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Original poster

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

445 replies

Kiki105 · 20/08/2023 12:37

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.

OP posts:
CharlotteBog · 21/08/2023 21:34

I had anxiety reading this til the end! Glad you got them. Think I would have gone back to London too if they'd not rescued the case.

Oh sorry! Maybe I should turn it into a nail-biting page-turning thriller!
We were sitting around thinking maybe we could offer to help open the hold door.
I would have spent the week wearing geeky t.shirts that our company (a scientific journal) gives away at conferences.

Cowlover89 · 21/08/2023 21:43

Hope she got her stuff back and has a good holiday. Ignore the aholes x

IvyIvyIvy · 21/08/2023 21:46

Happened to my husband. He'd accidentally stuck his EpiPen in the suitcase. Of course we ate peanut soup, disguised as pumpkin soup, that night...and had to take three kinds of antihistamine. Could have been genuinely 'devastating'. Suitcases turned up later that evening. I'm sure your daughter will be fine- has she got her meds and glasses? Everything else can be bought or borrowed. A friend of a friend spent an entire holiday in a 'bahamas' tourist t-shirt! It will make for a funny story one day. And as others have said ...the plus side is she's learnt that valuable lesson re a change of clothes in the hand luggage on her very first unsupervised trip so she'll never have this problem again!!

NCTDN · 21/08/2023 21:55

I hope she got it sorted OP. I understand how you feel and my dd would feel the same.

Donsyb · 21/08/2023 21:57

The airline has to reimburse her for a certain amount of essentials that she will need before the case arrives (toiletries, underwear. A change of clothes etc), so she needs to keep receipts for that. Then if her case doesn’t arrive it’s an insurance claim.

sleepe · 21/08/2023 22:02

Shocked at some of the people on here being so insensitive.
This is a 19 year old girl on her first girly holiday, likely to have spent weeks planning her outfits and buying new things just for this holiday and now it's all gone missing with nothing but the clothes she travelled in and no idea of when she will get it back.
Hope she gets her case back soon OP.

Scottishskifun · 21/08/2023 22:08

Lovely13 · 21/08/2023 20:08

Lots of ‘I’m always prepared’ comments making me laugh. Never occurred to me to pack a swimsuit or spare clothes in hand luggage. And I’m well old. Hope your daughter is reunited with bag. And that her friends help her out.

You've clearly never had luggage go missing!
I've had it multiple times (we get a lot of connection flights where its more likely to happen). Now we always mix up everyone's clothes and take a spare plus swimsuit in hand luggage.

Lindyloo23 · 21/08/2023 22:14

Ah I can’t believe people are being so mean!
When you’re 19 and image conscious it’s a big deal, especially if she has been saving up, buying clothes and for planning for this first big holiday for a long time! Don’t people remember what it is like to be 19????
I am 62 and I still do.
Look mine has been lost 3 times. The longest I waited was 2 days. Felt like an eternity but at least she is with other girls her age so they can share bits initially.
It either fell off the conveyer belt or maybe someone picked it up by mistake. However it happened in sure she will get it back within 48 hours.
Good luck 🍀
Let us all know

Original poster
Kiki105 · 21/08/2023 23:19

UPDATE: dd is still waiting for luggage to show up but is in a better head space today. She's bought 3 bikinis because nowhere sells underwear and her friends are loaning her some of their clothes. 3 flights due in tomorrow which may have her luggage and she's also going to the airport tomorrow to enquire at lost property.
I must say I'm shocked by some of your cruel and insensitive comments just because I mistakenly put DEVASTATED in the title of my post. My dd was, NOT ME!!!!!! Let's just get that straight.
Thank you to those who gave good advice and showed empathy towards my DD's situation - too many of you to mention but thank you. Clearly you insensitive lot have forgotten what it's like to be a self conscious 19 year old just stepping out into the big world wide. I feel sorry for your kids to have such an unsympathetic parent!

OP posts:
Zonder · 21/08/2023 23:20

Hoping for good news tomorrow OP. And ignore those hard hearted posters who take everything in their stride and have no empathy with a teen on holiday with mates.

riceuten · 21/08/2023 23:30

I had a similar experience, and I had to chase the airline (British Midland) on a daily basis - turned out that, 3 days later, it had never been put on the plane, and was languishing in the office of another airline (BA) - the problem was that a label was never attached to the bag, so no-one knew who it belonged to. My British Midland luggage contact, acting on a hunch, visited the BA lost luggage office, and there it was !

So it's worth asking whether the bag was boarded and where it ended up - there will be records of all of this.

Clymene · 21/08/2023 23:32

Oh crap I'm really sorry it hasn't turned up yet. I was convinced it would have made it onto the next flight out.

