They say travel broadens the mind, but sometimes, as in this case it just broadens your frustration with airlines. I’d heard the horror stories, of course – Lost luggage, days of waiting, having your suitcase, the one containing your essentials, vanish into the ether. But I always thought I was immune. After all, I’ve traveled more times than I can count, hopping between business and leisure destinations across the globe. I had my routine down—one of a seasoned traveler, comfortable with the unpredictability of air travel.
That is, until my recent trip to Wuhan, China, with Ethiopian Airlines. It was then that I learned firsthand just how fragile that sense of comfort really was.
I was traveling as a guest of TCL Technologies, attending their Air-conference in Wuhan with a multi city factory tour to follow. On paper, everything looked straightforward. Sure, it involved a long haul with multiple layovers: Johannesburg to Addis Ababa, then Beijing, followed by a domestic flight to Wuhan. But I’d done these kinds of journeys before, How different could it be?
Well, it was different. In a way that would haunt me for the entire trip.
The First Sign of Trouble
Arriving at Beijing’s airport after an excruciating 20-plus hours of travel, I felt the familiar pang of jetlag kicking in. I was dressed for the South African summer—shorts, flip-flops, and a just a hoodie to combat the outdoor chill of my shuttle trip to my hotel in Wuhan. A quick recheck of luggage was necessary for my domestic connection, but I didn’t expect it to take long. Yet, as I stood by the carousel for 45 minutes, tired beyond belief, I realized: my luggage wasn’t coming.
Trying to communicate with the airport staff in Beijing was an adventure in itself. Despite the influx of international travelers, the language barrier proved to be a formidable challenge. After a long, frustrating exchange at the luggage enquiries desk (which involved a language barrier so thick you could cut it with a knife), I finally learned where my suitcase had gone. Milan, Italy. Yes, somehow Ethiopian Airlines had decided that my bag needed a detour via the fashion capital of the world. After what felt like an eternity, I managed to file a lost baggage claim and headed to the domestic boarding gates for my final connecting flight to wuhan, hoping for the best.
The next day, I was forced to walk around Wuhan in my shorts, while the locals bundled up in heavy coats, scarves, and beanies. People stared at me like I had just walked off a circus float. I couldn’t blame them. Here I was, an oddity in their midst – sales assistants rushed to offer me hot Chinese tea, their faces a mix of concern and amusement. I felt like a celebrity, but not in a good way.
TCL’s marketing manager was kind enough to take me to a mall to buy some emergency clothes, which cost me around RMB6,000 (roughly R12,000). An unexpected expense, but at least I was no longer the guy everyone stared at.
Day Two: The Radio Silence from Ethiopian Airlines
By the second day, I was beginning to feel the effects of the stress. I had missed part of the conference due to exhaustion and, frankly, frustration. The worst part? I have a thyroid condition and had packed my medication in my checked luggage. A rookie mistake, I know, but I’d never encountered this kind of problem before. In hindsight, I learned the hard way.
Thankfully, the hotel staff, along with my host from TCL, stepped in and arranged to get my medication delivered to the hotel – I am forever grateful for their help.
As for Ethiopian Airlines? Well, they were still silent. My host had to send constant follow-up emails, just so I could be updated. Their apathy toward customer service was evident. They finally sent a representative with RMB730 (roughly R1,800) in compensation—nowhere near enough to cover the cost of the clothes, but a gesture nonetheless.
Airport Fiasco
On day three, I received the long-awaited news: my bag had arrived in Wuhan. Great, right? Well, not so much. The airline had done nothing to help get it from the airport to my hotel, so I was forced to take a 45-minute taxi ride to pick it up myself. Once at the airport, the language barrier resurfaced. Again, the airport staff seemed disinterested, and the airline’s representatives were entirely absent.
Once again, Michael, the hotel manager, came to my rescue, calling the airport staff and serving as my personal translator. After navigating the maze of airport counters and bureaucracy, I was finally reunited with my bag. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that Ethiopian Airlines had done the bare minimum, all while I had to jump through hoops to get what was rightfully mine.
The Return Trip: Not Much Has Changed
When it came time for my return flight, I was dreading the idea of flying with Ethiopian Airlines again. I didn’t expect the same nightmare, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I popped an AirTag in my luggage just for good measure.
Sure enough, we landed in Johannesburg, and the luggage didn’t arrive. This time, I wasn’t alone; other passengers were affected too. My AirTag showed the location of my bags in Addis Ababa, luckily we were back in South Africa and the claims process was smooth enough. I filed a lost luggage claim and went home. The bags arrived on the next flight, as promised, but the real surprise came when I tried to track them down.
After being told that my bags were already with the courier on its way to me – 5 Hours later, still no bags.I checked my AirTag and noticed that it was still at the airport. I decided to make the hour drive to the airport and after a frustrating back-and-forth with baggage enquiries and the courier company (both of whom insisted they didn’t have my bag), I ended up using the Find My app to pinpoint its exact location at the courier’s office, just 600m away from where I was standing! — The look of sheer disbelief on the faces of the courier staff when I walked into their offices and pointed to my bag was priceless. All they could do was shrug and mutter something about the airline’s incompetence in providing the wrong baggage notes.
Lesson Learned
By this point, I had enough. I had my bags and just wanted to head home. Ethiopian Airlines had provided me with no formal apology for the entire ordeal. Sure, they offered some compensation along the way, but it felt more like a series of empty gestures than real accountability.
I’ve traveled a lot, but this was a wake-up call – Rest assured, I’ll never make the same mistake again. I’ve learned that no matter how much you travel or how prepared you think you are, airlines like Ethiopian Airlines will always find a way to disappoint you when you least expect it.
In the end, I’m just thankful for the amazing people who helped me through this nightmare—especially Michael and the hotel staff in Wuhan as well as my incredible hosts at TCL . As for Ethiopian Airlines, I won’t be flying with them again anytime soon. You can bet on that.
