CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Travelers are still dealing with the aftermath of widespread flight delays and cancellations by airlines over the past two weeks.
Bags can still be seen piled up at airports until airlines can contact passengers to get them to pick them up. Some people are now on week two of waiting for that phone call.
On Dec 23, 2022, Sharon Davies had her flight to Rhode Island from Charlotte canceled.
"I was going to spend Christmas with my mom," Davies said.
Since she wasn’t going to get on the plane, she thought she could just pick up her bag and go home, but she was wrong.
"When I came back down to get my bag from baggage claim, they told me they no longer had my suitcase," Davies said.
Davies was left without her bag for a total of 11 days. But once American Airlines told her to pick it up, she got in line in the baggage claim area. She waited in line for a little under 18 minutes, and then she had her luggage again.
"You shouldn't be happy just to get your bag," Davies said. " I mean, it's just stuff, but I'm happy I got my bag."
Despite flights getting canceled or delayed during the holidays due to an arctic blast that swept across the nation, airlines had bags loaded onto planes, which resulted in thousands of bags being flown across the country without their owners.
"We're coming from Cleveland, Ohio, visiting Graeme and trying to get back to Wilmington where we live," Katie Crosby, who had her entire family's luggage delayed, said. "But we had maintenance issues on our flight, and we missed our connecting flight.
Crosby and her family are still waiting for their bags.
For travelers who find themselves in a situation like this, here's some good advice: Keep the receipts. Airlines are required by federal law to reimburse travelers for reasonable and necessary items needed immediately while away from home without bags.
RELATED: No, airlines aren’t required by law to pay for hotels and meals when your flight is canceled
Not everyone will see their bags again, as there is a chance some bags will be outright lost. Airlines may have different policies to determine when a bag is officially lost.
Most airlines will declare a bag lost between five and 14 days after the flight, but this can vary from one airline to another.
If the luggage is officially deemed lost, the airlines are required to compensate passengers for the contents lost in the luggage.
There are restrictions on the payout. The U.S. Department of Transportation said this is subject to depreciation and maximum liability limits of up to $3,800, but airlines can reimburse passengers more at the company's discretion.
It's a good reminder to not put things of extreme value in checked bags in case it gets misplaced, stolen or lost.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.