What was supposed to be a fun weekend trip with friends to Arizona turned into a nightmarish five-day “suitcase hunt” for Toronto resident Jehaanara Kurji.
Last Friday, Kurji boarded a flight at Pearson Airport to Phoenix to attend a bachelorette party. However, when she arrived there, her registered bag was nowhere to be found.
Kurji, who moved to Toronto from Kenya a month ago, tried to make the most of the situation. She said the airline offered her some compensation to buy things she needed that were in the lost luggage.
She said Air Canada had never contacted her about her missing luggage.
“I went back to the airport on Sunday night to go home, and then I realized that my suitcase had arrived in Arizona on Saturday,” she told CP24.
This bag was loaded on the plane back to Toronto, but somehow went to MIA for the second time due to a “problem with the luggage handler” and remained lost.
“I wish I hadn’t even carried this luggage,” said Kurji, who had been inspecting huge piles of suitcases in Pearson’s luggage compartment for more than an hour on Sunday night, but never found her bag.
Kurji, who headed to Mississauga airport on Tuesday afternoon, hoping to resume her search, said she then joined the lost luggage line, but was eventually told to go home and file a lawsuit online.
“I have no idea what happened to my bag. “I tried to call Air Canada several times, but due to the large volume of calls, I can’t even wait,” she said.
“Right now, I don’t even know how I’m going to get it back.”
#Pearson Airport today. Some suitcases have been here for 6 days. I lost my luggage to the destination and on the way back. At 2 o’clock in the morning we were all sent home and told to send an email. #aircanada pic.twitter.com/26TILoGYE6
– Ara (@ happybug13) June 27, 2022
In a statement to CP24, Air Canada said it “makes every effort to ensure (bags arrive with their owners) and although in most cases we succeed, we continue to work very hard both internally and in collaboration with our partners to further improve the system. “
The airline said the suitcases sometimes did not arrive at their destination for many reasons, “many of which are beyond the control of the airlines.”
“But rest assured that avoiding baggage delays is a top priority for us. We know very well that delays are embarrassing and inconvenient for our customers. Also keep in mind that any delayed bag is expensive to handle and deliver after the flight, so we are doubly encouraged to bring bags with customers, ”said Air Canada.
The carrier continued that with the resumption of the trip there are simply more cases of delayed bags. They said 120,000 or more people a day now fly with Air Canada, up from just 23,000 a year ago.
“More impactfully, the global operating environment has changed from what it was before the pandemic, in particular well-documented issues such as security and customs, the keeping of planes at gates that cannot unload passengers at airports, and restrictions on the number of air traffic control flights that force airlines to cancel at the last minute, “said Air Canada, which recently announced steps to improve” customer travel, including baggage handling. “
“All these and other events, such as a strong storm, can disrupt our schedule and the flow not only of passengers but also of their luggage, which moves in a parallel but more complex flow of customers.
Toronto Airport Authority, which operates Pearson International Airport, said “a number of problems over the past few days” have led to “baggage challenges”.
“This includes flight delays and cancellations, staff shortages at our partner airlines and temporary mechanical disruptions to the baggage system,” the GTAA said in a statement to CP24.
“We have worked with airlines to ensure that unclaimed bags are removed from the carousels and placed in the luggage room to make room for bags from other flights.”
The operator said that while dealing with luggage infrastructure and system maintenance, it is ultimately the responsibility of airlines to reassemble passengers with their luggage.
CP24 requested a specific comment from the airline on the situation with Kurdji’s lost luggage, but we have not yet received a response.
Kurdzhi is not alone, as dozens of passengers have recently turned to social media to share stories and photos of the huge piles of luggage in Pearson’s luggage collection areas.
Brutal trains at Toronto Pearson Airport – at least 3 hours through baggage check-in and customs – can certainly be better organized !!!
– Romana Khan (@LegitRomanaKhan) June 23, 2022
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