Qantas Lost My Luggage for 5 Days — Here’s the Full Story
I've never done this before. I've never felt so passionately and egregiously annoyed by a company's lack of customer service that I felt compelled to call them out to the entire internet. I’ve questioned whether or not to actually post this but I guess there’s a first time for everything.
The calm before the storm.
We’re a military family, living overseas, which means our solo time together as a couple is limited and precious. This trip was meant to be a rare opportunity to relax, reconnect, and explore New Zealand. When you treat yourself to business class for comfort and reliability, you expect a level of service that reflects the price - and Qantas fell far short.
Instead, we spent most of the trip chasing updates, stressing over a missing suitcase, and shopping for cold weather essentials in a country heading into Spring. Add to that a government shutdown, unsure if my husband’s next paycheck would even arrive. When the bag finally arrived, it was damaged — missing two wheels and with a large dent.
The Flight That Went Smoothly — Until It Didn’t
Our journey began in Incheon, South Korea, flying with Asiana Airlines to Sydney. Upon arrival, our plane had to circle Sydney Airport for 55 minutes before landing. Our 1 hour and 40 minute layover quickly became much shorter.
Even so, our connection was from Gate 8 to Gate 10, a short distance. Two fully capable adults, navigated an unfamiliar airport, cleared international transfers and security checks and reached our Qantas connecting flight with time to spare - economy boarding hadn’t even started.
Upon arrival at Auckland Airport, my husband’s suitcase was among the first off the carousel. We cheered - relief that our luggage had also made the shortened connection. But after 45 minutes, my suitcase never appeared. At the 30-minute mark, I checked the Apple AirTag, and there it was: my luggage was still in Sydney.
I wasn’t alone. Several Australian Police Rugby Union players had missing luggage, including uniforms and gear. A line quickly formed with other passengers whose bags hadn’t arrived from Sydney.
Qantas Lost Luggage: Five Days of Empty Promises
We immediately filed a delayed baggage report and received a reference number, expecting the AirTag would help Qantas locate my luggage quickly.
We provided my husband’s phone number and email — the logical choice since he had the only international phone plan during our trip — yet even the agent filing the report misspelled the email and entered the wrong number. Incompetence from the beginning.
Mid-morning Thursday, we called and found out that my bag would “arrive on the 6’o’clock to Auckland tonight” and would be delivered to our hotel the next morning. Great! The Qantas baggage tracking page even showed that my bag was on flight QF145 to Auckland on October 23.
AirTag showing Qantas lost luggage still in Sydney
However, that flight that came and went, with no movement of my AirTag.
At 6:00pm Auckland time, my luggage was still in Sydney.
At 10:00pm Auckland time, my luggage was still in Sydney.
With seven daily Qantas flights from Sydney to Auckland, this delay was entirely preventable.
Over the next few days, we called Qantas Baggage Services repeatedly, often every hour, only to speak with a different agent each time. “We don’t know why it didn’t make the flight,” was the only constant during this ordeal.
Each time we were promised call-backs and emails that never arrived.
The AirTag still showed no movement, and each interaction felt like a dead end.
When “There’s No One to Call” Became the Answer
The one time I drink hot lattes - in business class flights where iced lattes aren’t available.
At this point, my husband had finally reached his breaking point with the endless cycle of phone calls and unhelpful agents. He asked a customer service agent if he could get the phone number for Sydney to speak with someone directly — clearly, calling from our end was going nowhere.
The agent’s response?
"There’s no phone number, there’s no one to call. I’ll send them another message."
In this day and age, that’s about the most millennial corporate response I’ve ever heard. You cannot convince me that a multi-billion-dollar international airline has no one to call when a customer’s luggage is stuck in another country.
This was a breakdown in basic operational accountability, leaving us to wonder if anyone at Qantas was actually paying attention to our case.
On Friday, October 24th, every call we made included a note that on Saturday, October 25th, we would be flying to Queenstown and the luggage would need to be sent there. Each agent assured my husband this was recorded — yet the baggage tracking site showed no update.
Silence and Shrugs: Qantas’ Response
Not once did Qantas proactively contact us - no calls, no texts, no emails.
After days of relentless calling and empty promises, I filed a complaint from my personal email, copying:
The Auckland delayed baggage team
My husband
Qantas Frequent Flyer email
CEO Vanessa Hudson and Chief Customer Officer Markus Svensson (BCC)
Two days later, the response arrived - inaccurate and insufficient, proving that escalation was necessary just to be heard.
