This article was updated on July 16 at 5:58 PM EST with a statement from GOAA.
On June 27, over 800 passengers were stuck at Orlando International Airport (MCO) waiting for their luggage due to weather delays. Similarly, in a separate incident on July 1 at the same airport, hundreds of passengers were made to wait several hours for their checked bags. However, this time, weather wasn’t the reason behind the delays. Both times, travelers were warned they couldn’t leave the airport without their luggage.
A Virgin Atlantic passenger told TheTravel that an airline employee told her she could be subject to “punitive actions” if she tried to leave without her luggage. Another passenger said that an employee told her she could face arrest if she tried to leave. The airline denied to TheTravel that any of its employees said this.
Now, Orlando Airport has issued a warning over more baggage delays. The airport’s latest advisory on social media states that weather could continue to cause delays.
Orlando International Airport’s Advisory On Bad Weather Causing Baggage Delays
On July 5, the Orlando airport warned that weather could cause flight and baggage delays.
“Due to weather conditions in the area, airline operations may be affected – flight/baggage delivery delays may occur. Please check with your airline directly for any updates regarding their operations,” the airport wrote on X.
The post went on to link to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Airspace System, which provides updates on airports around the U.S. As of July 6, the FAA states that a ground stop is possible — until 7:00 p.m. EDT — at Orlando International Airport due to thunderstorms.
According to the National Weather Service, Orlando is expected to see thunderstorms at night on July 6. The airport is frequented by Disney World visitors since it’s about a 20- to 30-minute drive from the theme park.
Previously, on July 1, “a mechanical system error” occurred in Terminal C, which “prevented bags from being processed in a timely manner,” the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA), which operates the airport, told TheTravel.
GOAA stated that the system was eventually restored, and the airport gave water to passengers who waited.
“We provided water to passengers who had to wait for long periods and apologized to them for the inconvenience. We would like to thank those passengers for their patience while they were delayed,” GOAA said in a statement to TheTravel.
A passenger who waited for several hours with his family said that he was told by an airport employee that he was not allowed to leave without his luggage.
Mechanical Failure Led To Baggage Delay At Orlando International Airport On July 1
Passengers told Channel 9 they waited several hours in the baggage claim area at the Orlando airport for their luggage on July 1. Passenger Peter Brizio confirmed the incident to the outlet. Brizio said that he, his wife, and their infant were stuck there for hours, and airport staff told passengers they could not leave without their bags.
“Completely just a zoo. There were just too many people. Additional flights were landing. No baggage was coming,” Brizio told Channel 9.
Peter Brizio said he, his wife, and their infant spent hours waiting behind the baggage claim area. Brizio said he asked an MCO employee if he could leave without his luggage.
“If it’s 30 minutes, an hour, just tell me. I’m a resident, I could come back. And she just said, ‘No, you can’t leave. You’re abandoning your luggage.’ I said, ‘I’m not abandoning anything,” Brizio said.
The airport said in a statement to TheTravel that the delays were caused by a mechanical failure that prevented luggage from moving through the airport’s baggage-handling system.
The airport said the disruption was “well below the expectation we set to serve our passengers.”
Brizio told the outlet that Customs eventually allowed him to leave without retrieving his luggage. Some passengers said they didn’t have access to food or water while they waited, although the airport stated they provided bottles of water to passengers.
Flights Were Grounded, Leading To Delays, After Thunderstorms At Orlando Airport On June 27
Three Virgin Atlantic flights were grounded at the airport due to thunderstorms on June 27, resulting in baggage delays for over 800 travelers. Carol Wick, who owns an international consulting firm, told TheTravel that a Virgin Atlantic employee said passengers could be arrested if they left without their luggage.
“I was told by Virgin staff I was not allowed to leave without my bags. I tried to file a lost bag claim so we could leave. She told me my bags were not lost and I would not be allowed to leave without them and anyone who did would be arrested,” Wick told TheTravel. “It was a young Virgin employee.”
In a June 28 Facebook post, another passenger, Jessica Watkins, said she had to wait for her checked luggage at the airport for over five hours. Watkins confirmed to TheTravel that her flight was from London Heathrow Airport (LHR).
According to flight data, the flight arrived 37 minutes late at 6:37 p.m., and Watkins said in her post that she left the Orlando airport after midnight. Wick was on the same flight.
A passenger stated in a reply to TheTravel’s previous article that, in addition to no seating, there was no food or water available.
GOAA denied threats of arrest from its personnel. A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson told TheTravel that it wasn’t one of their employees who told passengers they could be arrested, adding that there may have been confusion with MCO airport staff due to wearing visually similar uniforms.
Virgin Atlantic Employee Confirmed By Passengers
After the spokesperson’s statement, two passengers told TheTravel that it was a Virgin Atlantic employee, noting the employee’s red polo shirt with the airline’s name. One of those passengers said the employee was acting alongside an MCO employee.
Virgin Atlantic issued a statement that did not acknowledge the accusations, instead apologizing “for the inconvenience.” Albert Yonfa, an Orlando attorney, told Fox35 Orlando that the airport should have given passengers a document that “legally separates” them from their baggage so they can leave the airport and pick it up later.
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