Canada Luggage
#1
Original Poster




Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 35
Canada Luggage
I'm not a fan of simply posting to open a can of worms. But, I have seen a pattern. In my ten trips through Canada, 100% of them have experienced baggage problems.
My airport experience is Vancouver, Calgary, and Kelowna. On my current trip through Calgary, the arriving flight left one bag on the airplane. After 90 minutes and repeatedly showing them the air tag location, they finally went to the airplane and retrieved my luggage. Departure flight was 49 minutes late and the pilot repeatedly said with frustration they are still loading luggage. It was a 7:00 a.m. flight and there was barely anyone in the airport. My other flights all have similar problems and worse.
A simple internet search revealed similar experiences throughout Canada. I was told by a Canadians, the union is very strong. The airlines have major labor problems as a result. Unifor Local 2002 and Teamsters Canada seem to have a stranglehold on baggage labor with no prospect of improving quality of service.
Canadian airports are beautiful and I get a good price connecting through Vancouver. But, unless I overnight, connection is not possible.
Just my two cents.
My airport experience is Vancouver, Calgary, and Kelowna. On my current trip through Calgary, the arriving flight left one bag on the airplane. After 90 minutes and repeatedly showing them the air tag location, they finally went to the airplane and retrieved my luggage. Departure flight was 49 minutes late and the pilot repeatedly said with frustration they are still loading luggage. It was a 7:00 a.m. flight and there was barely anyone in the airport. My other flights all have similar problems and worse.
A simple internet search revealed similar experiences throughout Canada. I was told by a Canadians, the union is very strong. The airlines have major labor problems as a result. Unifor Local 2002 and Teamsters Canada seem to have a stranglehold on baggage labor with no prospect of improving quality of service.
Canadian airports are beautiful and I get a good price connecting through Vancouver. But, unless I overnight, connection is not possible.
Just my two cents.
Last edited by profguy; Jan 4, 2025 at 2:11 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB PLT again afater a decade as plebian
Posts: 22,938
Not sure which airline you were flying on but if it's WS, Onex is probably trying to squeeze as much savings out of everything that they can (classic LBO strategy). Used to have a 20-minute wait guarantee but since the buyout, a lot of service has been cut and widely-held to be much, much worse in all departments.
#3
Original Poster




Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 35
Mine have been Westjet, Air Canada and Delta. The details of each problem clearly indicate structural problems and not simply profit squeezing. The same airlines in other countries have almost no problems. Mexico City and Milan have similar problems, but not nearly as bad as Canada.
#4




Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YXU/YYZ
Programs: AC SE, AMEX Plat, Marriott Gold, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 649
I really have never had problems when I do have checked baggage flying in and out of YYZ. Now, flying out of YYZ, I basically never need to make a domestic connection, so that may be the reason. I can say that I have never had a bag issue on a direct flight to/from YYZ. I have had several problems, however, with United connecting to AC flights in ORD and DEN with bags being left behind in those airports. Instances where that happened were usually IROPS with unexpected tight connections or routing changes.
You seem unfortunately unlucky here...is there a pattern of flights that you can think of? Like tight connections or interline bag transfers?
You seem unfortunately unlucky here...is there a pattern of flights that you can think of? Like tight connections or interline bag transfers?
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Earth. Residency:HKG formerly:YYZ
Programs: CX, DL, Nexus/GE, APEC
Posts: 11,078
I'm not a fan of simply posting to open a can of worms. But, I have seen a pattern. In my ten trips through Canada, 100% of them have experienced baggage problems.
My airport experience is Vancouver, Calgary, and Kelowna. On my current trip through Calgary, the arriving flight left one bag on the airplane. After 90 minutes and repeatedly showing them the air tag location, they finally went to the airplane and retrieved my luggage. Departure flight was 49 minutes late and the pilot repeatedly said with frustration they are still loading luggage. It was a 7:00 a.m. flight and there was barely anyone in the airport. My other flights all have similar problems and worse.
A simple internet search revealed similar experiences throughout Canada. I was told by a Canadians, the union is very strong. The airlines have major labor problems as a result. Unifor Local 2002 and Teamsters Canada seem to have a stranglehold on baggage labor with no prospect of improving quality of service.
Canadian airports are beautiful and I get a good price connecting through Vancouver. But, unless I overnight, connection is not possible.
Just my two cents.
My airport experience is Vancouver, Calgary, and Kelowna. On my current trip through Calgary, the arriving flight left one bag on the airplane. After 90 minutes and repeatedly showing them the air tag location, they finally went to the airplane and retrieved my luggage. Departure flight was 49 minutes late and the pilot repeatedly said with frustration they are still loading luggage. It was a 7:00 a.m. flight and there was barely anyone in the airport. My other flights all have similar problems and worse.
A simple internet search revealed similar experiences throughout Canada. I was told by a Canadians, the union is very strong. The airlines have major labor problems as a result. Unifor Local 2002 and Teamsters Canada seem to have a stranglehold on baggage labor with no prospect of improving quality of service.
Canadian airports are beautiful and I get a good price connecting through Vancouver. But, unless I overnight, connection is not possible.
Just my two cents.
Speaking of unions, my grandkids still have not received some of their presents and we have three Christmas cakes from Collins St Bakery 5 weeks overdue.
#6

Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: SQ*G, AY*S
Posts: 22
It's difficult to tell if lost/delayed bag trends are getting worse (unless someone knows where you can get good data from), but I have also experienced baggage issues with two recent flights originating at YYZ:
2024/11/20 - Mom flew YYZ-SFO. Her gate-checked carry-on was left behind and only came on the next flight.
2025/01/01 - I flew YYZ-SFO and one of my two priority-tagged checked bags was left behind. Several other passengers on the same flight were also missing their bags (including a family going on a road trip whose car seats didn't make it!). AC delivered the bag to my front door the following day.
SFO staff were lovely but acted kind nonchalant, as if they were used to handling baggage delay queries.
2024/11/20 - Mom flew YYZ-SFO. Her gate-checked carry-on was left behind and only came on the next flight.
2025/01/01 - I flew YYZ-SFO and one of my two priority-tagged checked bags was left behind. Several other passengers on the same flight were also missing their bags (including a family going on a road trip whose car seats didn't make it!). AC delivered the bag to my front door the following day.
SFO staff were lovely but acted kind nonchalant, as if they were used to handling baggage delay queries.



