- An airline passenger says his bag has been missing in Europe for almost four weeks.
- Justin Camilleri told Insider his bag has been to several cities, including Munich, Athens, and Venice.
- He flew Air Canada from Orlando to Venice to board a cruise ship.
An airline passenger with the inflammatory bowel disease Crohn's says he has been trying to get back lost luggage containing his medication for almost thirty days after it went missing on a flight to Europe.
Justin Camilleri, who flew with his mother and father from Orlando to Venice, Italy with Air Canada, said two of their bags which contained important medication have now been lost twice during the trip.
"They sent my luggage to about four incorrect locations including Munich, Athens, and last we heard it was in Venice," Camilleri told Insider.
The luggage was later misplaced again after the airline located it in Venice and tried to send it Camilleri's new location in Malta, he added.
Camilleri said he has been trying to get the bags back for 25 days. His family were able to get some free clothes and laundry washed onboard the cruise they later took from Venice, but have struggled to get through to Air Canada despite calling them multiple times, Camilleri told Insider.
"It's just a huge headache," he said. "I had to see my mother upset and on the verge of tears a few times. It usually takes about an hour or more to just get in contact with Air Canada."
Air Canada did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside normal working hours.
Camilleri is only one of scores of passengers who have had their baggage lost this summer amid chaotic scenes at airports around the world.
Another passenger — who also flew via Air Canada — told Insider she deliberately packed a carry-on bag specifically to avoid the chaos, but was later made to check the bag, which was then misplaced.
Both airlines and airports have been struggling to cope with surging demand for travel this summer with pandemic-era staff shortages still plaguing their ability to process a high volume of passengers.
A number of airlines have been forced to trim their flight schedules to avoid disruptions and delays.
Airlines across Europe, the UK, and the US including Delta, Lufthansa, and British Airways, have all made cuts to their summer schedules.
Meanwhile, luggage has also been piling up at airports including Toronto Pearson and London Heathrow amid the spat of cancellations.