Passengers arrived for their holiday with no luggage after their flight from Bristol Airport to Gran Canaria. They were left with no updates or essentials on what had happened when Ryanair had reportedly left every suitcase behind due to airport delays.
Holidaymakers aboard flight FR4757, which departed on Friday, July 18, were shocked to find they had no possessions upon arriving at their destination. A captain reportedly informed them that none of their bags had made it due to time constraints.
Bristol Live reports that among those on the plane was a group of 11 friends from Taunton who had travelled for a birthday and graduation celebration.
Madeline Cooper, 22, said everything seemed routine until touchdown. “We had absolutely no issues at all until we landed.
“Then the captain said they made the difficult decision to not bring any of our luggage,” she explained.
“They wouldn’t say what the security issue was – just that every single person’s bag had been left behind.”
The group soon realised they were not alone. “We were told today that it was 70 bags that didn’t fly. One pram made it across, that’s it,” Madeline added. “People didn’t even believe it at first – some thought it was a joke.”
Essential items left behind included medication, contact lenses, makeup and sun cream.
Sophie Payne, one of the group, suffers from severe asthma and was left without her inhaler.
“It was really stressful,” she said. “I take it twice a day and it gets worse at night. We’ve had to search for a pharmacy in an area we don’t know.”
The group are staying at the Cordial Green Golf Bungalows and said they were told luggage might arrive by Saturday night.
However, by the time of the interview at 6pm they said they had received no updates from Ryanair. “There’s been zero communication,” Madeline said.
“They keep telling us to use the app, but some older passengers don’t even have smartphones.”
The ordeal has already disrupted their plans. “We’ve had to pay €60 just to get to a shopping centre and back for clean underwear and essentials,” Madeline said.
“We’re all students – we can’t afford to keep replacing everything.”
With temperatures soaring and no suncream in sight, Sophie summed up the mood: “There’s a lot of burnt bodies around here.”
Outside of the group, others took to social media to express their frustration. One user posted: “Great start to the holiday as Ryanair decided to bring 0 of the suitcases from Bristol to Gran Canaria. No heart medication for me tomorrow.” Another wrote: “Currently in Gran Canaria with zero belongings.”
Despite the issues, the group remain hopeful their bags will arrive in time for their planned activities – including a birthday party, a visit to a water park and a private boat excursion.
This comes after passengers on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow to JFK, New York, found their suitcases covered in a brown substance when they came to pick them up.
The Express has contacted Ryanair and Bristol Airport for comment.