Air Europe lost my luggage

[AKCaminoDuck]

Hello friends,

I am posting this in case this has happened to anyone else on the way to the Camino. I am using a luggage service for my Camino, and my flight to Spain yesterday was quite messed up with challenges in Amsterdam. As a result, I was rerouted through Lisbon on a short connection and my bag with all of my hiking gear was lost. I’m in Madrid, and Air Europa has been less than helpful. Has anyone else dealt with this situation, and how did you route your luggage back to you on the trail?

 

[C clearly]

My daughter had a bag delayed by a couple of days, arriving on Air France at Biarritz. Fortunately she had the most important items with her, so we bought a few items and started walking. By the time the bag arrived, we were 3 days along on the Camino Vasco. We informed the airline where we would be that day (we made a reservation for that reason) and they delivered it to our accommodation. That was in 2019, pre-pandemic. I'm not so sure you would get such good service these days.

If you are not equipped to start walking, you might just want to stay in Madrid for a few days until this is resolved, rather than trying to play leap frog with bag delivery.

 

[Kanga]

Oh dear! We have had members in the past whose luggage has been lost. I've been looking through the old threads to see if I can find their reports. Here is one.

 

[dick bird]

Hello friends,

I am posting this in case this has happened to anyone else on the way to the Camino. I am using a luggage service for my Camino, and my flight to Spain yesterday was quite messed up with challenges in Amsterdam. As a result, I was rerouted through Lisbon on a short connection and my bag with all of my hiking gear was lost. I’m in Madrid, and Air Europa has been less than helpful. Has anyone else dealt with this situation, and how did you route your luggage back to you on the trail?

Tricky one, as you don't know when, or if, your luggage will arrive. Have the airline told you that they have located your luggage or is it still missing? I think you have three options:

1) Set out on your camino hoping to pick up what you need as you go along from left behind gear and generous fellow pilgrims
2) Hang around in Madrid (if that was your intended destination) and hope your stuff turns up
3) Go to the nearest budget camping/sports store e.g. Decathlon, and hit your credit card for complete replacement. Make sure you keep the receipts.

Getting your gear sent on to somewhere on the camino if and when it turns up is a possibility but a high risk + high stress option.

I'd go for 3). This did actually happen to us in April this year - our luggage was lost in between Sydney and Heathrow. Luckily we were staying with family in the UK for a week pre-camino so had time to do 3) - replace everything. As it happens, our luggage turned up the night before we left for Spain, 8 days after we had landed.

Re insurance/compensation. The airline is required to compensate you for immediate items such as toiletries and underwear if your luggage is delayed more than 2 days, and the full cost if lost/delayed for more than a week, although they will squeal like a stuck pig before they cough up. We had lashed out on comprehensive travel insurance so got our money back but it was a very stressful week. Lesson - attach extra labels to any bags you check in with flight number, date, destination and your name (we suspect the check-in labels fell off).

Anyway, buen camino. It will be OK, really, and think of the stories you'll have!

 

[Walkerooni]

So sorry this happened. Lesson learned. When people say they never check pack on way TO Camino, this is why. Hope your pack meets up with you soon. Buen Camino!

 

[AKCaminoDuck]

Hello friends,

I am posting this in case this has happened to anyone else on the way to the Camino. I am using a luggage service for my Camino, and my flight to Spain yesterday was quite messed up with challenges in Amsterdam. As a result, I was rerouted through Lisbon on a short connection and my bag with all of my hiking gear was lost. I’m in Madrid, and Air Europa has been less than helpful. Has anyone else dealt with this situation, and how did you route your luggage back to you on the trail?

Thanks for all of the replies. I decided to go with the option to buy the bare needs to start my hike and will begin tomorrow in Los Arcos. Of course, once I made this decision and got on my bus they found my suitcase! It looks like it will be delivered to my next location.

And yes…the good comment about not checking. I have to admit this was very much driven based on my undying love of my hiking poles. I wish the airlines would change their minds on poles on planes.

