Air Canada and Luggage

[Cookie002]

Hello friends

 

I want to let you know that Air Canada is having a real issue with losing vast quantities of luggage. My suitcase made it to Rome, but my friends did not. Also, about 100 other people on the same flight lost their luggage.

 

Worse, it’s been three days and still no luggage, and we are about to cruise this Thursday. It is impossible to get a hold of anyone at lost luggage in Rome, although they gave us a phone number and an email. The phone is always busy, and no response when we email.

 

someone at our hotel on a different flight got their luggage lost, and it has not been recovered. There appears to be some major internal problems for air Canada.

 

I am telling you this because I want to warn everyone to pack a major carryonbag with all your essentials (my friend did not) and or mix and match families clothing so everyone has some stuff if you get at least one bag.

 

Also, you know how before a flight they ask anyone willing to tag their carryon bag and allow air Canada to stow it for them because the flight is full and there is no room for everyone’s carryon on the upper bins in the airplane? DO NOT DO THIS. Several people on our flight lost that bag as well! Never made it on the freaking plane! People were seriously screwed.

 

So, if you are flying air Canada, be careful. If you are thinking about flying air Canada, I would choose differently. 

[Fouremco]

Baggage handling is a shared responsibility between the airport authority and the airline. That applies to both departing and arriving flights. When you check in and the airline employee takes your checked bag and places it on the moving belt, responsibility for the luggage rests with the airport until contracted employees of the airline are given access to it to load on their little baggage trailers and drive them to the plane to load them. From what I've read, the majority of bags that go missing do so in the bowels of the airport, where they end up being misdirected. The fact that over 100 people on the same flight didn't receive their bags suggests that the fault may well lie with the airport authority, not Air Canada. I don't know which airport you flew from, but it seems that there are multiple issues at the major airports that aren't the fault of the airlines, although they often get the blame.

 

That said, there is no excuse for the lack of communication from Air Canada. In the event that the contact information you have differs from that on the website, I'm providing the following:

 

I agree completely with your comments on taking essentials in your carry on, mixing family clothes and not volunteering to have your carry on checked.

 

Wishing you the best of luck getting your lost bags back today!

 

 

 

 

 

[14Canadian]

Air Canada is notorious for this announcement at all departure gates at all airports to hand in carryons. So please ignore the announcement and hold on to your carryons. Safe flights everyone.

[dawnvip]

Sorry to hear about the lost luggage! Which airport did the flight depart from? YYZ?

 

Fouremco is right, once tagged and handed off when checking in, the luggage goes to the great conveyor belt maze underneath the airport. And it is the airport authority employees who are directing the luggage to the appropriate container or cart for loading onto the aircraft. Sounds to me like a container-full of luggage was mis-directed or never made it onto the aircraft.

 

I am surprised that the gate check luggage was also lost because, unlike the regular checked luggage that get put into containers and loaded into the cargo hold, gate check goes down the stairs and right into the hold. 

 

The only consolation I can mention is that this has happened to DH and I TWICE when flying to a cruiseport. Both cruise lines were awesome, provided essentials and OBC to purchase some clothes. Norweigan even provided a free tux for DH. Neither cruise was responsible for the lost luggage, but they helped A LOT with airline communications. As soon as you board, go to guest services and they will help.   

[dawnvip]

First and only time DH has been seen in a tuxedo!

 

[Cookie002]

Thank you for letting us know that the Cruiseship may help us. We will ask at guest services if there is anything they can do.

 

It is true that baggage handling is responsible for the checked baggage to get to the plane. However, I am not lying about the carryon baggage that was requested to be checked (the ones that you leave by the plane door because Air Canada tells you the overhead compartments will be too full). We stood in a two hour line at the airport in Rome to file the missing luggage claim, and we got to know peoples stories. How is that even possible to not load onto the plane? This happened, so I want to warn my fellow cc members. 

 

The airport we flew out of was Toronto. It was last Saturday night, (big storm that night). We have been in Rome 4 days, you would think that they could have got that luggage caught up to us. We have been in contact with AC since my last post, and we’re told it’s on plane ,will arrive tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and it’s not here. Get the same story again, and again it does not show up. Today we can’t risk it anymore, we have to get her some stuff. My shoes fit her but nothing else.

 

I will tell you that my friend is taking this with great attitude. We have had a lot of fun in Rome, being hopeful that her baggage would arrive. But today we are going to find a mall and shop. It’s painful though, as she spent quite a bit of money before the cruise on some lovely clothes. 

[Cookie002]

4 hours ago, dawnvip said:

First and only time DH has been seen in a tuxedo!

 

Love this!

 

[Cookie002]

6 hours ago, 14Canadian said:

Air Canada is notorious for this announcement at all departure gates at all airports to hand in carryons. So please ignore the announcement and hold on to your carryons. Safe flights everyone.

