The baggage of Transavia flight HV 6868 from Athens to Schiphol from yesterday afternoon has been handled, Schiphol reports on its website. However, this does not apply to the luggage of all passengers: the electric wheelchair of influencer and travel blogger Kris Switser (24) has not yet arrived. “I’m now on the brink of never flying again.”
The disabled Kris from Maarssen has been traveling through Europe for six months now. “From Scandinavia to Greece”, she tells NH NIeuws by telephone. “And always by boat, bus or train.” Along the way she does through Instagram report of her travelsand in no way negates its limitation.
When she is on one of the Greek islands, her wheelchair breaks down and she is forced to go to the Netherlands. Are there no Greek mechanics with knowledge of electric wheelchairs? “A Greek wheelchair user even advised me to go to the Netherlands,” she says.
“Two days ago I crossed through Athens”
Because she would like to continue her journey through Europe quickly, she books a ticket with Transavia. “I was already a little nervous,” she admits. Those nerves are mainly due to the fact that she does not have her wheelchair in her field of view on the plane.
“That’s why I wrapped my wheelchair in plastic, put rope around it and put a note on it [voor het bagagepersoneel, red.] with the request to handle the wheelchair with care. Because it’s my legs.”
Checking in and boarding went without any problems, says Kris. “I had asked every staff member to check if my wheelchair was on board, and even on board I asked to check it again. I was almost confident.”
‘Almost’ indeed, because once at Schiphol the positive feeling disappeared like snow in the sun. “When they asked where I wanted to go after arriving at Schiphol, I said I wanted to go to my wheelchair. But they didn’t even know I had a wheelchair with me, so I don’t know what went wrong.”
Article continues under Instagram post.
When she reports to the desk, she is told that her wheelchair is gone, and it is unclear how long it will be before she would see it again. “That could take months,” she says.
In addition, she has been warned that her wheelchair is damaged. “And then they asked if I could leave again, but I refused.”
After a long protest, she is offered a small wheelchair ‘from the year zero’ as a replacement. She has to drive it by hand, but because she has hardly any strength in her wrists due to her illness, she can’t.
Dependent
“I’m now at my parents’ house and can’t go outside. Two days ago I was crossing through Athens, now I depend on family and friends for my groceries.”
Telephone contact with Transavia has so far come to nothing. Under Kris’ Instagram post, the company says it regrets the loss of her wheelchair. “Hi, I’m really sorry that your wheelchair hasn’t arrived.”
Missing report
Kris is advised to fill in a form and send it in, on the basis of which a missing persons report can be drawn up. “Then the airport will search for your wheelchair. I hope that your wheelchair will be found quickly. We will then contact you as soon as possible.”
“The wheelchair is located in Athens, there were problems with the baggage system”
When Kris sees her wheelchair again, she wants to continue her journey. Her goal is to travel Europe in her wheelchair for a year. “First to Poland and Hungary, those countries are very beautiful to see. Krakow, I would like to go there.”
Good news
She could make that journey faster than she thinks, because Transavia informs NH Nieuws that ‘the wheelchair has been located in Athens’. “There were problems with the baggage system there,” said the spokesman. “The wheelchair will fly back to the Netherlands today or tomorrow”, she assures.
“I am very happy”, Kris responds to the good news. Even though Transavia wants to have it delivered to her home, she prefers to pick it up herself. “Because if something breaks, they can pass it on to the transport company. So I want to see for myself how it arrives in the Netherlands.”
The spokesperson says that the company is disappointed that it turned out this way. “It slips in between.” It would be an incident. According to the spokesperson, Transavia was not affected by the suitcase chaos at Schiphol.
Although Kris’ wheelchair was not left behind at Schiphol, but in Athens, much remains behind at Schiphol as well. Earlier this week, the trade union FNV raised the issue of the suitcase chaos at Schiphol. Every day so many suitcases and other personal belongings are not collected from the baggage belts that thousands of suitcases are now waiting for their rightful owner.
The pram mountain, of which photos came out earlier this week, is exemplary of the baggage chaos at Schiphol, according to FNV spokesman Joost van Doesburg. “The staff can no longer handle the large supply of suitcases left behind.”