Woman says DC United Airlines flight took away her carry on luggage as check-in. Then began the nightmare she had strived to avoid

A traveler says a simple trip from Texas to Belgium turned into a series of headaches after a gate attendant took her carry-on bag before a United Airlines flight, only for it to disappear. TikTok creator Riss (@riss.net) shared the experience in an August 2026 video that has drawn nearly 50,000 views.

She said she intentionally packed only a carry-on to avoid the possibility of lost luggage during her journey. According to Riss, she flew from Houston to Washington, D.C., before boarding a connecting United flight to Brussels. As passengers boarded, she said a flight attendant informed her there was no more room in the overhead bins and took her suitcase to check it.

Riss said she agreed but never received a baggage tag or tracking information for the bag. When she arrived in Belgium, she said the suitcase never appeared. “Lo and behold, surprise to no one,” Riss said. “My luggage is not there.”

The mystery of the missing baggage tag number

Riss said airport staff in Brussels initially told her the suitcase should arrive on the next day’s flight. Inside the suitcase, she said, were all of her jewelry, makeup, skincare products, and clothing for a music festival.

However, when she returned to the airport, she said the bag was still missing. According to Riss, airline employees told her someone created a baggage tag number for the suitcase and then deleted it six minutes later, leaving no tracking record. She said employees told her the only remaining option was to identify the suitcase by its appearance.

Despite the setback, Riss said she purchased inexpensive replacement clothes and makeup so she could enjoy the remainder of her two-day trip. However, the return journey presented more problems. Riss said her flight from Brussels to Chicago diverted to Chicago Rockford International Airport due to severe weather near O’Hare International Airport.

After waiting several hours, the aircraft eventually reached Chicago, but she said she had already missed her connecting flight to Houston. She said she spent about 10 hours at O’Hare as delays and cancellations continued to disrupt flights.

From lost luggage to crew “duty time limit”

After boarding what she believed would be the last flight to Houston that night, Riss said the crew announced they had reached their legal duty time limit. Federal safety regulations limit the number of hours pilots and flight attendants can remain on duty before they must stop working. She said the airline ultimately canceled the flight.

Riss said she could not find an available airport hotel after calling 17 and eventually booked a room at The Hoxton Chicago for $750. She did not feel comfortable spending the night inside the airport.

She also claimed United told her employees believed the missing suitcase “might have been stolen by an employee” because of the deleted baggage tag, though Riss said the airline also told her it did not know where the bag was. Riss ultimately purchased additional tickets on other airlines.

She said Southwest Airlines got her home a day later than originally planned. She concluded the video by advising travelers to place tracking devices in carry-on luggage.