Dampened spirits: Qantas passenger’s wet luggage ordeal sparks traveller concerns
- Replies 6
Travelling can be one of life's greatest joys, especially for those who have worked hard all their lives and can now enjoy the fruits of their labour with holidays to beautiful destinations.
However, as one Qantas passenger recently discovered, sometimes the journey can start on a sour note due to unforeseen mishaps with our luggage.
Shirley Becke, a 70-year-old traveller, was looking forward to a relaxing holiday in Fiji with her husband when she was met with an unpleasant surprise upon arrival.
After flying out of Sydney during a torrential downpour—the heaviest the city had seen in two years—Shirley found that her suitcase and all its contents were soaking wet.
She suspects that airline staff left her luggage out in the rain before being loaded onto the plane.
The discovery was particularly distressing as it meant Shirley had to spend the first night of her holiday without any dry clothes or personal items.
‘It's totally unacceptable,’ Shirley lamented, expressing her frustration.
‘Qantas would have been aware of the bad weather and surely should have prepared for it. It's not good enough.’
Shirly then recounted her inconvenient experience.
She said, ‘I didn’t have any dry clothing available until the next day as I had to drape all the wet clothing on the furniture located on the balcony.’
Even more concerning was the fact that her daily medications might have also been compromised. Fortunately, Shirly said that they ‘ appeared to be okay despite the packaging being wet’.
Upon returning to Australia after a week-long birthday celebration with her family, Shirley contacted Qantas about her concerns.
The response she received was less than satisfactory. Qantas suggested that she should have raised the issue at the airport, but as Shirley pointed out, she was unaware of the problem until she reached her hotel.
The airline said, ‘We would never leave customers' baggage in the rain for any extended period, however, it’s not always possible to avoid the rain completely.’
‘For this reason, we're unable to consider a claim for water damage to baggage.’
Qantas commented on the issue, saying, ‘Generally customers are understanding that during periods of extreme weather, their bag may get wet while being taken on and off the aircraft.’
They added, ‘When airports are impacted by severe storms, staff may be directed to leave the airport tarmac for a period of time until it is safe to continue working.’
‘While every effort is made to ensure bags remain under cover during wet weather, safety is always our first priority.’
This isn’t the only time Qantas has been accused of similarly unacceptable behaviour.
A photo is circulating online that shows Qantas allegedly leaving luggage and pet carriers exposed to the rain for extended periods. You can read about it here.
Have you ever had a similar experience to Shirley's? What advice would you give to fellow travellers to avoid such situations? Let us know in the comments below!
However, as one Qantas passenger recently discovered, sometimes the journey can start on a sour note due to unforeseen mishaps with our luggage.
Shirley Becke, a 70-year-old traveller, was looking forward to a relaxing holiday in Fiji with her husband when she was met with an unpleasant surprise upon arrival.
After flying out of Sydney during a torrential downpour—the heaviest the city had seen in two years—Shirley found that her suitcase and all its contents were soaking wet.
She suspects that airline staff left her luggage out in the rain before being loaded onto the plane.
A traveller posted a photo of luggage and pet carriers being exposed to the rain on social media. Photo Source: Facebook
The discovery was particularly distressing as it meant Shirley had to spend the first night of her holiday without any dry clothes or personal items.
‘It's totally unacceptable,’ Shirley lamented, expressing her frustration.
‘Qantas would have been aware of the bad weather and surely should have prepared for it. It's not good enough.’
Shirly then recounted her inconvenient experience.
She said, ‘I didn’t have any dry clothing available until the next day as I had to drape all the wet clothing on the furniture located on the balcony.’
Even more concerning was the fact that her daily medications might have also been compromised. Fortunately, Shirly said that they ‘ appeared to be okay despite the packaging being wet’.
Upon returning to Australia after a week-long birthday celebration with her family, Shirley contacted Qantas about her concerns.
The response she received was less than satisfactory. Qantas suggested that she should have raised the issue at the airport, but as Shirley pointed out, she was unaware of the problem until she reached her hotel.
The airline said, ‘We would never leave customers' baggage in the rain for any extended period, however, it’s not always possible to avoid the rain completely.’
‘For this reason, we're unable to consider a claim for water damage to baggage.’
Qantas commented on the issue, saying, ‘Generally customers are understanding that during periods of extreme weather, their bag may get wet while being taken on and off the aircraft.’
They added, ‘When airports are impacted by severe storms, staff may be directed to leave the airport tarmac for a period of time until it is safe to continue working.’
‘While every effort is made to ensure bags remain under cover during wet weather, safety is always our first priority.’
This isn’t the only time Qantas has been accused of similarly unacceptable behaviour.
A photo is circulating online that shows Qantas allegedly leaving luggage and pet carriers exposed to the rain for extended periods. You can read about it here.
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