A family has been left without clothes, bank cards and medication on holiday after their suitcases failed to turn up.
Louise Ali jetted off to Mallorca with her husband Hassan and two young children, Haris and Raff, but what should have been a relaxing time has turned into a nightmare as they "can't go out" as they have been left with nothing. Flying from Manchester Airport to Palma on August 3, their luggage failed to arrive.
Louise, who is now without her credit and debit cards, a pre-paid holiday card and vital medical cream, faces two weeks without the much needed baggage and may have to cut her holiday short to come home, the Manchester Evening News reports. Louise went on to say it was the "perfect storm" and is "kicking herself for being so stupid" for keeping her cards in her luggage rather than keeping them with her.
READ MORE: Manchester Airport responds after reports of 'chaos' and 'brutal shifts'
Despite waiting for three hours to drop their suitcases off the night before in advance, the family then faced a flight delay the following morning of two and a half hours. Passengers said they were told this delay was due to baggage issues and safety requirements due to the pilot not having had enough sleep.
Louise added: "It's been horrific from start to finish. I got to the desk at Palma and there was no help. They said it could come on the next flight, tomorrow, in a few days. They said this is happening all the time at Manchester, don't worry. TUI said to call back after six days, what do I do for six days? It took me eight hours to get hold of somebody and they said there was nothing they could do."
Louise said she was told to check the tracking page on TUI's website, but her bags are not shown, adding that they had "vanished". The mum went on to say there has been "radio silence" from airline TUI.
She told the MEN: "We can't go out now. They said to go and find some (steroid cream) from somewhere and we could claim it back but we've got to wait for three weeks in case they find our cases. I've got no clothes, no shoes, nothing."
A spokesperson for TUI said the company was "very sorry'", adding: "We are urgently investigating this with our baggage handler to find out exactly what happened and our team in resort will be in touch with the customer as soon as possible today to help resolve the issue."
A spokesperson for Swissport, which handled Louise's luggage at Manchester Airport, added: "We’re sorry to hear that Ms Ali's flight was delayed and about her subsequent baggage issues. Airlines, airports, and aviation services all work together to deliver different elements of a single passenger journey, and in peak travel periods, the knock-on effects of delays across the travel process can lead to disruption in others.
"We apologise for the frustration this has caused, and we're working closely with our airline partner to reunite the passenger with their luggage as soon as possible."
Manchester Airport has come under fire in recent months after reports of huge queues, long delays and lost luggage. After the airing of an undercover documentary earlier this month, showing scenes of chaos, airport bosses hit out saying it was not an accurate impression of current operations.
READ NEXT:
Still no breakthrough but hopes new talks could end Arriva bus strikes
People could be jailed for entering this Merseyside flat block
'Beautiful and caring' mum of two took her own life after finding lump on her breast
Concert Square sex videos 'disturbing, damaging and criminal' says mayor
St Helens and Wigan star died from heart attack after 'beating girlfriend'
