US$1000 Reward offered for lost bag containing unique kite prototype.
A bag (see photo) containing the scale prototype (see photo) for the next Guinness record biggest kite (to be in the shape of a sting ray,) was lost
during a sequence of flights starting with NZ548, from Christchurch New Zealand on the 12 August '10, connecting to NZ2 from Auckland to London
Heathrow (via Los Angeles) and terminating with LHLH4793 in Hamburg, Germany on the 13th August. The tag number of the missing bag is NZ049157
Tracking information from Lufthansa and Air NZ suggest that the disappearance most likely occurred at Heathrow, with an unrecorded offloading at Los
Angeles or subsequent movement after Heathrow as lesser possibilities. It's probable that the baggage label and bar code tag have come off (or else,
after 2 months, it should by now have been located).
This kite prototype is unique and it's dimensions were not recorded. Construction of the mega version needs to begin very soon now if it is to be
completed in time for the contracted launch date.
The offered reward is available until the 7th November '10 to any person who returns this kite in satisfactory condition to Peter Lynn Kites Ltd
(shipping back to NZ from wherever it is located can be arranged).
Contact; Jenny Cook at Peter Lynn Kites Ltd, 105 Alford Forest Rd, Ashburton, New Zealand. +64 3 308 0030,
kitefactory AT peterlynnkites DOT comBladerunner - 6-10-2010 at 04:11 PM
Have you checked to see if Jonesband1998 has a knock off ? :DWELDNGOD - 6-10-2010 at 04:14 PM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
sorry RipKamikuza - 6-10-2010 at 05:11 PM
You've got to be kidding ...! Maven454 - 7-10-2010 at 03:00 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by ripsessionkites
REWARD for miss kite
What about Mr Kite, is there a reward for him?LunchLadiesMan - 7-10-2010 at 05:07 AM
Looks legit to me.
Check out http://www.peterlynnkites.com/ as I believe that is where it was originally posted.rocfighter - 7-10-2010 at 11:43 AM
Well I would not have tought Rip would bluff us on this. But it could have been our friend I suppose.awindofchange - 7-10-2010 at 03:13 PM
No bluff, this is a true story and the package was lost by the airlines. Peter Lynn would love to get the kite(s) back as he has tremendous amounts
of money and time tied up in them.
If you know of anyone - or anyway that lost packages / things can be acquired from the airlines - or know of some way to locate the packages it would
be a great thing for the kiting industry.
Susan (npw goddess)mdntdncr - 7-10-2010 at 09:25 PM
ahhh . . . pray tell, pleaseripsessionkites - 15-10-2010 at 11:38 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by kitemaker4
The kite has been found.
Susan (npw goddess)
your post was on 10-7
i just got an email from Peter on 10-13 still pissed off.
yep its no joke, he was talking about it when I visited PL NL.kitemaker4 - 28-10-2010 at 05:44 AM
I was told that the kite was found by Gomberg. I have not heard anything else.
Susan (npw goddess)ripsessionkites - 4-11-2010 at 01:01 AM
During June and July, Peter Lynn kites Ltd made a 20kgm prototype to test and refine a design for the next world’s largest kite (a ray which will be
nearly 70m wingspan, 1250sq.m and weigh 200kgms).
In last month’s newsletter I described how the bag containing this prototype went missing while I was flying from New Zealand to Germany in early
August and my subsequent attempts to locate it- and Lufthansa’s apparent determination to obstruct these attempts.
They wouldn’t accept a photo of the bag and its contents to help with identification until after they’d declared it completely lost and were
attempting to pay out nominal compensation in lieu, and for nearly a month refused repeated requests for tracking information so that I could initiate
independent searches.
In that newsletter, I made a plea for ideas to help the search- and later, on the 4th October- offered a reward of US$1000 for information leading to
its recovery.
Which drew an immediate response, convincing me for a while that the kite would soon be returned.
David Gomberg asked his contacts within United Airlines (a Lufthansa Star Alliance partner airline) to trace the lost bag by their system and they
replied on the 6th Oct that it had (as Air NZ also believed) gone missing at Heathrow on the 12th August. But they were also able to tell us that it
had then gone to Brazil, from where it was returned to Lufthansa at Frankfurt on the 30 August by Tam Air flight JJ8070 with tag JJ 072806, referenced
to my name and original tag (NZ049157).
