Darren Stoppler’s anticipation of a relaxing start to his New Year’s Day vacation in Puerto Vallarta was disrupted by a two-hour flight delay and missing luggage. While onboard the WestJet plane with his wife and sister, passengers were informed about a weight issue, leading to the removal of bags from the aircraft. The situation escalated upon landing in Mexico when it was revealed that more than 70 bags, including Stoppler’s priority luggage, were left behind.
Despite being assured that his luggage would arrive the next day after filing a claim, Stoppler discovered through an Airtag tracker that his bag was journeying through Texas and Cancun. Faced with difficulties reaching WestJet for assistance, he eventually gave up after several days of unsuccessful attempts. The airline offered a meager compensation of up to $100 for the delayed luggage, leaving Stoppler to rely on borrowed essentials from his brother during the wait.
Monitoring the online luggage tracker proved futile for Stoppler until his wife and sister personally engaged with airport staff, prompting the discovery that their bags, along with his misplaced luggage, were in Cancun. WestJet then rerouted the luggage to Toronto before finally reaching Puerto Vallarta on Monday.
Another WestJet passenger, Stephanie Edwards, experienced a similar ordeal traveling from Regina to Puerto Vallarta with her husband. Despite checking in a bag and arriving early at the airport, their luggage was left in Regina without any prior notice from the airline crew. Edwards expressed disbelief at the situation, highlighting the inconvenience and stress caused by the unexpected delay in retrieving their belongings.
The incident has left both Stoppler and Edwards, along with other affected passengers, questioning their trust in WestJet. Acknowledging the baggage issues faced on the Jan. 1 flight, WestJet attributed the problem to various factors and assured affected passengers that their luggage is en route to Puerto Vallarta. The airline advised impacted individuals to file claims on their website for resolution.