I use to do this. But I did not on this flight. I will NEVER do this again. I felt so bad for the couples that lost their carry one, as it is always the most essential stuff in your carryon.

[Cookie002]

12 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Baggage handling is a shared responsibility between the airport authority and the airline. That applies to both departing and arriving flights. When you check in and the airline employee takes your checked bag and places it on the moving belt, responsibility for the luggage rests with the airport until contracted employees of the airline are given access to it to load on their little baggage trailers and drive them to the plane to load them. From what I've read, the majority of bags that go missing do so in the bowels of the airport, where they end up being misdirected. The fact that over 100 people on the same flight didn't receive their bags suggests that the fault may well lie with the airport authority, not Air Canada. I don't know which airport you flew from, but it seems that there are multiple issues at the major airports that aren't the fault of the airlines, although they often get the blame.

 

That said, there is no excuse for the lack of communication from Air Canada. In the event that the contact information you have differs from that on the website, I'm providing the following:

 

I agree completely with your comments on taking essentials in your carry on, mixing family clothes and not volunteering to have your carry on checked.

 

Wishing you the best of luck getting your lost bags back today!

 

 

 

 

 

We are in Rome, so that number does not work. And, there is a six hour time difference that complicates things. The number and email we were told to use did not work at all for any communication. We searched on the web, trying to find a number that would work, only to be put on hold for twenty minutes with no one answering ( and we were super concerned on the cost of that phone call.)

 

We finally figured out an email that got us a response. But, so far, no luck with suitcase…

 

 

[ski ww]

Lost luggage on a cruise is no fun, happened to me once but got our luggage the next day. When I see what some people call carry on, no wonder there is no room in the over head bins & people are asked to put theirs in the hold. That been said there is no excuse for that bag to get lost & not make it on to the plane. Enjoy your cruise.

[puppycanducruise]

So sorry to hear this.  I hope the luggage catches up with your friends.

This is a good reminder to crosspack (half my stuff in hubby's luggage, half his in mine) just in case one of our bags goes missing.  I will keep my carryon with me too.

[1kaper]

6 hours ago, Cookie002 said:

Thank you for letting us know that the Cruiseship may help us. We will ask at guest services if there is anything they can do.

 

It is true that baggage handling is responsible for the checked baggage to get to the plane. However, I am not lying about the carryon baggage that was requested to be checked (the ones that you leave by the plane door because Air Canada tells you the overhead compartments will be too full). We stood in a two hour line at the airport in Rome to file the missing luggage claim, and we got to know peoples stories. How is that even possible to not load onto the plane? This happened, so I want to warn my fellow cc members. 

 

The airport we flew out of was Toronto. It was last Saturday night, (big storm that night). We have been in Rome 4 days, you would think that they could have got that luggage caught up to us. We have been in contact with AC since my last post, and we’re told it’s on plane ,will arrive tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and it’s not here. Get the same story again, and again it does not show up. Today we can’t risk it anymore, we have to get her some stuff. My shoes fit her but nothing else.

 

I will tell you that my friend is taking this with great attitude. We have had a lot of fun in Rome, being hopeful that her baggage would arrive. But today we are going to find a mall and shop. It’s painful though, as she spent quite a bit of money before the cruise on some lovely clothes. 

 

I would also check the credit card used to book the trip.  My travel credit card covers the cost of buying essential items like clothing and toiletries up to a certain amount if luggage is lost. 

[LHT28]

If you have trip ins  also check if there is any coverage  for lost luggage

Do the airlines  give you a credit for things  if they cannot find your bags?

 

We have tried carry on with other airlines  & they will gate check bags  so not just a/c  usually the gate checked bags are off loaded to the jet way & there when we get off the plane  sometimes if you get off on the tarmac a cart with the bags are sitting there for you to pick up

 

[Magicat]

5 hours ago, 1kaper said:

 

I would also check the credit card used to book the trip.  My travel credit card covers the cost of buying essential items like clothing and toiletries up to a certain amount if luggage is lost. 

Good idea on the credit card benefit.  Lost my bag on AA and had to purchase toiletries to cover me until my bag caught up with me.  Through that ordeal I learned that you need to use the same credit card you purchased the flights with as well, in my case, the hotel I was staying at.  

 

11 hours ago, Cookie002 said:

Thank you for letting us know that the Cruiseship may help us. We will ask at guest services if there is anything they can do.

 

. 

Royal was very helpful when our bags were delayed.  Flew in the day before and our bags did not make it.  Not really the airline's fault as our flight was delayed and we caught a different flight.  Anyway, bags did not join us when we landed in FLL.  We boarded the ship and went to guest services to explain our situation.  They were very helpful and offered us formal attire and clothes from the shops on board in the event our luggage did not make the ship.  They made sure the dock was aware of bags being delivered.  An hour before departure we had our luggage delivered to our room.  Kudos to Royal for offering to help out in that situation. 

