Imagine travelling on your own at 16, itB次元官网网址檚 the first time youB次元官网网址檝e flown without your parents and the airline loses your bag.
Colleen Derkatch says that was the case for her daughterB次元官网网址檚 boyfriend when they flew from Toronto Pearson Airport to Kelowna, with a stop in Calgary.
The group flew with WestJet on Dec. 27, for a vacation at Big White.
Derkatch says a shadow was cast over their holiday once they arrived in Kelowna, without luggage in tow which had included toiletries, clothes, holiday gifts and items of sentimental value.
More than two weeks later and WestJet still hasnB次元官网网址檛 given Derkatch any straightforward answer as to where the bag might be.
16 days later, I went to to investigate our lost bag, since I keep getting different answers. 1st stop: check-in counter. Agent insists bag was sent to on Jan 5. 2nd stop: baggage counter. Agent says no evidence it ever left . 馃憖馃嵖
B次元官网网址� Colleen Derkatch (@ColleenDerkatch)
B次元官网网址淚f you go through their official tracking system the bag location is unknown. IB次元官网网址檝e been trying to get support on Twitter and they say the same thing, B次元官网网址榳e have no idea where your bag is.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Derkatch says she has confirmed there are at least two different baggage tracking systems and Central WestJet support says it only has access to one.
B次元官网网址淭he mother ofB次元官网网址� my daughterB次元官网网址檚 boyfriend went to Pearson on the 30th because she was really upset the bag had still not turned up and they told her there that the bag had never left Toronto and that it was actually in a storage room. They took her into this back storage area and she said that there were bags stacked to the ceiling everywhere she looked. She said the agent pointed to a stack of bags and said B次元官网网址榟is bag is in this batch and we should be sending that batch out in the next day or two, it should arrive by Jan. 1.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
However, the bag still didnB次元官网网址檛 arrive.
Derkatch says thatB次元官网网址檚 when she learned from others that bags werenB次元官网网址檛 showing up in the WestJet tracking system and instead people were finding their suitcases on the floor at Kelowna International Airport.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e up at Big White, we have no car.B次元官网网址�
With no support from WestJet, Derkatch says the ski resort proved more helpful in tracking bags down.
B次元官网网址淏ig White Centre Reservations said that hundreds of guests had lost bags and that WestJet and Air Canada were sending bags up with the Big White shuttle and then the centre reservation staff would take them to deliver them to people. Frankly, we got better information about what was happening with bags from Big White than we ever did from WestJet.B次元官网网址�
At this point, Derkatch says they were confident the bag was at YLW and just hadnB次元官网网址檛 been scanned into the tracking system.
Yet, that wasnB次元官网网址檛 the case and the bag remains missing.
Derkatch says theyB次元官网网址檝e been told many conflicting things as to where the bag could be - from never having left Toronto to being stuck in a Calgary Airport storage room to having been flown back to Toronto to have arrived in Kelowna.
B次元官网网址淚 tried to talk to WestJet support about this and I said, B次元官网网址極K look, weB次元官网网址檝e been given conflicting information. Why?B次元官网网址� And no one has been able to answer that question.B次元官网网址�
DerkatchB次元官网网址檚 husband, daughter, and the daughterB次元官网网址檚 boyfriend have flown back to Toronto already, without even attempting to check bags. They searched the floors of Pearson with no luck finding the teenB次元官网网址檚 lost luggage.
In a final attempt before flying home, Derkatch went to the Kelowna Airport on Jan. 11 to speak to a WestJet representative.
B次元官网网址淵ou get very different information when youB次元官网网址檙e at the airport than when youB次元官网网址檙e on the phone or when youB次元官网网址檙e on Twitter.
In speaking with a representative she was told the suitcase was sent to Toronto on Jan.5 and was even given a flight number.
B次元官网网址淚 said, B次元官网网址榳ell no bag ever arrived.B次元官网网址� SheB次元官网网址檚 like B次元官网网址業 donB次元官网网址檛 know what to tell you, but it was sent,B次元官网网址� explained Derkatch.
Derkatch says she kept her familyB次元官网网址檚 ski equipment with her at Big White, after everyone else had flown back to Toronto, and purchased Air Tags to place on the luggage before she flies on Saturday (Jan. 14).
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 trust WestJet with our stuff. There are thousands of dollars of equipment, itB次元官网网址檚 specialized.B次元官网网址�
WestJet has a policy on its website stating that if a bag is lost for more than 21 days the airlineB次元官网网址檚 liability is limited to approximately $2,300 per passenger.
B次元官网网址淭hat wouldnB次元官网网址檛 replace our gear.B次元官网网址�
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Derkatch says WestJet refused to reimburse the prepaid checked bag fees for her husband, daughter, and daughterB次元官网网址檚 boyfriend who flew home several days ago without checked bags and wonB次元官网网址檛 cover costs for her to check the bags on Saturday when she flies home.
B次元官网网址淎nd then instead of apologizing for losing the bag or anything else, they lectured me about using Air Tags.
They sent me these messages on Twitter on why itB次元官网网址檚 dangerous to use Air Tags.B次元官网网址�
Air Tags contain lithium batteries, which is outlined as a hazardous good, however many travelers worried about lost luggage have used them without issue.
WestJet confirmed in an email that they do not prohibit use of Air Tags in checked bags.
B次元官网网址淚 feel like WestJet has really just dropped the ball on customer support. The fact that weB次元官网网址檝e had to invest so many hours to try to find out anything about where our bag is and the fact that there are different systems, it just feels like youB次元官网网址檙e being gaslighted all the time. They say B次元官网网址榳ell we donB次元官网网址檛 know where your bag is.B次元官网网址� And IB次元官网网址檇 say B次元官网网址極K but an agent at the airport gave us a flight number.B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址榃e donB次元官网网址檛 know what that means.B次元官网网址� This is like literally their job.B次元官网网址�
Derkatch says she understands there have been issues with weather, baggage belts, and backlogs, but she was told Kelowna and Calgary airports appear to have caught up.
B次元官网网址淐anada is a country of winter, so I donB次元官网网址檛 think it should be that big of a surprise that there were storms. The holiday season is always really busy, so I donB次元官网网址檛 knowB次元官网网址� When youB次元官网网址檙e 16 days out there should be more information.B次元官网网址�
With her flight home just days away, Derkatch says she is worried about their ski equipment even with Air Tags attached.
WestJet was not available to comment.
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brittany.webster@blackpress.ca
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