Furious passengers have vented their frustration after another day of long delays to collect baggage at Manchester Airport. Travellers reported waiting for hours to get their bags after landing at the airport on Sunday (December 18) - leading to escalating fees for their car parking or taxi pick-up.
The airport saw similar long waits last week, when bosses at the airport and baggage handling firm Swissport spoke of a knock-on effect from the heavy snow which led to runways being closed. In a statement on Sunday night, the airport warned of further potential waits for passengers disembarking their aircraft or at baggage collection due to 'significant staffing challenges faced by Swissport'.
British taekwondo athlete Bianca Walkden was among the passengers to experience huge delays for baggage at Manchester Airport today, sharing an image of a long line of travellers waiting at the carousel. She wrote on Twitter: "It’s an absolute joke that we have to wait 4+ hours for our baggage .. some people car park was over £75 @swissportNews @TurkishAirlines #ManchesterAirport"
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Other Twitter users shared their frustration at the situation, speaking out over long waits for their luggage. @stuart_m_barnes wrote: "@manairport we’ve been waiting over an hour for our baggage at Manchester airport now and still the carousels aren’t moving…. Another reason why @manairport is the WORST airport in the world!!"
@Ginger_Liv tweeted: "@manairport we landed at 11.45, it's now 13.15 and despite an announcement saying our bags would be on the carousel in around 10-15 minutes, we still have no bags and you have no staff available to answer questions or help. This isn't good enough. Where are our bags!?"
At 1.10pm, @MLsoho1965 wrote: "@manairport @AerLingus my niece landed at 11.05 from Belfast and still no luggage and no information about when it might show up. Car park cost is going to be absolutely eye watering!!! Any update on when luggage can be expected?"
@GordonT_Gopher tweeted: "Flight landed at @manairport from Cancun at 10.19am. It’s now 12.24pm and still no sign of any luggage, and no communication Any idea what’s happening @manairport @swissportNews @TUIUK??" In a later tweet, he added: "So far someone has made over £30 from my father in law having to wait in the car park."
On-the-day car parking prices increase over time - from £6 for 30 minutes and £12 for an hour, to £20 for two hours, £30 for four hours and £58 for 24 hours at the multi-storey sites. For pick-up at terminal 3, it's £50 for more than two hours.
On Sunday night, Manchester Airport released a public statement, saying 'significant staffing challenges faced by Swissport' had been impacting those waiting for bags at arrivals. They added that they had mobilised a specialist support team to try and keep disruption to a minimum.
"It is disappointing that - despite assurances to the contrary - Swissport is not able to provide adequate resources during the busiest weekend of the Christmas travel period and we apologise to all passengers who have experienced unacceptable levels of service," they continued.
"We have mobilised a Manchester Airport support team to keep disruption to a minimum and are seeking urgent clarification on the steps being taken by Swissport to resolve the challenges it is facing.
"We would like to thank the Swissport team currently operating at the airport under such challenging circumstances, and our airport colleagues for their support. Thank you to all affected passengers for their patience, and our sincere apologies once again for the disruption they may face."
A spokesperson for Swissport said: “We apologise to passengers affected by baggage delays. Unfortunately, the continuing severe weather, combined with staff illness, has created some challenges for our teams. We understand this is a frustrating situation and we’re working closely with our airline and airport partners to mitigate these issues."
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