This $3,000 travel mistake could happen to any Aussie passenger—Are you at risk?

We’ve all been there: you’re standing at the baggage carousel, bleary-eyed after a flight, watching suitcase after suitcase trundle past.

Maybe you’re in a rush, maybe you’re distracted, and before you know it, you’ve grabbed a bag that looks just like yours.

For most of us, the story ends with a sheepish swap and a laugh. But for one Jetstar passenger, a simple mix-up turned into a $3,000 nightmare—and a cautionary tale for every Aussie traveller.



Brady Watson, a 25-year-old Melburnian, was heading to Brisbane for a work trip in March. In the post-flight hustle, he accidentally picked up the wrong suitcase from the carousel.

It wasn’t until he got home and opened it that he realised his mistake. Like any good Samaritan, he promptly returned the bag to the airport, expecting a quick and easy swap. But that’s where his troubles really began.

'I took the bag straight back and thought it would just be a seamless transition... but staff said, ‘Oh, we actually don’t know where your bag has gone,’' Brady told Yahoo News. Three months later, his suitcase—and everything inside it—was still missing.


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A Jetstar passenger, Brady Watson, accidentally took the wrong suitcase from the Brisbane Airport baggage carousel and has been unable to recover his own $3,000 bag for over three months. Image source: @bradyywatson / Tiktok and Behind Asia / Youtube.



The Runaround: When Customer Service Fails
Brady’s ordeal didn’t end with the missing bag. He claims that chasing up information with Jetstar became a marathon of frustration, with each call leading to a new staff member and a fresh retelling of his story.

'I’ve spoken to four different people and no one knows where my bag is. It’s all very inconsistent, and it’s annoying having to explain the situation to all these different people at Jetstar,' he said.

He suspects the process is so convoluted that many people simply give up. And with no sign of his belongings, Brady is left hoping for some kind of reimbursement.

But both Jetstar and Brisbane Airport have pointed the finger at theft, saying his bag was likely stolen from the carousel before he returned the other passenger’s suitcase.



Jetstar’s Response: Sympathy, But No Compensation
Jetstar acknowledged the situation was 'frustrating and inconvenient' and said their customer service team had done everything possible to help. According to the airline, Brady’s bag was flown from Melbourne to Brisbane and placed on the carousel, but CCTV footage suggests someone else took it. Despite a police investigation, the bag has not been recovered.

'We know this is an incredibly disappointing outcome, and our team is willing to provide any further assistance we can to the police investigation,' a Jetstar spokesperson said. However, Yahoo News reports that Jetstar will not be providing any compensation to Brady.

Brisbane Airport echoed the sentiment, saying the matter is now in the hands of police.

'Incidents like this are extremely rare, and we understand how distressing it would be for the passenger involved. We’d like to take this opportunity to remind all travellers to carefully check that they have collected the correct luggage before leaving the baggage carousel area.'



The CCTV footage, unfortunately, was inconclusive due to poor camera placement near the carousel.

The Real Cost: No Insurance, No Luggage, No Recourse
Brady’s suitcase wasn’t just a bag—it was his wardrobe. Having recently moved to Melbourne, he’d packed all his new winter clothes, worth about $3,000.

'All my clothes were in the suitcase, I had just moved to Melbourne and wasn’t ready for the cold... the clothes were worth about $3,000. It was a lot of stuff,' he said.


Source: @bradyywatson / Tiktok.​


Like many travellers, Brady didn’t think he’d need travel insurance for a short domestic flight. Now, he’s spent $1,500 replacing his lost clothes and is urging others to learn from his experience.

Brady’s final word? 'And I guess don’t fly Jetstar, but what other option do we have. They are definitely the cheapest airline, and they’re the cheapest for a reason... Just hug your luggage extra tight the night before your flight because you might not see it again.'

Key Takeaways
  • A Jetstar passenger, Brady Watson, accidentally took the wrong suitcase from the Brisbane Airport baggage carousel and has been unable to recover his own $3,000 bag for over three months.
  • Both Jetstar and Brisbane Airport say Brady’s bag was stolen after someone else took it from the carousel, with CCTV footage proving inconclusive and the investigation now in the hands of police.
  • Brady criticised Jetstar’s customer service, saying it was difficult to get clear information or assistance, and claims he has had to explain his case to multiple staff without resolution or compensation.
  • The incident has prompted warnings for Aussies to double-check their luggage at the carousel, consider travel insurance even for domestic flights, and to use AirTags or similar devices to track their bags.

