"THE LOST BAG DRAMA"

Photos by Aimee and CupOfCouple

Whenever you travel, you expect your suitcase to land on the same flight you were on, right?.  Airlines have the responsibility to keep your bag as safe as possible and obviously, to place it on the same flight you are on.  

I went to Ibiza on Monday for a trip organized by MANGO where fellow bloggers Aimee, Chiara, Gala, Jules and I got to spend some time together. I landed in Ibiza at around 1:00 pm but when I went to collect my luggage, my bag wasn't there. Mistakes happen and I am aware of that. I know that sometimes, the connecting flights are so short, that it doesn't give airlines the time to change a bag from flight to flight, but they normally try to send it on the next possible flight, so the traveller spends as little time without the missing bag -and all his/her belongings inside-.

I assumed that my bag would be on the next flight, and that I was going to be able to pick it up later that day. I guess I never really realized how incredibly inconvenient it is to be traveling without my belongings...I waited all day, called the airline -Vueling- about 10 times and they kept telling me -and I quote- that they had NO IDEA where my bag was. Wait! NO IDEA?, how can they have no idea? Surely they have a computer system where they can enter my bag's code, the one they gave me when I checked in, that way they could locate it right? WRONG! They said they didn't have a single clue where my bag was.

It was getting late and I was more worried about my every day necessities, like tooth paste and tooth brush, my underwear, face moisturizer, my hair brush and makeup, damn! My makeup was also inside the bag and we were going to get filmed and photographed during the whole trip/event-. Was I going to be the only girl there without a drop of makeup on? Right...I managed to go get some toothpaste/brush, underwear, deodorant, shampoo and few other hygiene goodies to survive the night, since the airline kept telling me it wouldn't arrive on that day, but maybe the next day. Maybe? yeah, they didn't have a single clue where my bag was, so maybe tomorrow, maybe not.

On Tuesday -second day- pretty much the same thing happened. We kept calling vueling, they kept saying they didn't know where my bag was, but not only that, whenever we demanded to know more information, they hanged up the phone, yes, thats how they roll, no costumer service at all. 

We finally managed to get some information out of them, which was that my bag "might" be landing on the 2:00 pm flight. At this point, I was starting to get really anxious. I didn't have any of my clothes with me, I couldn't do my makeup or hair and the worst part was, the airline was so incredibly rude and frustrating to talk to, because they weren't willing to help, they couldn't care less if I got my bag or not.

Hopeful that my bag would arrive on the 2:00 pm flight, off I went on a 20 minute drive to the airport to collect my bag. Once I arrived, I literally ran to the "lost baggage" desk, just to find out that they didn't send my bag and when I asked; But where is my bag?, they said: We don't know, but it might arrive on the next flight. I felt relieved to hear that so I asked them; When is the next flight?, to what she replied: Its tomorrow at 8:30am. TOMORROW?! I leave tomorrow!!!

Tomorrow came -my last day in Ibiza-, but after over 30 phone calls, -in which few times they hanged up on me saying they' were busy doing other things-, they kept saying they couldn't tell me where my bag was. My flight back home was at 4:00 pm so I was hoping that when I arrived to the airport at 2:00 pm, my bag was already going to be there waiting for me but it wasnt... Somebody, I don't know who, had "forgotten" to put my bag on the next flight to Ibiza for the 8th time, but this time, the  man at the Iberia counter felt pity for me as tears of frustration came rolling down my eyes and told me he "thought" my bag have been stranded in Barcelona all along, but that he was going to "try" to get them to send my bag back home.

I felt really defeated and frustrated as I was walking down to the check in area, holding my hand luggage and my purse...As I was checking in, the lady at the counter asked me: Do you want to check in any bags ?, HELL NO! I thought, but instead I said: I wish I had luggage to check in, but your airline lost my bag, feeling like the tears were about to come out again -Lock it down Andy!- and off I went...

After a connecting flight in Barcelona, I arrived home few hours later, without my bag and with one thought; I will NEVER flight with Vueling again, yes, I said NEVER.

To the Vueling costumer service: You should be ashamed of the service you provide your costumers. How dare you to hang up on them for asking you where their luggage is, luggage that YOU LOST!. How on earth, at this day and age, can you say that you don't know where a bag is?. Do you expect me to believe you cant track luggage?. Do you not have this little box we call a computer with a system that can find lost bags? ... I am not the only person you have done this to. After what you did to me, I have done my research and found that you do this to a lot of people, no only loose their bags but provide NO COSTUMER SERVICE AT ALL, NO HELP AT ALL and on top of everything, you are RUDE AND ARROGANT TO THEM. Shame on you Vueling, you are the worst company I have ever dealt with, shame on you...

To the girls and to the MANGO team: Thank you SO MUCH for letting me borrow few of the things I needed during those 3 days, I really, really appreciate it!