A WOMAN has been forced to spend £700 on holiday emergency supplies after an airline lost her suitcase.
Jill O’Callaghan, 54, flew to Spain with her partner from Manchester on May 10.
The Wirral resident is desperate for answers as to where on earth the bag ended up
The Wirral resident is desperate for answers as to where on earth the bag ended upPhoto credit: MEN Media
But once she landed in Palma, Mallorca, ready for her well-deserved vacation, her suitcase was nowhere to be seen.
Despite numerous calls and emails to the airline TUI – which promised their luggage would arrive on the next flight – it was four days later, on April 14.
With only the clothes on her back, Jill had to swipe her £700 credit card to buy essential clothes, cosmetics and car hire to get through the holiday.
To add insult to injury, she says the saga made her panic because there was a compact mirror in the lost luggage.
The treasure is especially important to Jill as it was given to her by her mother, who tragically passed away in February.
The lost mirror is “playing in my head now” and Jill is genuinely worried that it’s lost.
As a result, the Wirral resident is now desperate for answers as to where on earth the bag ended up.
She explained how she and her partner were boarding the morning flight after some delays at the airport when they noticed her partner’s luggage on top of the airline carrying it to the hold.
“I laughed with my partner and said ‘that’s your case’ and never thought about it again,” she told the Manchester Evening News.
She added: “When we got to Palma my partner went through to collect our luggage. I could see him with his, but mine never made it through the conveyor.
“We spoke to the ground services team in Palma and were given a reference number which is said to be the golden ticket to understanding where the case is.”
But the bag was nowhere to be found, although the couple were told it would come “day by day” on the next flight.
Despite repeatedly contacting TUI on their website, Jill was unable to get a clear answer as to the whereabouts of her suitcase.
She was offered a mere £75 as an apology by the airline on May 13, but that has yet to be deposited into her bank account, she said.
The couple has since had to spend with their credit cards.
“TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST OF IT”
Main expenses were hiring a car for €70 a day to get them to the nearest shopping center where they spent £700 on essentials.
Jill added that trying to get through to Manchester Airport was “ridiculous” and there was “a disconnect with her traveling passengers”.
She slammed: “We don’t know if my luggage got lost. We are disappointed with the airport.
“We’re here for a week until Saturday and if we don’t hear from them I’m worried my suitcase will be lost.”
Jill added that despite the bag saga, she and her partner are “doing our best to make the most of our vacation.”
Manchester Airport was unable to comment on this as baggage drop-off is part of TUI’s service.
A TUI spokesman told The Sun Online: “We would like to apologize to Ms O’Callaghan for the delay in receiving her luggage.
“We understand how frustrating this is and apologize for any inconvenience. We are in contact with her and are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.”
A spokesman for Swissport (TUI’s appointed handling agent) said: “We are urgently investigating this situation and will work with our airline and airport partners to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”
Source: thesun