There are a couple of additional learnings for the community. Apparently Amsterdam is having restrictions to the number of customers passengers per day which is causing many cancellations. If you’re traveling through Amsterdam you may want to read up on the situation. Also, apparently Air Europa has a bad habit of losing luggage. Again, if you’re looking at a flight on that airline you may want to read up on other traveler experiences. Finally, Decathlon really is a lifesaver as a one stop shop for affordable hiking clothes and extremely helpful staff. I was able to assemble a bare bones hiking outfit without any trouble and with a surprisingly small price tag.

 

[trecile]

And yes…the good comment about not checking. I have to admit this was very much driven based on my undying love of my hiking poles. I wish the airlines would change their minds on poles on planes.

I check my poles, but never my backpack!

 

[Anniesantiago]

This is EXACTLY why I tell every single client NEVER to check their backpacks to Spain.
Home.. ok... but not TO Spain.
Lost bags are not as uncommon as you would think.

 

[Camino Joe 2021]

I have to admit this was very much driven based on my undying love of my hiking poles. I wish the airlines would change their minds on poles on planes.

We all totally get your frustration. Somedays we are the windshield and somedays we are the bug.
This does not help you today, but, allowing poles in airplane cabins is not an airline decision. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Dangerous Goods Panel of 2003 lists examples of prohibited items. Hiking poles are considered sharp objects. That is "any pointed...item capable of being used to cause harm". Airlines must abide by these rules. That does not mean an airline agent never made the mistake of allowing hiking poles in carry on luggage.
reference https://www.icao.int/safety/DangerousGoods/DGP19/DGP.19.IP.016.pdf#search=hiking poles

Considering the stress level of flying the past few years and the outbursts so often recorded, we should consider grace towards the ICAO for making rules that protect us from a golf club, baton or hiking pole wielding maniac. It is terribly inconvenient and perhaps life changing for Camino gear lost due to dangerous goods requirements and airline blunders. The history of Air Europa's customer service not withstanding, every airline works under massive control by multiple countries and organizations. Case in point, the restrictions at Heathrow and Schiphol probably caused massive fallout throughout the worldwide aviation system in every phase of flight including baggage sorting. If you think I am defending air lines, I am retired from 31 years as a pilot for a major US carrier. I have peaked behind the curtain and found "the best and times and (very rarely) the worst of times."
Now folks, fire away if you will, but as a Camino veteran, I learned at the Cruz de Ferro to give empathy and grace even if I wanted to lash out in frustration. I wish you all a Buen Camino in Spain, France, on the flight or on a bus.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

Hello friends,

I am posting this in case this has happened to anyone else on the way to the Camino. I am using a luggage service for my Camino, and my flight to Spain yesterday was quite messed up with challenges in Amsterdam. As a result, I was rerouted through Lisbon on a short connection and my bag with all of my hiking gear was lost. I’m in Madrid, and Air Europa has been less than helpful. Has anyone else dealt with this situation, and how did you route your luggage back to you on the trail?

So sorry for your problems! What does less than helpful mean? Do they have any idea where it was or where it last was? Hope you had insurance.…..

 

[C clearly]

What does less than helpful mean? Do they have any idea where it was or where it last was? Hope you had insurance.…..

The OP has reported that the bag has been found and will be delivered:

they found my suitcase! It looks like it will be delivered to my next location.

It sounds like they turned out to be helpful after all!

 

[henrythedog]

In the order of 6 or 7 bags per 1000 are delayed and do not arrive on schedule - although anecdotal ‘evidence’ suggests that may have increased this year through flight cancellations and re-routing.

I always check my bag; and will continue to do so although in my case it wouldn’t be a life changing issue if I had to be flexible for a few days.

It’s great to hear that the OP has found a short term solution and that he should be reunited with his luggage soon.

 

[StephenHLanark]

I check my poles, but never my backpack!

I’ve given up on poles for this reason

 

[RussB]

This is EXACTLY why I tell every single client NEVER to check their backpacks to Spain.
Home.. ok... but not TO Spain.
Lost bags are not as uncommon as you would think.

Agree 100% , I spent way too long sorting out the kit to check it in. Hopefully all gets sorted soon

 

[Mito]

I never check bags. Ever. On any trip I take. I like to travel with a minimum of stuff. As for poles…..they can be purchased cheaply in Spain.

