Sask. passengers say their luggage failed to arrive on WestJet flight to Mexico

Passengers on a WestJet flight from Regina to Puerto Vallarta say their luggage hasn't arrived after days of waiting. Sierra D’Souza Butts reports.

Passengers who recently travelled from Regina to Puerto Vallarta are raising concerns after their bags failed to arrive in Mexico.

Gary Brotzel arrived in Mexico with his wife on Jan. 3. However, their two suitcases and two sets of golf clubs failed to make the trip.

“I guess in some ways we should consider ourselves lucky because some people that left from Regina on Jan. 1 are still waiting for their luggage,” Brotzel said.

Brotzel was among 180 passengers on WestJet flight 2380, a direct flight travelling from Regina to Puerto Vallarta on Jan. 3.

Before setting off on their three-month trip in Mexico, Brotzel said he saw luggage being unloaded from their plane. He thinks it was in relation to a separate flight heading to Puerto Vallarta that departed from Regina on New Year’s Day.

“I think that was kind of the start of it. A bunch [of bags] didn’t come on New Year’s Day, and then they try to throw that luggage on the next flight and it gets too heavy where they throw off all those people’s bags and it just continues,” he explained.

When arriving in Puerto Vallarta that same-day, Brotzel claims he saw 20 bags from his flight come off the carousel — none of which were his.

Since then, he has been tracking his missing luggage along with his wife’s, using trackers of his own.

“I threw AirTags in our bags. We had two sets of golf clubs and two suitcases,” Brotzel said. “I almost didn’t because I thought, well, it’s a direct flight, the bags are going to make it. How can they not make it? I’m glad I did.”

As of Monday morning, Brotzel said the AirTags showed his luggage was in three separate locations.

“My [golf] clubs are in Puerto Vallarta at the airport. My wife’s golf club set is sitting in Regina, and her two bags are in Calgary,” he explained.

Since submitting his lost bag claims to WestJet’s website, Brotzel said he has had “zero communication” from the airline.

Another Regina resident on the same flight found himself in a similar situation, as he and his wife have been waiting three-days for their luggage to arrive.

“I’ve got [automatic] confirmation from WestJet that they had received my baggage claim, but we haven’t heard anything from WestJet at all,” Brett McLaughlin explained.

“All of our toiletries and everything that you can imagine is all in our luggage. We’ve had to go buy some essentials. My prescriptions were in my baggage plus my golf clubs are there. I can’t go golfing until I get my clubs. It’s been kind of a challenge to be honest.”

In a statement to CTV News, WestJet said it is aware luggage from its flights WS2380 not arriving to Puerto Vallarta on Jan 1. and Jan. 3.

“Flight WS2380, on both January 1st and 3rd experienced baggage issues due to the volume of luggage, maximum weight and runway conditions,” the airline’s statement read.

“The luggage is currently being routed to Puerto Vallarta. We sincerely apologize to guests for this inconvenience, guests who experienced luggage delays can visit flight interruptions and passenger rights where they can submit a claim.”

If baggage does not arrive with passengers at their destination, the airline becomes liable for interim expenses needed to replace items for the purpose of their trip, according to Air Passenger Rights.

“If you were going for a wedding, it may mean a suit, tuxedo, dress, shoes. If you were going to a golf club, then it may mean replacing or renting your golfing equipment,” explained Gabor Lukacs, the president of Air Passenger Rights.

“It depends on the circumstances, but the airline cannot limit you to a couple hundred dollars per day while you’re waiting for your baggage.”

Lukacs encourages people to submit their claims to airlines sooner than later, stating flights carry the same weight as a business transaction.

“When you think about, ‘Oh it’s just a couple hundred dollars and a couple thousand dollars, not worth my money or my time,’ think about how your actions and people like you acting the way you do shapes the industry,” he said.

“... If you stand your ground and enforce your rights, and others stand their ground and enforce their rights and make the airline pay for each dollar that you lost because of what they have done to you, then it is going to make it more expensive for the airlines to do this type of things to passengers.”

In a statement to CTV News, the Regina Airport Authority stated people who are experiencing lost, delayed or damaged luggage are encouraged to reach out to the airline they travelled with directly.

“During the busy travel season such as now, the airline’s phone waits can be quite busy. If that is the case, we encourage travellers to submit an inquiry or claim directly to the airline they travelled with on their website or visit the airline baggage kiosk at the arriving airport during operational hours,” the statement read.

Other passengers of flight WS2380 reached out to CTV News, reporting similar experiences.