Please be advised that there was a baggage handlers trike on Saturday 6th November. I am on holiday and have still not received my luggage from the airport...who say it will be delivered to the hotels.
It is a total nightmare...no one gives any information...and the strikes may go on every saturday in november....i have rung my travel company Cosmos...the baggage handlers...Iberian..the British Consulate...no one can help...my luggage is not lost but they are holding it at the airport and won`t allow me to collect it.
Over 6000 people were affected last saturday....so if you are travelling to gran canaria on saturdays do not but anything valuable in your luggage...you may not see it again.
I feel that I have been robbed...my holiday has been completely ruined...yes i have have travel insurance but i did not expect to spend 3 days in the airport trying to get my luggage.
So please please tell anyone you know to find out what is going on....Monarch airlines said that there was a problem with the baggage handlers when we landed at Las Palmas on Saturday at 19.40 but gave the impression they had only just found out...but they were planes stacked up on the taxi ranks and people had been waiting for their luggage in the airport since 14.00 so i find it difficult to believe that the airplane did not know of the problem.
Even if my luggage arrives at the hotel i could find that when i return home on saturday the baggage handlers will be on strike agin and therefore baggage will not be loaded on the plane.
A TV presenter at the airport told me that Iberia would in that case arrange a special cargo plane to take all luggage to Madrid and redistribute from there.
What a Nightmare.....I have been to Gran canaria 5 times....a sixth visit seems highly unlikely
I always thought you were given an amount for emergency items when these things happened?
No certainly not...Most travel insurances carry a delayed luggage clause as well as a lost luggage clause
This vares considerably ...from as little as 75 pounds for delayed luggage.
Yes we have purchased a few clothes...but i also needed an electric shaver (ordinary razors cut me to bits), a phone recharger, sun lotion, medicines etc
Of course shopping, cab fares etc is all taking time out of the holiday....i did not plan a weeks hols to spend 2 1/2 days in the airport, another day and a half shopping....its a complete nightmare.
My travel company Cosmos said to claim on my insurance----other than that they have done absolutely nothing to help....unlike other tour operators (who have made efforts,successfully, to extract luggage on behalf of their customers from the airport)
Of course you have to buy the items yourself and claim the money back from your insurers later and we all know how long that can take....so most of my holiday money has been spent of clothes and other essentials
Its friday and we still haven`t got our luggage and we fly back tomorrow.
I certainly won't recommend COSMOS if you are planning to come to Gran Canaria....consider First Choice or Thompsons....they seem to look after there customers better.
This vares considerably ...from as little as 75 pounds for delayed luggage.
Yes we have purchased a few clothes...but i also needed an electric shaver (ordinary razors cut me to bits), a phone recharger, sun lotion, medicines etc
Of course shopping, cab fares etc is all taking time out of the holiday....i did not plan a weeks hols to spend 2 1/2 days in the airport, another day and a half shopping....its a complete nightmare.
My travel company Cosmos said to claim on my insurance----other than that they have done absolutely nothing to help....unlike other tour operators (who have made efforts,successfully, to extract luggage on behalf of their customers from the airport)
Of course you have to buy the items yourself and claim the money back from your insurers later and we all know how long that can take....so most of my holiday money has been spent of clothes and other essentials
Its friday and we still haven`t got our luggage and we fly back tomorrow.
I certainly won't recommend COSMOS if you are planning to come to Gran Canaria....consider First Choice or Thompsons....they seem to look after there customers better.
Oh and just to give an example of how different tour operators work
A rep in our hotel works for a small belgian company.
She told us that they only had 3 flights into Las Palmas on saturday morning but they made sure that all passengers were provided with water whilst waiting for their luggage and that no passenger left the airport without their luggage...and achieved within a few hours-
all their lter flights were diverted to Tenerife to avoid the baggage choas and the tour company arranged transfers across to Gran Canaria by Hydrofoil for all their customers.
This appears somewhat different to COSMOS Tenerife tour rep were said "You should read the small print, we have no rep in Gran canaria"!!!
A rep in our hotel works for a small belgian company.
