Airline loses Ontario woman's suitcase, doesn't offer compensation for 3 months

An Ontario woman who took a trip to Mexico in February said the airline lost her luggage on the flight home and didn’t compensate her for three months.

"It is frustrating, 100 per cent,” Rosemary Wysocki, of Kitchener, Ont., told CTV News Toronto. “Is it fair? No. They are making it seem like I lost the luggage when it didn't show up where it was supposed too.”

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Wysock, who was travelling with a friend, said she was immediately concerned when he got his suitcase but she didn’t get hers.

“My partner’s luggage came off and mine did not. I asked if they could go back and see if there was extra luggage back there and he said ‘No, that was it,'" Wysocki said.

Wysocki said what followed since she returned home has been a frustrating process, as she tried to get compensation for her lost suitcase from Flair Airlines.

She said she was asked to provide receipts she no longer has for things that were in her suitcase and there are some expensive items she will have to replace.

“I had a Dyson hair dryer which was $700, a flat iron that was $350, toiletries, perfumes, sandshoes, sun visors and clothing,” Wysocki said.

When it comes to airline delays and cancellations, sometimes the compensation owed can be confusing, but airline passenger advocate Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights, said with lost luggage the rules are simple.

“From the moment you hand over your baggage to the airline until they hand it back to you, the airline is liable for your baggage,” Lukacs explained.

According to Lukacs, baggage is deemed lost after 21 days and the airline is liable for approximately $2,300 in compensation as well as having to refund the baggage fee.

After Wysocki contacted CTV News Toronto, we reached out to Flair Airlines and a spokesperson said: “We understand the frustration and inconvenience that such situations can bring, and we are actively working to enhance our services with the introduction of a new self-serve portal to streamline communication and improve customer experience.”

“In addition to continuing our efforts to locate the missing bag, we have taken immediate action by refunding the bag fee and providing compensation owed. Our priority remains ensuring customer satisfaction, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued customers," the airline said.

Flair Airlines just gave Wysocki almost $2,700 for the lost suitcase, the return of the baggage fee and a travel credit which was great news for her.

“I would have rather had my suitcase back, but this is a relief and the money will allow me to replace some of the items that were in my lost suitcase,” she said.