Alex Griffiths said a Birmingham Airport luggage system issue left him and other passengers on a Friday flight without suitcases after the aircraft doors had closed. He and his family flew to Rhodes and were still without luggage on Monday, after being told the bags would not be travelling with them.
Griffiths said his wife’s contact lenses were in the suitcase, and that they would need to buy new clothes if the bags did not arrive. He also said one passenger had cancer medication in a suitcase and wanted to get off for that, but the door had already been shut.
Birmingham Airport baggage system
The problem affected outbound luggage from Birmingham Airport, and the airport apologised to passengers. On Sunday morning, it said the vast majority of baggage was now travelling with passengers as planned, while it was working to reunite other passengers with their bags.
Passengers on the plane tried to leave after they learned their suitcases were being left behind, but they were told they could not. Griffiths said it felt like they were “locked” on board, and he described the situation as a “nightmare”.
Alex Griffiths on Monday
By Monday, Griffiths said he and his family were still without luggage. He said Jet2 told him his suitcase had been delivered to the hotel on Sunday, but it was not there and he was later told it may be at the airport.
He said the missing bags had already forced extra spending, and that he had been told expenses would be reimbursed. “I’ve only brought so much spending money with me, I can’t afford to keep buying new clothes,” he said.
Griffiths said he wanted a full refund if the suitcases did not arrive by Monday. He also criticised the decision to keep the plane moving while luggage was left behind, saying, “[They've] put the comfort and possibly health of everybody on the plane at risk just because they needed to get the plane in the air.”
For travellers still waiting, the immediate issue is whether the missing bags can be traced and returned without another delay. Griffiths said he was still waiting on Monday, and he said the man with cancer medication had not been reunited with it.