She told us that they only had 3 flights into Las Palmas on saturday morning but they made sure that all passengers were provided with water whilst waiting for their luggage and that no passenger left the airport without their luggage...and achieved within a few hours-
all their lter flights were diverted to Tenerife to avoid the baggage choas and the tour company arranged transfers across to Gran Canaria by Hydrofoil for all their customers.
This appears somewhat different to COSMOS Tenerife tour rep were said "You should read the small print, we have no rep in Gran canaria"!!!
Hmmm 
I know my friends luggage was delayed when she went to the Dom Rep and they gave her cash for essentials, but as you say each TO has their own rules. 
I know my friends luggage was delayed when she went to the Dom Rep and they gave her cash for essentials, but as you say each TO has their own rules.
If your insurance company only covers £75 for essentials and they take a long time to settle claims maybe a better policy would be in order.
Thanks for the heads up jwc. Frustrating as it is, I wonder why are you spending time and money going back and forth to the airport to locate your luggage? The airline will bring the luggage to you as and when it arrives. I presume you gave all your details at the airport to the handling agent when you realised your luggage was not available to you?
Also, remember for the future not to put medicines in hold baggage, this is always advised.
Also, remember for the future not to put medicines in hold baggage, this is always advised.
Well thanks for the replies.
Now safety back in the UK
In response to madsue the reasons for going back and forth to the airport were to get information as to what was going on, what was being done to sort out the mess and when would it be sorted.
Arrived 19.40 Saturday... I phoned local agent who said 2 options:
1. go to hotel and come back next day (at own cost) or
2. wait for luggage which could take 3-6 hours to get Luggage.
I decided on option 2 but after 6 hours and no luggage I found out that baggage handlers didn't start work tlll 7 the next day (something the local agent would or should have known)
Another call to the agent resulted in "get on the 2am bus to the hotel and go back to the airport tomorrow or you will have to make your own arrangements to the hotel".
SO NONE THE WISER (LIKE EVERYONE ELSE) I GOT THE THE COACH TO THE HOTEL AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT THE NEXT DAY FOR ANSWERS.
But as this affected over 6000 people the queues were so long it took over 8 1/2 hours to to speak to an Iberian representative
and get:
a) a PIR document (Which they did not complete correctly)
b) To establish that they were going to try and get the luggage delivered to the hotels by monday or Tuesday but they could give no guarantees.
c) They told me to ring a tel no on the PIR form on Monday to see when my luggage would be delivered but they gave the wrong (Unanswerable) number so I had to go back again on Monday and they gave me a new number to ring but the receiver kept putting the phone down on everyone. continued
Now safety back in the UK
In response to madsue the reasons for going back and forth to the airport were to get information as to what was going on, what was being done to sort out the mess and when would it be sorted.
Arrived 19.40 Saturday... I phoned local agent who said 2 options:
1. go to hotel and come back next day (at own cost) or
2. wait for luggage which could take 3-6 hours to get Luggage.
I decided on option 2 but after 6 hours and no luggage I found out that baggage handlers didn't start work tlll 7 the next day (something the local agent would or should have known)
Another call to the agent resulted in "get on the 2am bus to the hotel and go back to the airport tomorrow or you will have to make your own arrangements to the hotel".
SO NONE THE WISER (LIKE EVERYONE ELSE) I GOT THE THE COACH TO THE HOTEL AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT THE NEXT DAY FOR ANSWERS.
But as this affected over 6000 people the queues were so long it took over 8 1/2 hours to to speak to an Iberian representative
and get:
a) a PIR document (Which they did not complete correctly)
b) To establish that they were going to try and get the luggage delivered to the hotels by monday or Tuesday but they could give no guarantees.
c) They told me to ring a tel no on the PIR form on Monday to see when my luggage would be delivered but they gave the wrong (Unanswerable) number so I had to go back again on Monday and they gave me a new number to ring but the receiver kept putting the phone down on everyone. continued
The Iberian office also failed to put an all important PIR ref number on the form which was apperently needed to be quoted if anyone bothered to answer the phone...I tried dozens of times as did the hotel customer services
Note that my tour operator COSMOS were doing sweet FA
WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY THE LUGGAGE NEVER ARRIVED...SPENT OUR HOLIDAY MONEY ON CLOTHES AND OTHER ESSENTIALS...WE FLEW HOME WITHOUT LUGGAGE AND WILL NOW MAKE A CLAIM.
