Darren Stoppler’s anticipated New Year’s Day trip to Puerto Vallarta turned into a stressful situation when his flight was delayed for two hours and his luggage went missing. The WestJet plane he was on had to remove bags due to a weight problem, leaving over 70 bags behind. Despite having paid for premium seats with priority luggage, Stoppler’s bag was among those left behind.
After being directed to file a baggage claim by WestJet staff and being assured his luggage would arrive the next day, Stoppler tracked his bag using an Airtag and discovered it was moving away from Puerto Vallarta, showing up first in Texas and then in Cancun. His attempts to reach WestJet for assistance were met with long hold times and operational challenges on the airline’s website, leading to frustration.
Despite WestJet offering only $100 for the delayed luggage, which did not cover essential items, Stoppler had to rely on borrowed clothing from his brother during the initial days of his month-long vacation without his belongings. He and his family monitored the online luggage tracker provided by WestJet, but the system did not update until they personally engaged with airport staff to locate their bags.
Additionally, Stephanie Edwards and her husband Jonah Franklin, who flew from Regina to Puerto Vallarta on January 3, also faced a similar ordeal when their bags were left behind in Regina despite checking them in ahead of time. This incident has raised concerns about trust in WestJet among affected passengers, with many now considering using carry-on luggage whenever possible to avoid such disruptions in the future.
WestJet attributed the baggage issues on the January 1 flight to various factors such as luggage volume, weight restrictions, and runway conditions. The airline assured affected passengers that their luggage is being rerouted to Puerto Vallarta and encouraged them to submit claims on their website for any delays experienced.