A new mum is having a ‘horrendous’ Spanish getaway after being without any luggage for NINE days when her flight left Manchester Airport without loading any bags onboard.
Kathryn Palmer has had to cancel a four-star hotel and stay in four different hostels in a week, and is also dealing with her baby son having a severe allergic reaction to his nappies. To make matters worse, she says she still has no idea when she will get any of her four bags back — with the airline having only located two, as of Tuesday afternoon - some nine days after she left the UK.
The Iberia Express flight to Madrid last Sunday night (September 11) set off without bags due to a shortage of handlers, the airline said on Wednesday . The company said it ‘regretted any inconvenience caused’ — but that will come as cold comfort to the 34-year-old teacher from Whitefield.
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“It’s been horrendous. It is awful,” she told the Manchester Evening News . Kathryn was travelling with her friend Tammy, and 16-month-old son Jenson.
The nightmare began when she landed in Madrid, at around 2am Spanish time, on Monday (September 12) morning: “I have my 16-month-old baby crying with me, and it’s a massive airport. We had to get a train to the other terminal [to collect our bags].
“We went to the carousel and it said Manchester on it, but shortly after we saw a few passengers crying. Other passengers said that we needed to go to the desk.”
That was because none of the bags were loaded onto the plane as planned, Kathryn and the other passengers found out. It led to ‘chaos’ at the arrivals desk, other passengers told the MEN.
Kathryn said: “There were more than 50 passengers at the desk. They said it could be 24 hours, or three days. We were in the queue for an hour, so we lost our transfer and we had to pay for another hotel instead of going to Toledo.
“On Monday they said ‘we have no idea'. We had a four-star hotel in Toledo booked. With the uncertainty of baggage we decided to cancel the hotel to save the money for essentials.”
Among the essentials Kathryn and Tammy were missing were the baby’s nappies and anti-rash cream. Jenson is allergic to most nappies, and can only use one particular brand in the UK, Kathryn explained.
Unfortunately, that is a brand which the mum has been unable to find in Spain. It’s meant that her son is in pain and has developed a rash — and what little anti-rash cream Kathryn had in her hand luggage has been used up.
“He has a rash all over him,” Kathryn continued. “We have not been able to see a doctor because we have no money. They said we would get compensation within seven days, but it could be 30 days.
“We are on the last bit of money. We have had to spend it on clothes and essentials for him. It’s been a complete nightmare.
“Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for us. We have come to enjoy ourselves. We are not children, we have had a really bad previous two years, for personal reasons as well, so we have come just to let loose and we are not able to do that.”
Iberia Express has been approached for comment. On Wednesday (September 17) it issued the following statement about the troubled flight: “On the 11th of September on flight IB3693 MAN-MAD, the checked baggage could not be loaded onto the aeroplane due to the lack of handling agents from our handling provider in Manchester.
“Upon arrival in Madrid, we informed all of the passengers about the lack of checked luggage and, as you said, it was explained to them that all essential expenses incurred can be claimed back and reimbursed by the company once they have been analysed.
“Also, I would like to point out that, in order to track the status of the luggage search, passengers should fill out a document called a Property Irregularity Report (PIR), to receive a claim number that then can be used to manage this matter.
“Tonight, we are operating the first MAN-MAD flight since Sunday (I23693 MAN-MAD 14SEP 21:15-0:45H) in which all of the bags will be regularised and delivered to the passengers as soon as possible. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.”
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