French Airline lost girls luggage for two months: £35 device proved it was inches away
Sarah Waite, aged 25, embarked on a journey from Los Angeles to Athens with a layover in Paris. Regrettably, she has reported the loss of her luggage, valued at £1,000 ($1,200), which was allegedly misplaced by the airline for a period of two months. Despite the use of an AirTag tracker, which indicated that her luggage was present at the airport, Ms. Waite was informed by Air France personnel upon her arrival in Athens that her suitcase was not in their possession.
Ms. Waite, a resident of Los Angeles, received a notification from her Apple tracking device a week later, indicating that her luggage had left Paris and was en route to Athens. However, upon her arrival, she was informed by Air France employees that they did not have her luggage, despite the AirTag indicating its presence at the airport.
Upon her arrival in Athens, Sarah discovered that her suitcase had not been loaded onto the Air France aircraft and was informed that it would be delivered at a later time. Regrettably, the registered nurse had to endure a two-month wait before being reunited with her belongings. Upon retrieval, Sarah noticed that her suitcase had been damaged and that several items, including shoes and make-up, worth £1,000 ($1,200) were missing. The entire ordeal was described by Sarah as “horrible and traumatizing.”
This trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Sarah, who had traveled to Athens to pursue her passion for modern and ancient Greek literature. Unfortunately, her journey began on a sour note when she arrived in Athens without her luggage. Sarah recounted that upon collecting her luggage, the majority of passengers were informed that their belongings would be delivered at a later time.
At 2am local time, all individuals present were required to file a claim at the Air France counter. Approximately 60 individuals, including myself, remained to complete the process. Sarah reported that her suitcase had sustained damage and that items worth £1,000 ($1,200), including shoes and make-up, were missing. In an effort to expedite the process, Sarah submitted a claim online while waiting in the physical queue. After a three-hour wait, Sarah departed Athens International Airport without her luggage. However, she was able to track her suitcase through an AirTag and discovered that it was still at Paris airport. Despite her efforts to communicate with airline staff over the following days, Sarah encountered difficulties in doing so.
Sarah reported that her communication with Air France regarding her claim was unsatisfactory, as they were unresponsive and did not provide assistance in English. On May 20, she received a notification from her AirTag indicating that her luggage had left Paris Charles de Gaulle and was in Athens. Despite her efforts to retrieve her belongings at the airport, she was unsuccessful. Sarah shared her experience on TikTok, where she disclosed that she received £485 in compensation from Air France. Due to her Graves’ disease, Sarah had to purchase essential items, including her thyroid medication, as her suitcase was missing. Despite daily communication with the airline and providing receipts for her purchases, Sarah was unable to retrieve her luggage until two months later, on July 20. During her final attempt to locate her luggage, Sarah encountered unhelpful and rude staff at the airline counter who refused to assist her, despite having access to the AirTag location.
The situation escalated to the point where the individuals involved threatened to involve law enforcement due to my decision to record the incident on video. A recording of the altercation depicts a heated exchange between myself and the staff. After some time, the staff eventually acquiesced and agreed to escort me to the lost and found area, where I was able to retrieve my luggage. However, upon receiving my suitcase, it was evident that it had been damaged and items were missing.
Despite being granted permission to access the lost property, my bag was not initially located. It was only after an emotional outburst that someone informed me that my bags had been found and that I should remain in the area. Eventually, a young man escorted me to the customs area where my AirTag was tagged, and I was able to retrieve my luggage. Unfortunately, my luggage had been torn open, and several items were missing, including shoes, makeup, and bags. Additionally, the original lock of the zippers was not in place. Although I am still devastated by the experience, I am grateful that my medication, which is in liquid form and necessary for my Graves’ disease, was still viable. I shared my frustrations regarding the lost luggage on TikTok, where it was revealed that I received $600 (£485) in compensation.
Air France has yet to respond to requests for comment.
