Road Junky has a feature up on the world’s 10 Worst Cities to Travel To. Instead of telling you who made the list (you’ll have to click through for that), I’ll tell you who didn’t. In the introduction to the story, the writer apologizes to Warsaw, San Salvador and Delhi. For better or for worse, these cities did not make the list. Some surprising ones did. In fact, you may be living in one of them right now (enter scary wind chime music in the background). Read on. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Expedia is offering 25 percent off on last-minute spring getaways of 3 nights or more to the Golden State. To get the discount, book my May 2 and travel by May 31, 2007. A sampling of the deals:

Air + Hotel (three nights):

Sofitel Los Angeles - from $662

Argonaut Hotel San Francisco (pictured) - from $560

Sir Francis Drake Hotel San Francisco - from $392

Loews Coronado Bay - from $457

Expedia California Spring Sale

In response to my lost luggage saga, one reader wrote in with this helpful tip: Put your contact details on an index card and pack inside every bag. That way, the airline will have some way to identify your bag even if your exterior luggage tags come off your bags in transit.

Thanks kath!

Yes, yes, yes. Today just got a little bit brighter. After five days on the lam, my bag has finally decided to pop up at San Francisco International Airport, where it has apparently been since April 15. It’s interesting that no one found it during the 1.5 days it was sitting at the airport, BUT I’m not going to dwell on that. At least I’m getting my clothes back! Let me tell you, a girl separated from her favorite pair of jeans is an unhappy traveler indeed.

My advice to anyone with bags that have been lost (or “delayed” as the airlines like to delicately put it): ask the agents to check the “unidentified bags” list. This is the list that airport personnel use to note any bags they cannot match up with passengers who have filed “property irregularity” reports.

This morning, I was rerouted to the Central Baggage Service, which is the service at American Airlines that starts the claims process - a lengthy, vague process involving forms sent by mail (no email option). ‘Nuff said. The agent I was talking to was about ready to send me off into the ether when I asked her to check the unidentified bags list at Chicago and San Francisco airports. And whaddya know? She found my bag. Praise Jesus.

Here endeth the rant!

I’ve blogged before about luxury camping at California destinations like Costanoa Coastal Lodge and Camp, where guests can camp in a gorgeous outdoor setting with luxuries like steam rooms, fireplaces, wi-fi and gourmet meals just steps away. Now there’s a newcomer to the California luxury camping scene: The Sequoia High Sierra Camp in California’s Sequoia National Park. Guests can either drive most of the way into the camp and hike one mile to the actual site or approach it like a backcountry adventure with a 11-mile hike in. Once there, the camp’s 36 canvas bungalows offer perks like pillow-top mattresses, reading lanterns, coffeemakers and daily maid service. Of course, there’s still a rustic element: campers have to walk to the shared bathroom facilities. But it doesn’t get rougher than that. The bathrooms offer towels, toiletries and dressing rooms. The $250/person per night rate does sound a bit steep, but at least it includes three gourmet meals each day - one being a “pack your own” picnic lunch. That means way more room in your pack for fun stuff. Like wine! Or extra camera equipment to photograph the 2 million acres of wilderness that surrounds the camp. Reservations are now being accepted for the summer season, which runs June 15-October 7, 2007.

I learned another tip for anyone trying to locate a bag lost by American Airlines. There is a list of unidentified bags that the agents at the 800-535-5225 (dial 3 to reach an agent immediately) number have access to, and they can check it when your bag does not appear in the system. That said, I called three times today, and the third agent was the first one to mention this list to me and offer to check it. The first two agents I spoke with said there was absolutely nothing they could do to help me. Even though the third woman I spoke with could not find my bag on a list of 200+ unidentified bags, I appreciated her willingness to help. It was more than the other folks I’ve spoken with have been willing to do.

Starting tomorrow, my bag will have been lost for five consecutive days. According to American Airlines’ fine print regarding lost and delayed luggage, bags lost for five days or more will be handled by Central Baggage Service (which you’d think would be the entity trying to find it in the first place). I’ll have to submit a Property Questionaire that will apparently be mailed to me within 10 days of my return to San Francisco. I’ll have to list my bag’s contents, including brand names, medication, electronic items and any other identifying details I can think of. Only after I do this will the airline “begin the intensified search.”

I have asked American Airlines to comment on the situation, to correct anything I may have misunderstood about the process and to offer advice to other travelers in this situation. Thus far, they have not responded to my request for comment.

Has it really come to this? My bag has been lost since THURSDAY night, and no one at American Airlines (not airport baggage office personnel or customer service reps) can tell me where it is. There is no record of the bag after it was checked in at San Francisco International on Thursday night at 10:23 pm (and it was like pulling teeth to get them to admit that).

I’m more than willing to accept the fact that lost bags happen. But the idea that no one at American Airlines has scanned my bag in over 72 hours is mind-boggling to me, as is the fact that they’ve only offered me a paltry $25 in compensation - and I had to purchase new clothes and toiletries to attend a wedding due to the bag’s delay.

In today’s world, I refuse to accept the idea that a major company cannot keep track of objects entrusted to its care. In the last five years, I have not had one incident of lost parcels sent through the USPS, UPS or Fed-Ex. Why, then, can’t an airline get it right? Or at least close to right?

While most companies in the United States can track packages and provide acceptable customer service in unusual circumstances like this one, it seems very un-American to me that American Airlines cannot provide even basic information on my bag’s whereabouts. At this point, I don’t even care when I get it back, I just want to know where it is. Even if it’s in Haiti.

This is not meant to be a pot-shot at American Airlines, but one frequent traveler’s consternation at what I view as unacceptable business and customer service practices that deserve to be addressed. Travelers deserve more than this from the airlines to which they entrust their lives and belongings.

Visiting Canada from the U.S.? Avis’s Early Bird Promotion gives customers $30 off on rentals of five days or more.

File this under offbeat travel: nuclear tourism. Yup. This is from a few weeks back, but I ran across it again today in my del.icio.us bookmarks and remembered that I wanted to post it. Just proves that, no matter what you’re into, there’s probably some sort of travel destination that caters to it.

Nuclear Tourism: It’s Hot

I learned an interesting little thing while flying from San Francisco to Richmond, Va this weekend. Sometimes switching from American Airlines to American Eagle (regional carrier that operated the Chicago to Richmond leg of the flight), results in wayward bags. My bag has been lost since Friday morning at 8am, and the airline still cannot even tell me where it is - despite the fact that I was able to give them my baggage claim ticket. I left San Francisco on Thursday at 1:30 am on a red eye, and the bag has not been scanned since! Crazy!

But getting a live human being on American Airlines’ 800 number for lost baggage is not easy. My husband (whose bag thankfully did arrive) discovered this trick today, and I thought I’d share it with you should you also find yourself five hours from attending someone’s wedding and lacking a cocktail dress, shoes, shampoo, makeup, jewelry and both of your coats.

Speak gibberish!

It’s that easy. Start seaking nonsense into the phone, and you will magically be forwarded to a human.