A NEWLY-WED couple from the US have said their honeymoon in Ireland and Italy was badly affected after their luggage was lost en route to Dublin.
Caitlin Strubin and her husband Michael Parks had travelled to Ireland, via Aer Lingus, for a friend's wedding when their baggage, containing clothes worth thousands of dollars was lost.
Ms Strubin said despite repeatedly calling and emailing Aer Lingus she only received one phone call.
She said the couple's luggage is still missing, several weeks on.
"The missing luggage negatively impacted our honeymoon," she said.
"We can never get back the hours spent shopping and calling/emailing Aer Lingus.
"When we should have been exploring Ireland and enjoying our time together, we were busy shopping for clothes or stressing over our luggage.
"We worked really hard to save money and plan this trip.
"We had a friend’s wedding and had to buy brand new suits, dresses, heels, dress shoes, etc.
"Not only did we have to buy a brand new wardrobe for Ireland, we also spent seven nights in Italy and had to buy a completely different set of clothes for the different climate.
"We now have a high credit card bill because we had to buy everything to continue our honeymoon."
Aer Lingus has been contacted for comment.
Dublin Airport Authority (daa) said anyone experiencing baggage issues should contact their airline.
"We are aware of the issues that some arriving passengers are facing regarding baggage return, which is looked after by their airline and their chosen handling partner," a spokesman said.
"daa, as the airport management company does not handle any baggage for any airline at Dublin Airport.
"We empathise with those affected and regret that these issues are impacting their passenger experience.
"We are liaising very closely with both the airlines and their ground handling companies in relation to these issues, the root of which lies in the significant staff hiring challenges that are facing all companies operating in the aviation sector currently."
A statement from Aer Lingus said: "Aer Lingus is aware of widespread disruption and resource challenges across many airports and among third party suppliers. Bags being transferred from one airline to another are impacted most by these resourcing challenges and therefore represent the bulk of bags being delayed or misdirected.
"These issues are outside of our control, but are resulting in some customers experiencing a level of service below what they expect, including delayed baggage at Dublin Airport.
"We have expanded our teams dealing with baggage in recent weeks and they are working closely with the relevant handling agents and airlines to retrieve bags as efficiently as possible.
"The online baggage tracing system on AerLingus.com here, is the most efficient way customers can get the latest information on the status of delayed or misdirected baggage.
"We sincerely apologise to the couple for the obvious inconvenience. As the bags are missing over 21 days, a claim for compensation can be submitted to our Customer Relations team at aerlingus.com.
Meanwhile, Air Canada passenger Donna O'Connor said her luggage, which contained her parents' ashes, was lost en route from Chicago to Dublin.
Although the luggage has since been returned to her home in the US, Ms O'Connor told the BBC she had spent eight days searching for her baggage at Dublin airport.
Ms O'Connor said it was "so important to me" to scatter the ashes.
"My family is 100 per cent Irish heritage and my grandparents and my parents, especially my father, emphasised to us - my other siblings and I - how important our Irish heritage was and never to let go of that thread," she told BBC Radio Ulster.
She added: "We have been to Ireland many times. After my father passed away, my mother had already passed a number of years ago, I knew I would bring their ashes back here and scatter them. To know that they were in this bag, missing, was frightening.
"I was desperately searching for eight days at Dublin airport, just trying to find out where is it? I thought 'will I never see this again?' "
She said "hundreds of people" were looking for their bags at the airport.
Air Canada said it only deals with customers directly but, in a statement to The Irish Independent, said "we can tell you this customer's delayed bag is en route".
It added that the global operating environment has "changed from what it was prior to the pandemic" and pointed to "well-documented issues such as security and customs lines, aircraft being held at gates unable to unload at airports, and limitations on the number of flights by air traffic control".
"All these can disrupt airport operations, particularly baggage handling and baggage connections," the airline said.
