Alex Griffiths said passengers on a flight from Birmingham Airport were told after boarding that their baggage would not be travelling with them. He said the cabin felt like a hold-up after the aircraft doors had already been closed, and that one passenger had cancer medication in a suitcase left behind.
Griffiths flew to Rhodes with his family on Friday. He said the disruption turned the holiday into a "nightmare", and that his first day cost 350 Euros in swimwear for the family after their suitcases did not arrive with them.
Birmingham Airport on Sunday morning
By Sunday morning, Birmingham Airport said the vast majority of baggage was travelling with passengers as planned. It said it was working to reunite other passengers with their bags, while Griffiths said he had been told expenses would be reimbursed.
Griffiths said several passengers tried to leave the plane after learning their suitcases were being left behind, but they were told they could not. He said, "There was a bloke on the plane who'd got cancer medication in his suitcase, and he wanted to get off for that, but they'd already shut the door."
Alex Griffiths and Monday
On Monday, Griffiths said the man still had not been reunited with his cancer medication and was "looking very poorly". He also said his wife's contact lenses were in their suitcase, and that he had only brought limited spending money with him.
"I've only brought so much spending money with me, I can't afford to keep buying new clothes," he said. "We've told them if we don't get our suitcases today we want to fly home and get a full refund because this has been an absolute nightmare."
The unanswered question is why passengers were told their luggage was not travelling only after the aircraft doors had already been closed. For the people on that flight, the immediate issue is simpler: they are still waiting for bags, medication and the basics needed to keep a holiday moving.