We know many of our Seniors Discount Club members are seasoned travellers with stories of their own. Have you ever lost your luggage, or had a similar experience with an airline? What tips do you have for keeping your belongings safe? Share your stories and advice in the comments below!
 

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Who is surprised? If anyone has a nice Jetstar story, where someone can actually assist you, it would be fascinating reading! The only Jetstar story I have ever heard of, is always negative. Prices are always cheap, and you get what you pay for. Say goodbye to Jetstar my friend. I’m not ever going on Jetstar. The price is cheap, but it attracts, let’s just say, more dishonourable travelers because it is cheaper. We have all of seen the aggressive nature of some of the passengers, and it’s likely because they are full of booze, consumed at the airport , whilst waiting for their inevitable 3 hour delay. I’m not a techie at all, but I have heard that an e-tag on your luggage, makes it easier to track with your IPhone.Good luck, but I think your luggage will never be retrieved. Gezzabel.
 
To say that there was poor camera placement at the luggages carousel, is a pathetic answer. Who is the incompitent person who installed the cameras at the luggage carousel, for there to be a poor view of passengers picking up luggage. Absolutely anyone can pick up anyone's luggage at the carousel, and if stopped by the original owner of thd bag, the theif would apologize and say oh sorry it looks just like my bag, I thought it was mine. Considering the large amount of money that passangers pay for their flight, airport companies should have a better luggage pick up process in place. Perhaps one that requires identification to be produced before luggage is handed over to the pasanger. Yes, it would cause time, waiting in line until you are served with your luggage, however I would rather wait in line, then risk loosing my luggage to a their, who has helped themself to my costly belongings. 🙏🦋
 
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Wife and I travel a bit, and I got sick of trying to identify our bags , looking like everyone else's. So I got spray paint and painted huge hippe flowers on each side in standout colours.
No probelms now, in fact we haear lots of comments from others waiting for bags " Oh what a great idea"
 
His fault from start to finish.
Firstly he didn't get travel insurance.
I visit my family interstate every year and always get insurance. It's only about $50.

Secondly. There are always look alike suitcases. Tie a coloured ribbon or something distinctive on the handle so you can recognise your own.
Better still, I recently purchased a personalised fabric suitcase cover (from Temu for about $10) It's has my initial on the front and is easily recognisable.
Extra bonus. It saves damage to your case by rough baggage handlers. They have hundreds of different designs, colours, personalised or not.

Thirdly, he picked up the wrong case.
Hardly Jetstar or Brisbane Airports fault.

Stupid goose!
 

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A very few years ago I flew to Edinburgh…I was arriving in the morning and joining a 14 day tour of the Highlands and Islands the following morning (something I’d always meant to do when I was younger but then life got in the way). I flew Etihad because that was the only flight that went directly to Edinburgh, and I flew business class. Got through immigration and saw that someone had got my name up, so I went over…..the man took me to an office and asked me if any of the aircrew had spoken to me about my luggage, I said no. It turned out that one of my suitcases hadn’t been put on the flight (I had one case packed with what I needed for the tour and the other case for the rest of my holiday, which I was going to leave with a cousin while I was touring. The suitcase I needed for the tour was the one that was left behind. The nice officer gave me everything I needed to make a claim, and of course there were things I needed to buy, like sturdy shoes, warm clothes for the Hebrides, toiletries, underwear, things that I’d left out of the other bag…and of course a suitcase….So instead of resting after the flight I was out shopping , kept all the receipts like I was supposed to. Got back home and put my claim to Etihad for the things I’d had to buy as a result of one of my cases not being put on my flight. Well what a performance that turned out to be…. I emailed them with all the information they asked for….4 times because they couldn’t find it, or it went to a different location….then they asked for the bank details and the code for international transaction, which my bank gave me……well all of that went missing, or I gave them the wrong number……by this time I was speaking with a representative from Etihad and also my bank….bank gave me the code..Etihad said they were wrong……..eventually after nearly 4 months of backwards and forwards I managed to get a really nice man who looked at all my information and said there was no reason why I shouldn’t have my compensation, and he did it there and then and sent me confirmation…….Clearly I was being shoved from pillar to post because some of the Etihad representatives didn’t want to pay me and maybe thought I’d give up if they kept asking for information over and over…but I don’t give up very easily. My luggage arrived the next day and my cousin picked it up from the hotel and looked after it for me…………I didn’t fly Etihad again…
 

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