I’m glad all is working out for you!

 

[Tandem Graham]

I'm glad that @AKCaminoDuck is to be reunited with his/her luggage. Sounds like a stressful preface to his/her camino.
For future reference: Decathlon's larger stores, usually on the edge of French or Spanish cities, have a good selection of walking poles, at less than the price of checking luggage into the hold.
I have no connection to Decathlon, but am surprised that more Camino pilgrims aren't prepared to travel even lighter to, say, Biarritz or Madrid then buy (at Decathlon) what they need to Camino, once they've seen the weather forecast.
A bit of tourism and kit shopping in your arrival city before travelling on to your Camino start point?

 

[pherrmann]

So, Anniesantiago. Just what are the numbers on lost luggage? You seem to believe it's more common than most people think but I'm wondering exactly how common. One in ten, one in a thousand, one in a million?

 

[Anniesantiago]

So, Anniesantiago. Just what are the numbers on lost luggage? You seem to believe it's more common than most people think but I'm wondering exactly how common. One in ten, one in a thousand, one in a million?

I don't know "what the numbers" are.
What I DO know is that I take groups of 6-8 people twice a year on the Camino and virtually every year, somebody's bag is lost. This annoys the hell out of me mainly because I have TOLD them not to check their bag and they do anyway - so I'm not too receptive to the tears - I'm over it.

This means that person has to deal with people who often do not speak English (I can not do it for them because I have 6 other pilgrims who need me), they often miss out on the first day or two of the trip they've paid for (because the rest of the group can't wait for them) while they sort things out from Madrid. They also are walking with only the traveling clothes on their backs and have to completely re-outfit, from backpack to walking clothes to shoes to medicines if they need them to toothbrush to razor to soap to on and on and on... It's a great inconvenience. Sometimes the bag shows up mid-trip and sometimes not. One person got his a couple of weeks after RETURNING to Portland, Oregon.

Now, if you have all the time in the world, and you have deep pockets, perhaps this isn't an issue.
But I council all members of my groups NOT to check their bags TO Spain.

:: But if you DO, and if your bags are lost, I just don't feel too supportive.
I guess I'm getting old and grouchy.

 

[Anamya]

I´m glad it´s being resolved!

I would do what was mentioned above: go to a Decathlon or another cheap sports store, get the most basic gear that fits me and start walking. From there, book accommodation from day to day so i'd have a place to direct the luggage once it finally arrived.

 

[Former member 102963]

I don't know "what the numbers" are.
What I DO know is that I take groups of 6-8 people twice a year on the Camino and virtually every year, somebody's bag is lost. This annoys the hell out of me mainly because I have TOLD them not to check their bag and they do anyway - so I'm not too receptive to the tears - I'm over it.

This means that person has to deal with people who often do not speak English (I can not do it for them because I have 6 other pilgrims who need me), they often miss out on the first day or two of the trip they've paid for (because the rest of the group can't wait for them) while they sort things out from Madrid. They also are walking with only the traveling clothes on their backs and have to completely re-outfit, from backpack to walking clothes to shoes to medicines if they need them to toothbrush to razor to soap to on and on and on... It's a great inconvenience. Sometimes the bag shows up mid-trip and sometimes not. One person got his a couple of weeks after RETURNING to Portland, Oregon.

Now, if you have all the time in the world, and you have deep pockets, perhaps this isn't an issue.
But I council all members of my groups NOT to check their bags TO Spain.

:: But if you DO, and if your bags are lost, I just don't feel too supportive.
I guess I'm getting old and grouchy.

As @henrythedog says it is less than 10 in 1000 which of course is no consolation for those impacted. ‘Lost’ is quite an emotive term of course, ‘Short shipped’ is an industry term. Often the luggage will get on the next available flight so when you get your bags (most peopee do get them) depends on the schedule. Of course the more connections you make across different airlines, the tighter the connection are, etc. all relevant!

 

[dick bird]

I think now might be a good time to close the thread. We have said pretty well all that needs to be said (and even that is a repetition of what is in other similar threads). Thank you to everyone for their comments and support and let's be happy the story has had a happy outcome.