Dublin
“Complete chaos”: Traveler buys new plane ticket to look for his suitcase at the airport
Baggage chaos at the airport
© ALEXANDRA WEY / Picture Alliance
Travel chaos at Dublin airport: A man had to buy a ticket for a flight who never wanted to fly – so he could search for his missing suitcase. The airport operator admits to have completely misjudged.
In the middle of the holiday season there is chaos at many airports in Europe. Long queues, annoying waiting times and lost suitcases are just as common as delayed or canceled flights. Many travelers wait for their luggage for days or even weeks – often with no idea where their suitcase is.
In Dublin, a traveler took matters into his own hands to search for his luggage. Dermot Lennon returned from a trip to Australia at the end of June. However, he first had to go home without his suitcase. After hearing nothing for a week, he returned to the airport himself to look for his suitcase. In order to gain access, however, he had to buy a new ticket himself, he says in a radio interview – although he had no intention of flying.
Dublin: 18 euros for a ticket
Only a limited number of people were allowed into the zone where the lost suitcases were kept, Lennon reported. Security checks would have caused additional delays. “There was complete chaos,” he said, describing the conditions at the airport. So the Irishman bought the cheapest plane ticket available because it allowed him to go straight from the gate to the baggage carousel. He paid 18 euros for a flight to Glasgow that he never wanted to take.
After hours of wandering around and searching, Dermot Lennon finally managed to locate his suitcase – in the midst of thousands of pieces of luggage, as he says. Some would have been there a month, judging by the date stamps. Apparently without anyone picking them up or handing them over to the owners. The airport in Dublin itself does not take care of the luggage, the airlines are responsible for that and they are completely overwhelmed.
Airport operator has reduced staff
But the airport also suffers from a significant shortage of staff. The head of the airport operator DAA admitted to having underestimated the “dynamics of recovery” after the travel cancellations in the Corona period. This year, compared to the pre-Corona times, only 70 percent of the airport staff are working. For this reason, a so-called “triage” regulation was introduced at Dublin Airport: Only travelers who take off flights within the next two and a half to three and a half hours are allowed into the terminal.
Sources: RTE / “Business Insiders” / Reuters