For a company that markets itself as premium, this lack of accountability was disheartening especially after so many days of silence.
Arriving in Queenstown: Shopping Was An Essential Task
New sweater, new tee underneath and new-to-me thrifted shoes. These jeans are several days worn in, but literally every other piece of clothing I have in my possession has gone to the hotel laundry. Less than an hour in Queenstown and we’re off to shop for pants.
Upon arriving at our hotel in Queenstown, I immediately sent the few clothing items I had to hotel laundry — unavailable until Monday — meaning I would have to shop for essentials in the meantime.
While Auckland had been mild (50–60°F), Queenstown’s weather was harsher: rainy, temperatures in the 30s, and promises of snow. My lost luggage contained weather-appropriate clothing; my carry-on did not.
Under the impression that my luggage would only be a day late, I hadn’t overdone it with shopping. Unfortunately, now I had to. Purchasing new clothing was not optional. Beyond lacking clean clothes, I needed appropriate gear for the colder, harsher conditions.
As someone who loves building outfits as an art form, having to spend money because Qantas couldn’t account for my luggage was stressful and frustrating. With stores closing by 6:30 p.m. country-wide, the time crunch made it even more exhausting.
Qantas Lost Luuggage Finally Arrives — But Customer Service Fails Again
A snowy Queenstown.
On Sunday, October 26th, with just three days left of my vacation, I checked the delayed baggage website and discovered a surprise: not only was the destination updated to Queenstown, but a flight number was listed — the bag was scheduled to arrive by 3:00 p.m. that afternoon.
Unfortunately, we were in the middle of a tour, so I couldn’t retrieve it immediately. Checking my AirTag later, I confirmed it had indeed made it to Queenstown.
Not once, however, had we been contacted by Qantas — no call, no email, no text to inform us that my luggage had been rerouted or that it had arrived.
Later that evening, I received a Qantas Customer Service email in response to my Friday complaint. According to the email, my luggage had arrived on flight QF121 in Auckland — incorrect, since it had actually arrived in Queenstown.
By this point, the lack of attention to detail and basic communication was astonishing, highlighting a pattern of poor service and disregard for passengers’ time and plans.
The Long-Awaited Arrival — With Damage
Damaged suitcase after Qantas lost luggage delay
Finally, after five long days, my luggage arrived in Queenstown. Relief quickly turned to frustration as I inspected the suitcase: it was damaged, missing two wheels, and had a large dent. This was not just a minor inconvenience — it was evidence that Qantas had mishandled the bag during transit.
The delayed arrival meant that my trip had already been disrupted. I had spent precious vacation time and money shopping for clothing I had packed and paid for months in advance. Instead of enjoying New Zealand, I was consumed with trying to make the best of a situation entirely caused by the airline.
Holding Qantas Accountable
Qantas calls itself the “Spirit of Australia.” But after this experience, that spirit felt more like silence — no updates, no ownership, and no empathy for travelers left stranded without their belongings.
I wasn’t asking for luxury or perfection - just honest communication and basic accountability, especially after paying for business class service.
Losing luggage can happen anywhere, but how an airline responds defines its service. In this case, Qantas failed, not because the bag was missing, but because of the days of silence, false promises, and poor handling.
My husband says companies won’t change — that we can’t change their lack of customer service. I disagree. Companies can change, and they must be held accountable. In every job I’ve held, I understood the importance of treating customers with respect, correcting inconveniences quickly, and righting wrongs. It’s not just good service — it’s a reflection of integrity, trust, and the values a company claims to uphold.
Do I believe the customer is always right? No. But accepting the level of service we received as “normal” teaches future travelers that such treatment is acceptable. If we remain silent, if we accept poor service as inevitable, companies have no incentive to improve.
I believe we all have the power to influence change by sharing our experiences, asking for accountability, and refusing to settle for negligence disguised as “standard procedure.” Companies that ignore their customers will eventually be left behind; those that listen, adapt, and take responsibility thrive.
Businesses need to do better.
And the only way that happens is if we demand it — not just for ourselves, but for every traveler who comes after us. Speak up, share your story, and hold companies accountable. Change doesn’t come from silence — it comes from action.
