Qantas QF489 take 4

Starting to feel confident, I stride trough the arrival hall, down the escalator to where the corporate car pick up area is, and I see a sign with "Wayne Mansfield" held aloft. I acknowledge the driver who comes over and says, hello Wayne, I'm Adam.

Something is going right...

So Adam and I go over to the luggage carousel and wait for the luggage. Here comes all the priority luggage... but none of mine. Oh well, that doesn't mean too much, after all everybody now qualifies for the orange tag, don't they.

After another 15 minutes another lot of luggage appears through the curtains, and I eye my luggage but... hang on... didn't I have 5 pieces, the ones I had to pay extra the $44 for? Well just 4 pieces came through. And the case which didn't arrive has the workbooks for my seminars in the morning.

So, over t0 the Baggage counter I go and I meet, at some ungodly hour, the first really pleasant person from Qantas today... Tracey.

"Mr Mansfield, the computer doesn't show that your luggage is lost, so there is a good chance it will be on the next flight, and we will get it to you about 9am tomorrow."

I explain to Tracey that 9am will be too late as the sessions start at 8.30.

"Well Mr Mansfield, I am on until midnight. I will check if your bag arrives, and make sure it gets on the 6.30 courier to the city. I will ring you and update you on when the bag arrives."

"Tracey," I quietly plead, "What if it isn't there?"

"Mr Mansfield," she says, "I promise that I will phone you before I go home and update you..."

With nothing more to say, and nothing more to be done, I go with Adam and he takes me to the city where I go to the room and collapse in front of the TV.

I look at my watch and it has gone to 20 past midnight and I think... "Well that is par for the course today, and Tracey was such a nice girl."

And my mobile bursts into life... "Mr Mansfield, this is Tracey. Unfortunately your bag hasn't arrived and there are no more planes tonight. I am going home now. I am sorry that I could be more helpful. I have found a priority number for you to call tomorrow to track the whereabouts of your bag. If you still need some help, I will be in about 1.30pm tomorrow. Have a pleasant rest of your evening."

That phone call is the highlight of my trip and it restores my belief that some really god people are still in the Qantas system. THANK YOU TRACEY!