Greatly excited, I immediately passed this information on to Lufthansa.
Unfortunately Lufthansa’s typically terse response (8th Oct.) was just that this new information “---has not produced a positive result.” Continual
requests to Lufthansa for more information eventually yielded an unconvincing; “---it was not your kite” statement and a copy of the original four
line response from Heinz Aurich at Lufthansa/Frankfurt Central Baggage Tracing of the 7th Oct which didn’t shed any more light but did finish with:
“We suggest passenger to use CARGO next time” . If Lufthansa don’t trust their checked baggage system, they should inform intending passengers of
this before we buy our tickets.
I’d guess that Lufthansa‘s earlier obstructive behaviour was driven by nothing more than avoiding time consuming correspondence that was going to cost
more than just paying out the nominal ticket specified maximum liability. But in their unwillingness to respond to questions about the trace provided
by United Airlines via David Gomberg, I’m suspicious that they are now hiding something.
Perhaps just that they couldn’t be bothered to check out this new lead, or perhaps by October, they’d dumped the August records that would have
enabled them to check it out one way or the other, or perhaps they found out that it was returned to them as stated by UA and that they‘d then lost it
again. Click here to see the kite Lost in Space.
Whichever, I’ve not now able to get them to answer even simple questions about this. Lufthansa are only communicative when trying to get me to settle
for their nominal offer so they can close the file.
I expect I’m also off their xmas card list.
Unfortunately, the new hope that David bought to the table caused us to delay the commencement of a replacement prototype for another few weeks- but
we’ve now re-jigged everyone’s travel plans around the December/January period so that the original launch date (late Feb ‘11) should still be
achievable- providing that the basic design proves sound- which will be a check on whether I really do know anything much about why kites fly I
suppose.
And the time I’ve put into trying to prise information out of Lufthansa could have been more productively spent- but I’ll just add this to the bill
they’ll be getting.
Fortunately there have also been some positives;
I’ve learnt useful things about airline baggage systems.
Apparently, some airlines, including Lufthansa, only scan bags at check-in and final destination. So if a bag disappears in the middle of a journey,
they make calming noises and hope it gets found somewhere and returned to them. Other airlines scan bags every time they are handled, so have more
complete records- including for any Lufthansa bags they happen to be carrying.
Airlines don’t want to lose bags- it’s expensive for them and not good for customer relations. But when they really do lose (rather than temporarily
mislay) a bag, the effort they will put into finding it is balanced against their maximum liability for declaring a total loss, specified in
ticketing conditions and usually about Euro 1200. But this limited liability does not excuse negligence. Airlines, as for every business (and every
individual) have a ‘duty of care’ with respect to other people’s property. If they cause loss or damage by reckless or negligent actions then they
become liable for the full cost.
Bags rarely if ever disappear completely. Some accessible data base somewhere knows where they are, and even if their bar code and name tag are lost,
forensic examination can identify the owner- if knowing this is important enough (like if you’re a terrorist).
For blameless citizens like you and me though, it can be cheaper for them to pay out the Euro 1200 than to go looking.
The special situation with this kite was that, like for a violin soloist travelling to do a concert, insurance could cover the amount the violin’s
value exceeds the airline’s liability limit, but the reputational and direct costs of having to cancel the concert are a different matter.
So next time I lose something important, I’m going to turn into a mad dog click hear to see a video and bite someone straight away- rather than
waiting politely for a week or so to see if it turns up by itself and starting to bark only when it doesn’t.
I expect that if I’d had tracing information from the first day and agitated enough to get someone within the Star Alliance network to actively engage
with this, then the kite would have been found.
Also positively, I’ve discovered a real friend in Air NZ- which is a bit embarrassing as (after 20 years) I’d just moved my frequent flier membership
from them to Singapore Airlines (also a Star Alliance airline).
In complete contrast to Lufthansa, Air NZ could not have been more friendly and helpful during this saga. Not that their efforts have been any more
successful though, but in fairness, I didn’t ask for their help until it was probably already too late.
Unsolicited, they’ve now re-elevated me to Air NZ Gold Card status and given me a bunch of air miles. Their CEO (Rob Fyfe) has been in personal
contact offering sympathy and help a number of times
Perhaps this is their way of apologising for the surly behaviour of their sister airline.
Thanks everyone for your support and suggestions, thanks also to Paul Reynolds for the morphing videos.
