American visitor to NZ’s luggage flown to Tahiti instead of Auckland due to Cyclone Gabrielle

Michelle and Gaelen Cole were surprised to see their luggage in Tahiti. Photo / Supplied

An American couple were left without critical medication and clothing in New Zealand after their luggage was accidentally flown to Tahiti.

Michelle and Gaelen Cole and her husband flew from Los Angeles to Auckland via Papeete, Tahiti with Air Tahiti Nui On Tuesday February 14, for a 17-day holiday in Aotearoa.

Fortunately, their flight was able to land on schedule on Tuesday morning, following a day of cancelled flights at Auckland Airport due to Cyclone Gabrielle. Unfortunately, their luggage did not make it off the plane. Instead, it returned with the plane back to Papeete.

“We had placed Apple trackers [Air Tags] in our luggage when packing our suitcases,” said Michelle, who was currently in Rotorua for three days with her husband, as part of an organised tour.

“According to the trackers we know these suitcases arrived in Auckland when we did,” she added. So, when their bags did not show up at baggage claim, they joined fellow travellers in filling out online lost baggage forms.

However, on Wednesday, when they checked the Apple tags app on their phone, they saw their bags were at Tahiti International Airport, more than 14,000 kilometres away.

“We assume that the baggage was never unloaded and the plane returned to Tahiti,” she said.

An Air Tahiti Nui spokesperson confirmed bags were unable to be unloaded due to dangerously high winds.

“All operations, including ground handling, at Auckland International Airport were suspended by AIAL after the flight arrived, and before it could be fully unloaded, because the wind speed was above 40 knots,” they said, adding this health and safety measure was outside their control.

“It was a very unfortunate situation that was wholly dependent on the adverse weather so we had no control over it and focused first on safety,” they explained.

Since the plane’s next flight had already been delayed, the plane had to leave.

“We couldn’t delay the Auckland-Papeete-Los Angeles flight departure as it had already been delayed from the original scheduled time of 3:00pm and didn’t leave until 6:57pm” said the spokesperson.

On Thursday morning, into the third day of their trip, Michelle said they had not heard anything from the airline and the mishap had ‘ruined’ their tour of New Zealand.

“At this time we are living out of our carry-on bags but we plan to buy essential clothes and pharmaceuticals In Rotorua today or tomorrow,” she said. However, Michelle said they were concerned they would be without essential prescription medication, including one that prevents Gaelen from having a stroke.

On Thursday midday, the Apple Tags notified the couple their bags were at Auckland Airport, but they were yet to hear anything from Air Tahiti Nui.

“While the trackers now indicate our bags are at Auckland International airport, we have heard absolutely nothing from either the airport or Air Tahiti [Nui],” Michelle said.

While airports facilitate the coming and going of flights, it is an airline’s responsibility to reunite passengers with their luggage.

“We hope they will catch up with us in Rotorua,” Michelle added.

According to the airline, their staff has worked hard to reunite passengers with their bags following the dramatic weather disruptions.

“Our airport team have worked tirelessly since Tuesday to repatriate bags,” they said, adding that bags on the Coles’ flight had arrived midday on Thursday.

“Bags will be repatriated to customers as soon as possible,” they said once they had been processed by MPI.

This story has been updated from the original published version, including comment from an Air Tahiti Nui spokesperson