkin farms, sledding, snowmobiling, hiking and the many camping trips to Door County, Wisconsin for Fall Festival in Sister Bay. We battled food-robbing raccoons at night, but we had a wonderful time together. My children are all older now and are coming into their own as young adults. Ah, I miss the good old days, but I am equally fond of seeing my children begin to live their lives and continue to grow as they mature.I began working in commercial aviation in 1990 and have worked in the airline industry for two decades, holding many positions over the years. One of the most difficult yet most rewarding positions I held was the system manager of baggage services for five years. When I started in this position, dubbed by many as the "worst job in the company," I knew this position would not be easy. Mishandling customers’ luggage equates to people, and people are those who suffer when a bag is lost, damaged, delayed, or pilfered. Sometimes the consequences are quite damaging, and sometimes permanent and irreversible.As the manager of baggage services, I was passionate about my customers’ losses. I drove to their homes to deliver delayed luggage or help someone fill out the claim form. I took care of my customers’ problems on weekends, holidays, and while on vacation; I even gave out my home telephone number to many of my customers if the situation warranted. To live by the Golden Rule, one must apply the principles and meaning of the Golden Rule and this is what made me successful in a very difficult position.My goal now is to educate domestic and international passengers to become proactive in protecting their valuable possessions when they travel. Everyone benefits if the customer does: you, the airlines, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). An informed decision about your possessions can take the anxiety and pain out of your travel experience.

Book preview

The Empty Carousel

A Consumer’s Guide to Checked and Carry-on Luggage

By Scott T. Mueller

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 Scott Mueller

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

What does your luggage mean to you? How important are its contents? What would the loss, damage, pilferage, delay, or theft of your luggage cost you? Ever wonder what happens after you check your luggage? Do you know what your rights are and how you can protect yourself?

Education equals knowledge, which in turn equals protection! Read on so you don’t become another statistic in the uncertain world of checked and carry-on luggage!

EDUCATE AND PROTECT YOURSELF

Millkot Publishing and Marketing

5442 Jean Drive

Orlando, FL 32822-2084

ISBN: 978-1-4524-1310-5

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the thousands of customers I have helped over the years while I managed system baggage services for more than 50 cities in the United States. I will keep the identity of my airline company anonymous.

You, the air travel customers, are responsible for my decision to write this book. I recognized and understood the once-in-a-lifetime vacation that was ruined, the million-dollar business presentation that was lost, the medication that couldn’t be found when you needed it, the wedding ring your grandmother gave you that was lost or stolen, and the many other pains suffered due to damage, delay, loss, or pilferage.

I would like to thank Jim Uhing Graphic Design for the cover design and text formatting of this book. Jim’s patience, expertise, and professionalism have played a huge role in helping to make this book the best it could be.

I would also like to thank Stephen Evans, the freelance editor, for his razor-sharp editing skills, professionalism, and ability to meet tight timelines for the completion of this book. Stephen’s talents equally helped to make this book the best it could be.

In addition, I would like to thank my children for believing in me and for encouraging me to write this book, and my family and friends for believing in me and in my ability to make a difference.

Preface

I have worked in the airline industry for almost two decades and have held many positions with an airline that has won numerous awards, including Best Domestic Airline. This airline is not a dominant carrier in the domestic or international market, but it is large enough to win notable awards from magazines such as Condé Nast, Travel and Leisure, and others.

I was the system manager of baggage services for this carrier for five years. When I started in this position, this airline mishandled four bags per 1000 customers: relatively large numbers for this airline, but average for domestic carriers according to the Department of Transportation, who publishes these statistics on the Air Travel Consumer Home Page.

When I left the position, dubbed by many as the worst job in the company, the average number of mishandled bags had dropped to record low numbers of less than two bags mishandled per 1000 passengers. The airline boasted its status as number one domestic airline for least baggage mishandles with related costs that were cut in half.

These two per 1000 mishandled bags, however,