Luggage is being lost around the world as planes fly without the baggage handlers to fill them. Here’s how to give yourself the best chance to have a good holiday.
After waiting what feels like an eternity for international travel to reopen, many Australians are now facing the prospect of an overseas holiday without clothes, toiletries and other essentials as airlines around the world continue to lose luggage.stretching as far as the eye can see dashing hopes of an Instagram-worthy holiday, the question of what – if anything – can be done to avoid having your luggage lost is now being asked by many soon-to-be-travellers.
According to Jodi Bird, a travel expert with the consumer advocacy group CHOICE, the first helpful step above anything else is time. “The more connections you have the more likely your luggage is to be lost. If you can fly directly that’s the best option, but if you have to make connections, try to stretch it out so that baggage handlers have that time to move it,” Bird says.
In May, London-bound travellers were left fuming after Qantas failed to arrive in the UK and were stranded for days without clear direction from the airline. Since then, as the northern hemisphere summer began to peak, things have worsened with international airlines Delta and Icelandair chartering luggage-only flights and deploying staff to more in-demand airports.
The Qantas staff member also recommends taking medication on carry-on, so that if baggage is delayed or lost your health won’t be impacted.