TAMPA BAY, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Transportation's latest report found there have been over 200,000 claims of lost or damaged bags among the top 10 U.S. carriers, and that was only in May 2022.
In the case of Marianne Bazazian and her sister, the two arrived in Scotland for their 18-day vacation, but their luggage did not. The suitcases were left behind at JFK International Airport in New York.
Bazazian said that after their Aer Lingus flight took off, the captain announced that while the luggage wouldn't be loaded onto the plane, it would still follow them to Edinburgh.
The sisters waited days, but their bags never arrived in Scotland. Bazazian's receipts showed she spent over $400 on clothes and personal items to make it through the trip.
"It was very disheartening," she said. "We were so disappointed."
Suzanne Morrow, a travel insurance expert, said certain policies cover lost baggage. By law, airlines are on the hook for $3,800 regarding lost baggage on domestic flights, but the maximum for international flights is $1,780. Most airlines, however, cover the cost of buying clothes or personal items.
"You would file with a common carrier, in this case, an airline first, and then you would go to the insurance if you were not made whole," Morrow said.
Passengers who are not reimbursed for lost bags can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation, but Bazazian claimed she called and emailed Aer Lingus for a month without success.
When ABC Action News contacted the airline, the company responded in an email, stating:
“Regrettably, our airline is being impacted by widespread disruption and resource challenges across the sector.”
Aer Lingus also mentioned they were working hard to overcome the challenges and improve customer service.
Bazazian said Aer Lingus called her within days of the email and that the airline finally delivered the suitcase to her Pasco County home.
“After your help and your phone calls and you're contacting them, suddenly they found it,” she said.
The company also sent a check for $454 to cover the costs of the items she had purchased.
