DD's suitcase lost at Greek airport - DEVASTATED!!

[Kiki105]

My 19 year old DD has just arrived in Zante with 2 friends for their first girly holiday. Her friends have collected their suitcases but DD's suitcase didn't show or maybe someone collected it by mistake. She's reported it to the TUI rep and is now on the coach travelling to the hotel. She's absolutely distraught and in tears. Does anyone have any experience of this happening to them and the likelihood of her case being found within a short time. She has got absolutely nothing else on her other than the leggings and hoodie she travelled in. I'm feeling so stressed and helpless right now.

It may turn up in a day or in 2 weeks unfortunately. Or never - someone tried to steal my mum's suitcase at a Greek airport once (they picked a couple of suitcases from the conveyor belt and left with it, luckily my mum saw them as they were walking off, confronted them. They just handed it back and walked away calmly out of the airport so it was definitely not someone mistaking their own suitcase for someone else's.)

I travel a lot and this is why I almost always travel with hand luggage only. I managed to do 3 weeks in Japan with one of those tiny suitcases only, and had plenty of cute outfits. Especially when going to somewhere hot, all the outfits are tiny.

I’ve had cases go astray and they’ve always been delivered within 24-48 hours.

If this is her first holiday abroad I totally get that she is stressed and upset. Try to reassure her and build her resilience. This is life experience and she’ll come out stronger.

She can borrow a few bits from her mates and buy some clothes in town, with a loan from you if necessary. If she needs any medication then she can ask the Tui rep to help her access a doctor or prescription.

Chin up, don’t let it ruin the holiday and crack on…

Hi it is very upsetting it’s happened to me twice I put air tags in my hold now and bring spare clothes in my hand luggage, I fully understand how she feels and it does wreck the holiday she needs to keep receipts of any replacements that she buys clothes wise and keep chasing up Tui it will turn up
Mine went missing when we were visiting different locations on holiday so stressful
I hope it turns up soon bless her .

I put air tags (tiles) in mine recently. It gave me peace of mind that they were on the plane but I'm not sure what use they would have been if they had not...other than being able to see whether my luggage was still in the UK or not!

The teenager has my sympathy, but you're right that is a stupid thing for the OP to say.

This has happened to me a few times when luggage misses a tight connection to a second plane.

What kind of hotel is it she's staying in? If it's a mid range + they usually have disposable toothbrush kits at house keeping.

Just to note for anyone else this happens to if you are staying in a good hotel they have all sorts of stuff for people parted from luggage - I was once given a beautiful nail kit with clippers etc, a plain white cotton t-shirt to sleep in etc at a 5 star hotel in Eastern Europe.

She should treat it as a shopping opportunity.

Was she early or late checking in? If she was late sometimes luggage can miss the plane and normally turns up 24 hours later. If she was early, and it's not turned up may very well be lost or stolen.

Hopefully her friends will be happy to share stuff with her until she can either go shopping or her case turns up. Does she have insurance?

With an air tag at least you would know which location your case is at , when my case went missing there was problems locating it then the air line said that maybe a customer accidently picked it up so for me it’s peace of mind being able to locate it

I flew from Luton once to Spain and one of the suitcases( with my clothes, natch) ended up in Paris...

It was duly flown to Heathrow on the next flight and then flown out to Spain. A lovely rep then drove it out to me . I had it within 24 hours! I've never used automated bag drops since...

Make sure she keeps in touch with the rep and fingers crossed.

Agree.

My sympathy OP.

I can only imagine her upset and your helpless upset.

Her first holiday and all her best bits packed.

Just keep talking her down and tell her to try not to allow it to distress her so much.

If you can afford it tell her to pick up what she needs and you will help out.

I really am so sorry for her and you.

We have had this happen a few times including on honeymoon! We now always have a spare outfit, swimming costume and flip-flops in hand luggage for everyone.

As long as she has travel insurance and its going to be missing more then 12 hours then she can buy clothes within reason. Just make sure she keeps the receipts.

We have always had the cases get delivered to our hotel after about 24 hours though. So maybe if she borrows some friends clothes and just gets a bikini for now.

Happened to me once. Valuable life lesson. You don't ever put everything in your case. Indeed, if flying with friends/family, you really should split your things across all of the luggage, so no one is without anything if one goes missing.

Please don't join in with your daughter validating her 'being distraught'. You need to laugh it off and chin up, pull your socks up etc. It really isn't that big a deal in the scheme of things. More importantly, why aren't her friends immediately offering to help/lend stuff?! Shit friends if they're also indulging these tears frankly.

I agree with what you’re saying billy1966, this poor girl is devastated as was I when it happened . Hotel freebies won’t help she was all excited for her first holiday with friends it’s devastating but I’m sure it will definately show up she has to keep on top of tui

Not sure why you're getting such a hard time OP. It's like one person posts something nasty/unhelpful and then everyone jumps in to put the boot in further.
My sister lost her case a couple of years ago and was also DEVASTATED, and she was in her late 30's at the time. She never got it back either and she ended up losing a lot of favourite (not to mention expensive) items, although she was of course reimbursed.

I hope your daughter's case turns up soon and that she manages to enjoy her holiday regardless.

OP ignore the snidey comments. Of course she is really upset, and you as her mum are upset that she is upset.

Send her some money and tell her to enjoy a shopping trip to cheer herself up

Why are people being so horrible? Of course, she's upset having no clothes or anything with her.

Jesus Christ! Some of the posts on this thread are deranged! At 19 I would be DEVASTATED that all my clothes were potentially lost forever. People are allowed to feel sad about things even if some of you see it as trivial. The whole "well I have had it a lot worse" could be trotted out at nearly all the posts on Mumsnet. Take a chill pill and don't put nasty comments on threads you clearly think are beneath you.

I hope you dd has had some good news this morning OP.

As a 19 year old abroad on her own I’m sure she is capable of buying some toiletries, and essentials and liaising with the airline/airport re her baggage. It’s annoying that’s about it.

Ahhh because liaising with a foreign airport or even an English speaking tour operator is soooooo easy! Not.

Trust me I've had experience of this the hard way very recently and even as a bolshy, confident, takes no shit nearly 50 year old this can be trying

Has happened within the past few months to a DSis (70s) and a DS (30s): both delivered within 24 hours. It's becoming common enough that perhaps every traveller should face up to the possibility, but I can understand 'devastated'. Hard when you know how much they have been looking forward to getting away: on the whole I think easier for the one who IS away and just has to get on with it, usually with the support of friends, than for the one hearing about it at home, especially when traveller is so young. Solidarity, and I hope they were soon reunited.

Has it turned up OP?

She insured? I’m thinking no….

my daughter and I lost our cases coming back from holiday in May - someone mentioned buying an apple i tag to put in our cases in future so you can track where they are - we are away in October and the i tags have been bought!

Only time I lost luggage we were travelling from the states with an infant, back to Europe for 2 months.

One suitcase turned up the following day, the other never did.
Yes, we had insurance and rebought stuff, but we had gifted clothes that had sentimental value that we obviously couldn't replace.
We were gutted.

.