Nightmare story of a missing bag: How one couple’s dream holiday went horribly wrong
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Whether it's lost entirely, or just taking a long time to turn up at baggage claim, missing luggage is incredibly frustrating – especially if you're on a tight schedule and need your belongings immediately.
Unfortunately, this is the experience one Queensland couple endured on a long-awaited holiday to New Zealand.
Mark Coles and Simone Bailey had been planning their dream holiday to New Zealand for two-and-a-half years when they finally set off from Cairns, Queensland on December 21.
While the frequent flyers arrived safely at their destination, their luggage did not.
Mark and Simone checked in two large and two small suitcases for their nine-day trip, but there was no sign of them at the airport’s baggage claim that day.
‘We arrived in Queenstown and none of our luggage arrived,’ Simone shared.
Mark added that their baggage had been ‘barcoded, tagged, scanned,’ and still, Virgin Australia lost it. However, the pair didn’t let this mishap get in the way of their holiday.
‘We went out the first night and sat in this lovely restaurant. I was in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts,’ Mark shared.
He added: ‘I think people looked at me as if I’m some sort of idiot, the way I was dressed.’
The couple ended up spending their first night at Kmart to shop for some clothes as a temporary fix.
Virgin Australia told the pair to ‘check in every day’ to see if their luggage had arrived.
Two of the couple’s bags arrived two days later, and then Simone’s main suitcase arrived three days after that. Unfortunately, Mark’s main suitcase’s whereabouts are still up in the air (no pun intended).
Despite the blunder, Mark said they had a great holiday and had photos to prove it. ‘We’ve probably got 1,500 photos of me wearing the same hoodie, the same two shirts, and the same pair of shorts,’ he stated.
Mark and Simone flew to Brisbane nine days later, but Mark’s luggage was still missing.
‘We checked in at Brisbane airport on the 29th which is when we went to their luggage service desk and the lady there told us that all the bags were rushed to Queenstown and arrived on the 22nd,’ Mark explained.
Virgin Australia had asked the couple to file a compensation claim, but Mark refused and said he wanted his things back. ‘It’s not about the money,’ he continued.
‘We’ll be reimbursed for what we’ve spent, but ultimately, I want the bag back. It contains Simone’s Christmas present.’
He also told reporters that the airline’s communication throughout the whole ordeal had been subpar.
‘We made 27 phone calls to Virgin, they made one phone call to update us,’ he said.
Airline delays have long been a source of frustration for customers, but this frustration is typically compounded when luggage gets misplaced on the journey.
Research has shown that the quality of service offered by an airline after a delay contributes significantly to customer satisfaction. And when customers are dissatisfied, they are unlikely to stay loyal to a company and are prone to spread negative comments about the company due to their experience.
Have you had a similar experience when flying? Share your story with us in the comments below!
Unfortunately, this is the experience one Queensland couple endured on a long-awaited holiday to New Zealand.
Mark Coles and Simone Bailey had been planning their dream holiday to New Zealand for two-and-a-half years when they finally set off from Cairns, Queensland on December 21.
While the frequent flyers arrived safely at their destination, their luggage did not.
The couple wanted to spend a stress-free holiday in New Zealand. Credit: Pixabay/Pexels
Mark and Simone checked in two large and two small suitcases for their nine-day trip, but there was no sign of them at the airport’s baggage claim that day.
‘We arrived in Queenstown and none of our luggage arrived,’ Simone shared.
Mark added that their baggage had been ‘barcoded, tagged, scanned,’ and still, Virgin Australia lost it. However, the pair didn’t let this mishap get in the way of their holiday.
‘We went out the first night and sat in this lovely restaurant. I was in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts,’ Mark shared.
He added: ‘I think people looked at me as if I’m some sort of idiot, the way I was dressed.’
The couple ended up spending their first night at Kmart to shop for some clothes as a temporary fix.
The couple was left with no luggage. Credit: SHVETS production/Pexels
Virgin Australia told the pair to ‘check in every day’ to see if their luggage had arrived.
Two of the couple’s bags arrived two days later, and then Simone’s main suitcase arrived three days after that. Unfortunately, Mark’s main suitcase’s whereabouts are still up in the air (no pun intended).
Despite the blunder, Mark said they had a great holiday and had photos to prove it. ‘We’ve probably got 1,500 photos of me wearing the same hoodie, the same two shirts, and the same pair of shorts,’ he stated.
Mark and Simone flew to Brisbane nine days later, but Mark’s luggage was still missing.
‘We checked in at Brisbane airport on the 29th which is when we went to their luggage service desk and the lady there told us that all the bags were rushed to Queenstown and arrived on the 22nd,’ Mark explained.
Virgin Australia had asked the couple to file a compensation claim, but Mark refused and said he wanted his things back. ‘It’s not about the money,’ he continued.
‘We’ll be reimbursed for what we’ve spent, but ultimately, I want the bag back. It contains Simone’s Christmas present.’
He also told reporters that the airline’s communication throughout the whole ordeal had been subpar.
‘We made 27 phone calls to Virgin, they made one phone call to update us,’ he said.
Airline delays have long been a source of frustration for customers, but this frustration is typically compounded when luggage gets misplaced on the journey.
Research has shown that the quality of service offered by an airline after a delay contributes significantly to customer satisfaction. And when customers are dissatisfied, they are unlikely to stay loyal to a company and are prone to spread negative comments about the company due to their experience.
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