Qantas luggage lost: passengers in limbo

[Ryan N]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/qa...794296474.html

Qantas luggage lost: passengers in limbo
Georgina Robinson
December 22, 2008 - 1:12PM

Countless Qantas passengers have been plunged into pre-Christmas limbo after 750 pieces of luggage were reportedly lost between Los Angeles, London, Sydney and Melbourne over the weekend.

Airline staff are working around the clock to reunite travellers with about 750 suitcases, bags and backpacks that have piled up at international terminals in Sydney and Melbourne, one affected family said.

The airline did not confirm the number of lost bags.

However, a spokeswoman said a technical issue in the cargo hold of a Boeing 747-400 flying from Los Angeles to Melbourne led to all baggage being loaded on to the next available flights.

But other passengers flying with Qantas from London also arrived in Sydney to find crucial bags missing.

The Quinns were told a suitcase full of Christmas gifts for their two young children had gone missing between London and Sydney when they arrived on Saturday night.

Sue Quinn said airline staff told her on Sunday that theirs was one of about 250 items without owners.

And when she called again this morning the tally had risen to 750. A fault with the baggage handling system in Los Angeles was partly to blame, Mrs Quinn was told.

"Santa had hid his pressies in my bag and I don't know whether to go shopping and start again or wait for them to tell us if we'll get our bags back this side of Christmas," she said.

Luckily, the missing suitcase turned up this morning, just as she was heading in to town.

But it took 36 hours of nervous waiting to find out whether she needed to start from scratch on Santa sacks for Ruby, 7, and Ben, 4.

"There are about a dozen presents, a couple of MP3 players and CDs plus stuff that can't be replaced because the kids have made things for their grandparents," she said.

"Half the luggage on a number of flights out of LA to Sydney has been left behind," Mrs Quinn said.