Will probably get a refund on the money spent in a few months but I don't know about compensation for a totally ruined hoilday.
But hey the purpose of this to really to pre warn and advise others so hopefully it won't happen to you and you enjoy your hard earned vacation
Note that my tour operator COSMOS were doing sweet FA
WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY THE LUGGAGE NEVER ARRIVED...SPENT OUR HOLIDAY MONEY ON CLOTHES AND OTHER ESSENTIALS...WE FLEW HOME WITHOUT LUGGAGE AND WILL NOW MAKE A CLAIM.
Will probably get a refund on the money spent in a few months but I don't know about compensation for a totally ruined hoilday.
But hey the purpose of this to really to pre warn and advise others so hopefully it won't happen to you and you enjoy your hard earned vacation
I was stuck on an aircraft for five hours during one of these striking saturdays. To say its a joke is mild, If they are striking then do just that and airlines can contract another supplier either temporarily or permanently. However they provide a minimum service which they usually say will omit cleaning and may prolong the turnaround by 50% so 15mins to 30mins more, although the reality is very different.
When we arrived the steps would not be placed to the aircraft until busses appeared(the driver just say crossed armed in his cab) however they would not come until steps had been connected to the aircraft Chicken and egg... The baggage handlers just parked their truck in the way of the refuelling truck and refused to move it, they then proceeded to move one bag every 10-15 minutes it took about 3 hours for one aircraft to be unloaded of bags let alone inbound bags to be loaded.
Having just watched a commercial endorsing the canary islands and compelling me to go and escape the winter weather (and play with this lovely looking friendly polar bear) I am inclined to avoid these islands for a holiday and never return. I would think before booking a holiday and spend my money elsewhere. The staff at Iberia are striking due to cutbacks yet they or their unions don't realise that even more will happen as a result of these childish protests. Strike if your going to or work don't play childish games with steps,offloading bags etc..
When we arrived the steps would not be placed to the aircraft until busses appeared(the driver just say crossed armed in his cab) however they would not come until steps had been connected to the aircraft Chicken and egg... The baggage handlers just parked their truck in the way of the refuelling truck and refused to move it, they then proceeded to move one bag every 10-15 minutes it took about 3 hours for one aircraft to be unloaded of bags let alone inbound bags to be loaded.
Having just watched a commercial endorsing the canary islands and compelling me to go and escape the winter weather (and play with this lovely looking friendly polar bear) I am inclined to avoid these islands for a holiday and never return. I would think before booking a holiday and spend my money elsewhere. The staff at Iberia are striking due to cutbacks yet they or their unions don't realise that even more will happen as a result of these childish protests. Strike if your going to or work don't play childish games with steps,offloading bags etc..
jwc - where did you fly in from? We were supposed to fly out ot Manchester on Saturday 13th but Monarch claim our flight was diverted to Tenerife because off the strike and only landed at midnight ( we should've taken off at 20:35), and as their rep at the airport (who worked for Iberia - the same as the baggage handlers) couldn't find any accommodation so we were left there all night, finally taking off at 4pm on Sunday. Fly with Monarch? Never again
Flew from Gatwick
I was quite a surprise to see how different tour operators looked after their passengers
I saw some reps (working for non uk tour companies) at Las Palmas giving out water to their customers and advising them of the situation and what they should do.....I managed to get some water from these helpful peopl
My holiday company/airline (Cosmos/Monarch) where nowhere to be seen and not in the least helpful.....i felt i was on a backpackers holiday...might just as well have been as it was pretty much "your on your own mate" and "if you've no luggage claim on your travel insurance"...no thought whatsoever that the holiday was completely ruined....all stress no relaxation
I was quite a surprise to see how different tour operators looked after their passengers
I saw some reps (working for non uk tour companies) at Las Palmas giving out water to their customers and advising them of the situation and what they should do.....I managed to get some water from these helpful peopl
My holiday company/airline (Cosmos/Monarch) where nowhere to be seen and not in the least helpful.....i felt i was on a backpackers holiday...might just as well have been as it was pretty much "your on your own mate" and "if you've no luggage claim on your travel insurance"...no thought whatsoever that the holiday was completely ruined....all stress no relaxation
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