I hope she's keeping receipts so she can claim on her insurance!

riceuten · 21/08/2023 23:34

Also, if someone HAS picked it up by mistake, they will be as desperate to get their bag as well - it might even be a bloke! I don't buy this "people robbed off with my luggage" - unless they flew in, or gained access to airside as an employee, the chances of people trying to pinch your stuff are vanishingly small.

Solonge · 21/08/2023 23:43

sadaboutmycat · 20/08/2023 12:44

Don't people realise that there is always a risk of this? Devastated is sheer hyperbole. Upset I could understand but goodness me first world problems and all that!

Clearly your experience with teenage girls is limited.

Solonge · 21/08/2023 23:48

Appleofmyeye2023 · 21/08/2023 20:28

It’s very common. Yep, it’ll either come back overnight, or won’t appear till nearly end of holiday if at all. I travelled for years frequently with work (sometimes 30-35 trips per year) and it’s happened to me probably 12-13 times .
if it has made it over on plane or got diverted in babagage handling on departure side, it’ll get there quickly. If it doesn’t appear when next flight gets in from her departure, then it’s more likely lost in transit through departure airport and it’ll be unlikely to show up for days .

best thing is for her to wait 24 hours by buying only very essential items . But if still not re-united she should talk to rep about compensation and how to claim, and then buy what she will need for rest of holidays

shell have learnt a valuable lesson. Never, ever travel without enough basic clothes, toiletries etc to last a few days in hand baggage. I used to travel with a very crushable set of business clothes, 2 spare sets of undies, and all my toiletries and makeup and jewellery in my hand baggage. My hold stuff contained surplus work stuff and clothes for changes, smart business stuff. Most people who travel loads do this , otherwise you run a big risk.

Most teenage girls dont travel with changes of clothes and swimwear let alone their makeup in their hand luggage. Im a lot older than that, lived abroad and travelled plenty and Ive never carried any of that in my hand luggage either. My laptop, ipad and iphone yes, plus a couple of books and lip balm, never clothes.

Surely2023IsTheYearForMyRainbowBaby · 22/08/2023 00:02

This is why we always pack everyone's clothes into each other's suitcases. That way if one persons does go missing that person still has clothes to wear. Mine went missing in Ibiza a few years ago. Thankfully it was actually located outside the Airport as a guy on our Flight had accidentally picked mine up thinking it was his but hadn't actually checked the tags before walking off to catch the bus to his hotel. Still it would've been rather amusing to see his reaction when he opened his case to find it full of dresses, sandals and swimming costumes 😅 was I worried no, would it have spoilt my holiday had it not turned up? No. Whatever of mine wasn't in my Mum's suitcase I'd have gone to a shop there and picked up what I needed.

ostwest · 22/08/2023 00:11

This happened to me and the suitcase arrived to my hotel next morning. Meanwhile, travel company gave me €150 straight away and I've received another €250 from the insurance. It wasn't too bad!

CountessWindyBottom · 22/08/2023 00:25

I hate to say it but TUI are notorious for this and doing nothing to remedy it. Encourage her to keep every single receipt for replacement items and try to recoup the funds. I hope she enjoys her holiday.

Atsocta · 22/08/2023 00:28

Good chance it will turn up … x

kingtamponthefurred · 22/08/2023 05:42

CountessWindyBottom · 22/08/2023 00:25

I hate to say it but TUI are notorious for this and doing nothing to remedy it. Encourage her to keep every single receipt for replacement items and try to recoup the funds. I hope she enjoys her holiday.

Can't see how it's the travel company's fault when an airline mislays a suitcase.

Namechangedone · 22/08/2023 05:53

@Kiki105 I would have been devastated when I was 19 as well! I really hope her suitcase turns up Flowers

pilates · 22/08/2023 05:54

Hope she gets her suitcase today. Putting my 19 yr old head on I would have been devastated too. A big part of the holiday is putting on your new clothes to go
clubbing.

WandaWonder · 22/08/2023 05:55

CountessWindyBottom · 22/08/2023 00:25

I hate to say it but TUI are notorious for this and doing nothing to remedy it. Encourage her to keep every single receipt for replacement items and try to recoup the funds. I hope she enjoys her holiday.

Wouldn't it be the airport?

LadyWithLapdog · 22/08/2023 06:37

I hope she gets the suitcase today. My DD spent so much time planning her outfits and doing extra shifts to earn the money for them. She’s not all superficial, but this first holiday without us mattered.

Own experience- I had a buggy not turn up and spent a week sightseeing with DD in the sling only. Got the buggy back on the return flight, I think (long time ago, hazy memory).

Leedsfan247 · 22/08/2023 07:07

It will allow you to buy clothes to at least get by until the case is recovered - 99.5% are

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