Missing luggage question

General Questions
#1

I arrived at Dublin Airport on Saturday minus my luggage. At lunchtime today an airline representative told me it had just arrived and had been turned over to a delivery company, who supposedly will bring it to my door sometime today - but the delivery company’s number is ex-directory (unlisted) and the airline is not permitted to give it to me.

My question is, is this normal procedure for baggage handling? There seems to me to be something very wrong about the company to whom I have entrusted my luggage turning it over to another company that I have absolutely no way of contacting.

#2

The few times where my luggage was delayed it was the airline that eventually delivered it to me. It wasn’t a courier, a delivery company or anyone else.

Have you visited the airline’s web site? Did you read the fine print?

#3

I’m pretty sure that is pretty typical for airlines nowadays. They contract this out to third parties to save money, just like they cut out meals. The last time it happened to me (thanks Northwest!) I at least got a tracking number so I could follow the progress of my wayward bag so I didn’t feeling completely out of control. Luckily it happened on my homebound leg so I didn’t absolutely need anything in my bag…

#4

Nah, nothing on the website, no automatic tracking or anything. To clarify it isn’t the contracting-out that bothers me, but the fact that I am not able to contact the company that’s holding my luggage. As it happens I got it back (finally) but if I can avoid this in the future by choosing another airline, I would certainly consider doing so.