Lost suitcase returned to traveller four years after going missing

A woman from Oregon has been reunited with her suitcase, which took a trip to Central America before returning to her home four years later.

April Gavin has given travellers with lost luggage hope after sharing her story on TikTok.

Gavin was flying from Chicago to Oregon with United Airlines after a business trip in August 2018. However, when she landed, it became clear her suitcase did not make the flight.

Initially, Gavin was offered a cheque as compensation but she said the amount, which she recalls being between $250 to $500, wasn’t enough.

“I didn’t feel that that value was anywhere near what was in my bag,” explained Gavin, who refused to cash the cheque. Instead, she continued to work with the airline to try and find her belongings.

Four months later, the airline said the bag’s whereabouts were a mystery, largely because it had not been properly scanned in at the airport, so there was no tracking number to trace. They provided a second cheque, this time for around $1,200.

“I felt that was much more reasonable,” she said, cashed both cheques and replaced most of her belongings.

Four years went by, and then, in early January Gavin was surprised to receive a phone call informing her that the luggage had appeared at Houston airport. Even more shocking, it had just arrived in from a flight from Honduras, in Central America.

“It was in Honduras. And who knows where else it went,” she said in the video. “But it came from Honduras. Went to Houston, Texas. They called me.”

@aprildgavin

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After all its travels, Gavin said the bag was a little damaged and worn but the contents inside were in tact.

In a follow up video, Gavin said she was happy people had found the unusual story ‘comical and interesting’ and was glad viewers could laugh along with her about the turn of events.

“That suitcase has traveled more in those 4 years than I have in my life,” one TikTok user commented.

“This is about how long it takes me to unpack my suitcase after a trip,” another joked.

One user suggested the airline should rename following the events.

“Should be Re-United Airlines, delayed but never forgotten,” they wrote.