As Southwest prepares to resume normal flights, many travelers still searching for lost bags
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Southwest Airlines plans to resume normal flight operations on Friday, after canceling more than 13,000 flights since Dec. 22, due to what experts have said was a combination of a punishing winter storm, bad luck, and poor planning.
Meantime, many Southwest passengers are still struggling to be reunited with luggage that has piled up at airports, sometimes sent to their destinations even though they didn't go with it.
A mountain of luggage that had piled up at Midway International Airport was moved out of sight overnight, placed in a secure facility late Wednesday night, but there are still plenty of people still waiting to be reunited with their bags.
Some have gotten to know the airport very well while they wait.
At Southwest, bags might fly free, but it's costing people with canceled flights a lot.
"They could be anywhere. Mine, they're either here or Washington, D.C," Tom Gallas said. "I'm just coming back here every day to find out where they are, because I can't leave until I get them."
Gallas is on day 4 of searching for his bags at Midway. He spent the past two days in line, hoping to find his bags on the other end.
"Eight bags, and they can't tell where they are. Just show me where they are. I'll take them. I'll carry them wherever I have to go with them. Just let me get them. Let me see them. I know they're here," Gallas said.
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Fellow Southwest traveler Lakeischa Morgan said, "They don't really have a clue where my bags are."
Morgan spent Christmas at airports, and on Southwest planes that never reached her destination.
"I didn't get to see my family. I didn't get to see my grandchildren, or anybody. So it was hard," she said.
Christmas feels like it was stolen – and this time not by the Grinch.
"I'm not hearing anything about a compensation. I'm not hearing anything – you know, even when our flight's canceled, there was no accommodation provided," Morgan said.
Southwest Airlines plans to be back to normal operations on Friday, but reuniting every passenger and bag is taking time.
"It's a nightmare. It really is," Gallas said. "I ruined an entire week of vacation. Gone."
Gallas calculated the cost by each passing day at Midway.
"This is the fourth day I've been here, and I'm not coming back," he said.
If you're still missing your bags, you can fill out a baggage report on Southwest's website.
You might be better off just waiting for the airline to call about your luggage, rather than making multiple trips to the airport.