Air Canada loses luggage of Ukrainian couple that fled the war

While hundreds of airport travellers have been left with horror stories following challenging holiday travel, the timing could not have been worse for a couple from Ukraine.

Alex and Mila had fled their war-torn country with only their precious belongings, photographs, and other items in their suitcases. They caught their flight from London to Vancouver and were able to eventually connect with their daughter in BC, but their luggage has not been found.

“When you flee from war with only two bags, you try to take the most important items for you as that is everything you can bring with you,” Alex and Mila’s daughter Olya told Daily Hive.

Daily Hive has chosen to not use her last name for privacy concerns.

Air Canada lost my parents luggage. All of their life belongings are in there that they were able to save from Ukraine. No response from air canada staff at Vancouver Airport and impossible to get through to Air Canada central baggage line. @AirCanada

— Olya M (@OlyaM83339285) December 27, 2022

The couple arrived in Canada on Christmas Day and were among the 100 other passengers from their flight alone who were left without their luggage.

“Air Canada employees were not helpful and seemed like they were running away from the crowd. My parents were not able to get Air Canada’s incident number,” she said, adding that her parents have poor English and were unable to get any answers.

They left Vancouver for Kelowna, which will be their new home, hoping that they would hear good news about their suitcases.

Olya says that she has been working to get in contact with Air Canada since Christmas Day but as she is in Kelowna, and the luggage is believed to be sitting at the Vancouver International Airport, she is unable to simply go in person to check.

“I have been calling Air Canada’s central baggage team to create a lost baggage case and probably called 100 times. They are not even placing my calls on hold.” Olya says she was “finally placed on hold” for five hours before the office closed for the day.

Photos and videos of luggage graveyards at several Canadian airports, including YVR, have made the rounds on social media in recent days.

Many were told to come back and pick up their bags once the weather woes cleared up. But for her, this is not an easy task.

“Vancouver Airport told me to just come and search for their bags on our own at the airport, but it’s kind of difficult as we have to drive or fly to Vancouver and I have a newborn and my parents got sick,” she said.

She says in addition to the precious family memories from their life in Ukraine, her parents had also brought gifts for the baby, to form new memories in Canada.

Air Canada has not yet responded to Daily Hive’s request for comment.