[Magicat]

Oh and I hate to recount a story of another couple on an Alaska cruise.  We saw them around the ship wearing their bath robes and thought that was peculiar.  We struck up a conversation with them and their luggage did not make it.  Their bags were following them from Vancouver to each port but kept missing the ship.  I believe they finally got their bags on the second last day of the cruise in Ketchkan.

I hope your friends get their luggage.

[Cruisingawayfromthesnow!]

This happened to me and I bought new clothes, shoes and toiletries and then submitted my claim for $1000 usd and they paid it all back .  Fingers crossed 

[dawnvip]

16 hours ago, Cookie002 said:

We are in Rome, so that number does not work. And, there is a six hour time difference that complicates things. The number and email we were told to use did not work at all for any communication. We searched on the web, trying to find a number that would work, only to be put on hold for twenty minutes with no one answering ( and we were super concerned on the cost of that phone call.)

 

We finally figured out an email that got us a response. But, so far, no luck with suitcase…

 

 

Air Canada will reimburse for essentials while waiting for your bag (see here: https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/plan/baggage/delayed-damaged-baggage.html#/) .

They also reimburse for luggage that is truly lost / stolen but it does take time and patience.

DH put in the claim as soon as we returned from the cruise but it took about a month for them to admit the bag was truly gone. Start making a list now of all the items you can remember packing! He also had bought some new clothes specifically for the cruise, so final total was over $3000!!

[loman]

We always cross pack and bring two 26 inch pieces of luggage , 30 lbs each.

We found we didnt need the carry on , so we have a smaller purse like bag 

that we put medication and essentials in . Im gonna put in a few pairs of underwear and socks in there now just in case.

[Cookie002]

Kids. We are on the cruise. Joys luggage made it at midnight before the cruise. Joys luggage had a bit of a world tour as it was London as well as Rome. Air Canada team said they would pay up to 750 in items purchased. ( we waited to the last day possible but as we were not sure it would make it, we cancelled our tour and went shopping instead for knickers and other essentials….)

 

thanks for all the comments, I will read them with more attention when we get home!

BTW, celebrity beyond is an amazing ship!

[ski ww]

Glad your luggage finally caught up with you, enjoy your cruise Bon Voyage, fair winds & smooth seas.

[Welly9]

Back from Rome, on the Odyssey OTS italy, Greece Turkey cruise, Air Canada.

Air Canada, be it Toronto or Montreal a total Sh!t show. 

Going there, delays, delays, almost threat of missing our connector but made it, but bags did arrive in Rome...Great cruise etc etc

But coming home...we got notices of delays with AC, and possible connectors, what we were notified wasnt what the AC agent in Rome was telling us, she was calling - conferencing with mgr at airport etc, crazy, we finally or thought we finally had things ironed out, tagged the bags, even with Priority great big flourescent tags with the normal bag tags, i see the bags dissappear in the belt...

 

Board our flight, and off to Montreal...another nightmare, made us go thru Customs twice, Why you ask, cause the 1st agent thinks we are now gonna hop on another flight and go to London England, and even though all docs say London Ontario..😤, ran around that airport, and of course we have duty free wine and oils, and water, but inspect every thing, take the water, an like scolding us for having such items, lmao even though all we were doing was going to our connector...we have an hour to get thru , took us a full hour, they held the plane for us, because of the agent who doesnt know her own Country! One of the last agents says why you here?? i just started laughing and rushed us thru, we went thru 5 checks, 3 agents , 3 or 4 scans...and funny thing is no one tells you anything, hardly speak English lol except for this last agent, he just shook his head! We make the flight to TO, connect to London Ont, go to baggage carousel and hear my name, go talk to the AC agent, oh Sir sorry to inform you bags wont be making it, they just got scanned in Montreal, 4 hrs since we landed there! BOOM...some of these workers, have no clue! I think they do it on purpose!

Delivered the next day, anyway, we got everything, nothing broken, all in tact, BUt talked to the delivery guy, 3rd party courier for only AC, 3 trucks he has going, 7 days a week, full time, 24 hrs, he said to me, your bag is only 24 hrs, I have delivered some 48 + up to a cpl weeks , one lady a year later! lol

there is our National Airlines! 

We stay away from Toronto and Montreal as much as possible!

We mostly go out of Detroit...knock on wood, always excellent service, nil delays, bags never a problem etc etc

[QuattroRomeo]

Wow, it sure looks like non-direct flights are a major problem these days for luggage. We were lucky to need only a short direct flight from Calgary to Vancouver and back  on Air Canada for our cruise last week. Returning home, our bags were among the first ones sliding down the carousel, even though we checked them in very early. Our driver in Calgary was impressed- he said it has been really slow to offload luggage for WestJet passengers. I noticed that too about 2 months ago when picking up my sister at the airport who used WestJet for a direct flight from Halifax. Took an hour before her bag came down. Every airport seems to have its own set of issues!