Qantas loses bag then charges $380 excess luggage fee for the replacement items

After Qantas lost Corrinne Olsen’s bag, it gave her a toothbrush. Then it stung her $380 in excess luggage fees for the replacement items she bought before the bag turned up.

A Sydney woman says she will never fly Qantas again after it lost her baggage for a week then slugged her $380 in excess luggage fees on the return trip for the replacement items bought before the missing bag materialised.

Three hours after Corrinne Olsen and her husband Peter’s bag failed to appear at Denpasar airport on July 2, staff at the terminal gave them $60, a set of pyjamas and one toothbrush.

In the following days, the couple attempted to get updates on the missing surfboard “coffin” bag, which also contained toiletries, shoes and other travel essentials.

But the online tracking process didn’t work and there was no telephone number to call.

A week after they had arrived in Bali and five days before their departure date, the bag turned up.

Corrinne Olsen and her husband have vowed never to fly Qantas again. Picture: Justin Lloyd

By this time, the couple had already replaced the missing items.

When they went to check in for their return flight to Sydney on July 14, they were hit with a $380 charge for 11kg of excess luggage.

The Olsens attempted to explain the situation to a Qantas employee at the airport only to be told that “either you pay or you stay”.

Mrs Olsen told The Daily Telegraph this week she was stunned.

“Why should I have to pay for excess baggage when they lost the luggage?” she said.

“I was so disappointed on so many levels. I think Qantas is going down the gurgler. “I will never travel with them again — ever.”

Corrinne and Peter Olsen during their Bali holiday.

Qantas has been in the spotlight over baggage handling since it sacked 2000 ground crew during the pandemic in an outsourcing move the Federal Court has since ruled was illegal.

Then, at Easter this year, the airline’s “mishandled” bag rates blew out to double pre-Covid levels, which it said was due to staff shortages caused by Covid and flu.

Michael Kaine, national secretary of the Transport Workers Union, which brought that outsourcing legal action, told The Telegraph: “Who does Qantas management think it’s fooling?

“Passengers are without luggage and flights are delayed or cancelled because there’s no ground staff.”

After The Telegraph questioned Qantas over the Olsens’ treatment, the airline said it would reimburse the excess luggage fee.

A Qantas spokesman said: “We accept that these customers shouldn’t have to pay excess baggage in these circumstances and have provided a refund for the additional charges.”

But the airline stood by its process, saying the charge would have been refunded if the Olsen’s had made an application once they were back in Australia.

Mrs Olsen said she doubted this, given the Qantas app still reported that the airline was looking for their bag until July 19 and was still “being prepared for delivery” on July 20.

In future, when flying with other airlines, Mrs Olsen said she would place trackers in her luggage. These start at about $20 each.

At no stage did the couple ask to be reimbursed for the replacement items they bought while their bag was missing.

But Qantas said it would also pay the Olsens $60 per person for each day they were without the bag — up to a cap of $180 each — so a total of $360.

Earlier this week, Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said mishandled bag rates this week were at eight per 1000; the pre-Covid rate was seven in 1000.