The unfortunate traveler whose skis had been lying around in the arrivals area of Montreal-Trudeau Airport for more than a week and who was reported by a reader of the protocolYesterday, eight days later, he was finally able to get his valuable goods back.
• Also read: Lost $10,000 worth of Air Canada ski gear: Journal reader finds luggage
• Also read: Equipment loss at Air Canada: His ski trip turns into a nightmare
At around 9pm yesterday, Laurent Tremblay finally received all of the lost equipment at home, ending a highly unlikely but bittersweet tale for the traveller.
Mr Tremblay returned to Montreal on January 9 from a ski trip in Switzerland. He had his ski equipment with him and that of his wife, who in the meantime extended her stay in Europe.
However, the equipment was not where it should have been, namely in the special baggage area. About fifteen other travelers were in the same situation as him.
They were told that the luggage had been off the plane but was lost at the airport.
Photo provided by an anonymous traveler
A detective
On Sunday night, Le Journal published an article on Mr Tremblay’s setbacks. When a reader arrived from a trip to the Dominican Republic around 2am Monday morning, she saw a notification about the article on her cell phone.
Recovering her belongings, the observant reader, who wished to remain anonymous, began checking the labels on the ski bags she saw among the many pieces of luggage grouped in the Specials section.
The third bag checked bore Mr Tremblay’s name. She took a picture of it, which she sent to the journal. Mr Tremblay then confirmed that it was his and his wife’s bag.
Photo provided by an anonymous traveler
Can’t get her
But the story would not end there.
Monday morning, Mr. Tremblay contacted Air Canada.
“I’ve been told in a heavy accent that it takes 24 to 48 hours to process requests after landing, even though it’s been over a week. I told them where my bag was and sent them a picture. They told me they understand my frustration and that their agents are looking for them,” the 26-year-old Montrealer said Monday.
Laurent Tremblay offered to meet her directly at the airport.
“They replied that it was possible, but I couldn’t be sure that they had found them. And I can’t pick them up from where they are because it’s in an international zone,” he lamented.
Desperate, he even wanted to ask pilot friends – or his wife, who is arriving next week – to pick up the luggage.
The Journal told Air Canada Monday morning that it would publish a second article on the situation and that photos of the piling up baggage have been circulating on social media for the past few days.
Photo provided by an anonymous traveler
It’s almost there
Finally, around midnight on Monday, Mr Tremblay received word that he would be receiving his equipment the next day. Once again, things turned out to be a little more complicated than expected.
A first notification informs him of the arrival of the carrier yesterday at 12:42 p.m.
“At 2:24 p.m. there is a message that the luggage will arrive at 2:00 p.m. Then, in another message, it was supposed to happen at 9:42 p.m. At some point I had to take the dog out. There (9 p.m.) he obviously arrived! ‘ says Mr Tremblay, who has had to stay at home all this time
Luckily he was able to speak to the driver who waited for him for a few minutes.
“If you’re not at home, your luggage will be returned to Air Canada,” explains the skier.
Dissatisfied
Laurent Tremblay puts his misfortune into perspective while emphasizing the importance of the problem. The luggage was in the customs area, where only travelers are allowed.
“It’s a problem for privileged people. I went skiing in Switzerland (you lose my skis), it’s not the end of the world. There are people who have medicines, medical equipment, real emergencies. What freaks me out is that anyone can take the luggage. When was the last time customs looked at your baggage tag?” he asks.
For his mishap, Laurent Tremblay was offered a 10% discount on his next flight.
“I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t think it’s enough,” the traveler wrote to the company. You compromised the safety of my expensive luggage when I entrusted this task to Air Canada. My luggage was left unattended for a week while travelers could take it as their own.
Laurent Tremblay wrote his message in English after being unable to speak to customer service in French on Monday, a situation he also denounced.
—In collaboration with Jeremy Bernier