United Airlines passenger details bizarre journey of her lost luggage

@vszyb/Twitter

If your luggage was caught in the chaos at Canadian airports during the recent snow storms, you’re not alone.

There were plenty of travel horror stories that came out of the winter wallop, not just in Canada but also in the US.

One story that has gone viral online is of a United Airlines passenger detailing the bizarre journey of her lost luggage, showing just how helpful an Apple AirTag can be.

Valerie Szybala took to Twitter to share the strange wanderings her baggage went on.

“I’d just like everyone to know that United has lost track of my bag and is lying about it,” she tweeted.

“My Apple AirTag shows that it has been sitting in a residential apartment complex for over a day. Out back by the dumpsters, I have found other emptied United Airlines bags.”

I’d just like everyone to know that @united has lost track of my bag and is lying about it. My apple AirTag shows that it has been sitting in a residential apartment complex for over a day. Out back by the dumpsters, I have found other emptied United Airlines bags. pic.twitter.com/fcoq4nj3zb

— valerie szybala. (@vszyb) January 1, 2023

Szybala told Mashable that the United app had notified her that her luggage wasn’t on her flight from Chicago to Washington, DC, so she accepted the airline’s offer to deliver it to her.

This happened in the last week of 2022 amid thousands of flight cancellations as airports were battered by snow storms.

Szybala quickly regretted the decision to allow the airline to deliver her suitcase.

She tracked the baggage using the AirTag she had packed, which sends Bluetooth signals to Apple’s Find My app.

The suitcase left the airport on December 29 and seemed on course for delivery a few kilometres away, but it never made it to Szybala that day, reported Mashable.

Instead, she found it meandering around town, first stopping at a random apartment complex and then seemingly taking a lunch break at a Mcdonald’s before heading back to the mystery complex.

MAJOR UPDATE: for the first time since Friday my AirTag (and hopefully luggage) appears to be on the move… it’s at a McDonalds? The plot thickens… cc: @united pic.twitter.com/y8pDwb6VDd

— valerie szybala. (@vszyb) January 2, 2023

The next morning, Szybala checked the Find My app to find her suitcase “16 miles [25 km] outside of the city in the suburbs.”

She hoped that meant that it was finally being delivered to her, but instead tracked it to a shopping complex.

“It’s been sitting at this shopping complex for the past half hour so maybe it’s just out for another meal…” she tweeted.

Although, it’s been sitting at this shopping complex for the past half hour so maybe it’s just out for another meal… pic.twitter.com/zexN1dL6W3

— valerie szybala. (@vszyb) January 2, 2023

After her luggage went on a shopping spree, Szybala traced it back to the apartment complex.

At this point, she decided to take matters into her own hands and look for the lost luggage herself.

She says she was creeping around the apartment complex’s garage when she received a “sketchy” text message from someone who claimed to be with DCA Couriers United. She immediately called the number.

After creeping around the building’s garage with a little posse trying to get a signal, I stepped outside for service. That’s when I received this text message. It’s sketchy, and it doesn’t really match with what my AirTag tracking said, but I immediately called the number. pic.twitter.com/5IAs4cQq2u

— valerie szybala. (@vszyb) January 2, 2023

“The dude who picked up was around the corner, so he drove back to meet me near the building,” she tweeted.

“He looked a little surprised to have two news crews filming. He asked if he was in trouble or something, but at that moment I was too happy to have my bag back to ask more questions.”

WHEW this has been a wild ride y’all. I’m happy to report that I got my bag back!!! I’ll give more details & lessons learned later. For now wanna say thank you for all of the support, and shout out to the building resident and local news crews who came out to help =) pic.twitter.com/hCDXMreiDC

— valerie szybala. (@vszyb) January 2, 2023

“I don’t know that this guy was telling the truth, I suspect he was not. Nothing I’ve been told by this guy or United explains why my bag spent 3 days in an apartment complex garage, with occasional shopping excursions. I’d still like some answers,” she added.

Szybala had also messaged a United Airlines representative about her lost luggage, explaining the situation.

“Calm down your bag is at the delivery service,” the rep said.

Anyone wondering why I felt compelled to take this to social media, check out my most recent chat with one of their support reps through the @united app: pic.twitter.com/hxUu3jQaxj

— valerie szybala. (@vszyb) January 2, 2023

In a statement obtained by Mashable, United Airlines said in an email that they’ve been in touch with Szybala to discuss the situation and confirmed that she received her luggage.

“The service our baggage delivery vendor provided does not meet our standards and we are investigating what happened to lead to this service failure,” the statement reads.

Szybala shared some helpful takeaways that will hopefully save you from a stressful experience.

Thanks again for all of the interest and support. If I get any further interesting details I’ll report back, but for now I’ll end with some lessons learned: pic.twitter.com/R7OimNfwvV

— valerie szybala. (@vszyb) January 2, 2023

This isn’t the only story that has proved effective advertising for an Apple AirTag.

In November, a United Airlines passenger’s film gear went missing from his checked bags, but thankfully whoever took it also nabbed the AirTag he hid in his baggage.

Another woman tracked her luggage to an airport baggage handler’s home using an AirTag.

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