You wait all year and then it all goes horribly wrong. We’d carefully planned a 10-day Med cruise – much-needed and much-anticipated – only for it to descend into a hunt-the-bag wild goose chase when an item of luggage went missing, writes Cathy Owen . Standing at the airport carousel in Barcelona, excitement turned into frustration as we waited, and waited some more, for our bags to emerge.
In time, three bags materialised. But despite more waiting, the fourth was nowhere to be seen. As the hall emptied, it gradually dawned on us that our youngest son’s bag, packed full of all his best holiday togs, was missing.
Sadly, it’s an experience that will ring a bell with many. In recent years the number of bags being lost by airlines has surged – one report suggests it’s almost doubled in 12 months. Airlines blame the spike in mishandling of luggage on a shortage of skilled staff and the resumption of international travel after Covid.
According to aviation IT provider SITA in a 2023 report, the sheer volume of flights has “made it challenging to manage bags and ensure their smooth handling at airports, particularly during peak travel periods”. READ MORE: Mum-of-three left husband and kids for Egyptian lover who then dropped bombshell READ MORE: Revamped car park by popular Gwynedd beach has shrunk and 'can't cope' It’s fair to say there has been a massive jump in the number of passengers since Covid rules were lifted. Combine that with fewer staff to handle the .