Big White skiers left without gear after airline loses bags – Okanagan | 24CA News
It hasn’t been a easy trip for individuals trying to ski within the Okanagan. Not solely have they been impacted by flight cancellations however the gear they should hit the slopes isn’t making it right here both.
The Donnelly household flew into Kelowna, B.C. on a WestJet flight from Indiana just a few days in the past for a brief trip at Big White Ski Resort. However, not all of their baggage made the journey with them.
“Unfortunately those bags were our ski bags and we were expecting them a day later you know perhaps, but they haven’t yet arrived. Literally, when we got here we were in tennis shoes,” stated Maria Donnelly.
Not solely did their ski gear not make it, the household was additionally left with out their winter garments. Ever since they’ve been desperately attempting to get their belongings again.
“The frustrating part is that there’s no communication with WestJet, the website isn’t updating,” stated Donnelly.
“It’s not showing where our bags are and when we could have them and it’s impossible to get through on the phone.”
In a press release to Global News, WestJet says it’s attempting to do its finest to reunite passengers with their baggage.
“Our baggage teams across our network have a lot of bags to sort through after the large backlog of cancellations experienced over the holidays,” the assertion learn.
“But they are working around the clock to get them moving and delivered to our guests as fast as possible.”
The downside just isn’t unusual and Big White can be attempting to accommodate these with out their tools.
“We’ve dealt with delayed luggage, and lost luggage before never in this magnitude. What you’re seeing on the news right across North America is affecting us like every resort in North America,” stated senior vice-president of Big White Ski Resort, Michael Ballingall.
“We have a shuttle service that goes in and out of that airport 27 times a day, so we’re having a lot of bags delivered to us or we’re picking up a lot of bags. We’re acting like a central commissary for the entire resort.”
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The Donnelly household has lastly been in a position to benefit from the hill, after they are saying a dozen individuals supplied to lend them ski tools and winter garments.
“The resort is beautiful, the slopes are wonderful, and we had a chance to ski for two days,” stated Donnelly.
In the meantime, the household says their flight dwelling has additionally been cancelled they usually’re hoping that can give their baggage time to catch up, if just for the journey dwelling.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
