A family from Staffordshire has described the start of their Gran Canaria holiday as a "nightmare" after arriving at their resort without any luggage, following a baggage belt failure at Birmingham Airport on Friday, August 7. Jamie Johnson, her two children aged 15 and 20, and her 70-year-old mother were told their bags would be manually loaded onto their EasyJet flight, but upon landing at Las Palmas, they discovered that four of their suitcases had not made the journey.
Family left stranded without essentials
Ms Johnson, 48, said she and her family were left without clothes, toiletries, and crucial medication, including thyroid tablets for her mother. After landing, EasyJet instructed them to register their delayed bags individually on the airline's portal and with Menzies Aviation, the ground handling company. The process took so long that they missed their transfer bus and had to wait another hour for transport to their accommodation.
Once at the resort, Ms Johnson made multiple calls to EasyJet, spending up to 30 minutes on hold each time. She said: "I had to make a dash to a local supermarket when we got to our accommodation to get basic overnight toiletries such as toothpaste." On Saturday, she spent €400 on clothes, toiletries, and medication to tide the family over.
Frustration over poor communication
Ms Johnson expressed anger at the lack of communication from Birmingham Airport and EasyJet, stating she would never have boarded the flight if she had known her bags were not with her. She said: "We are away for 10 nights, although today is night two, so I feel I’m slowly losing my holiday to this nightmare. I am absolutely furious, but also baffled how this can go so wrong. Passengers should be given a choice because I 100 per cent would not have boarded that flight if I knew my bags were not with me. I simply want to know where my bags are, and furthermore, when we will receive them, and not one person can tell me that."
As of Sunday, August 9, the tracking app still displayed "tracing" for the family's bags, with no estimated delivery date provided.
Airport and airline respond
An EasyJet spokesperson said: "We’re really sorry that the Johnson family have been without their luggage during the first few days of their holiday. Due to a baggage belt failure at Birmingham Airport, their luggage was not loaded onto their flight on August 7. We have been working closely with Birmingham Airport’s baggage handling partner to reunite them with their luggage as quickly as possible. While this issue was outside of our control, we have contacted the Johnson family to offer support and apologise again for the delay."
Birmingham Airport issued an update at 7.20am on Sunday, stating: "Whilst issues are remaining, the vast majority of baggage is travelling as planned with passengers. We are working with our airlines and third parties to reunite luggage with passengers as fast as possible and we are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience and stress this has caused some of our passengers."
Wider impact on passengers
The incident is part of a broader baggage handling disruption at Birmingham Airport, which has affected multiple flights since the belt failure. Reports from other passengers indicate that dozens of suitcases have been delayed, with some travellers waiting days for their belongings. The airport has urged affected passengers to use tracking apps and contact their airlines directly, but many have criticised the slow response and lack of clear information.
For the Johnson family, the holiday has been marred by uncertainty and financial strain. Ms Johnson said she hopes their bags will arrive soon, but as of now, no timeline has been given. She added: "I just want to enjoy my holiday with my family, but this has cast a shadow over everything."
