Air Canada customers are speaking out about the airline's practice of intentionally removing checked baggage from smaller aircraft — to avoid exceeding weight limits — but not telling the departing passengers. "Their baggage claim agent said it's very common for bags not to get on a flight out of Kelowna," said customer Lynn-Ann Baumeister. "She said, 'We take bags off the planes every day.'"
Baumeister and her husband Roland's checked bags were removed from a flight in February, as they were waiting for the 93-seat Embraer 190 to depart from Kelowna, B.C., to Toronto.
"We had no idea, because nobody told us what they were doing," said Baumeister.
The couple were later told the bags were excluded to keep the aircraft within legal weight and fuel limits, a situation referred to in the industry as a "bulk-out." They ended up without luggage for days while on vacation in Barbados. (read more)
