Nearly 1,000 passengers at Orlando International Airport experienced delays of over five hours waiting for their checked luggage following severe storms. The disruptions affected three Virgin Atlantic flights over the weekend, leading to extended waits in the customs area.
Travelers reported being unable to leave the customs area without their checked bags, a policy enforced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection known as "bags first." One passenger, Carol Wick, described her journey home from Croatia as a 48-hour ordeal involving multiple flight delays and cancellations before arriving in Orlando.
Conflicting accounts emerged regarding the treatment of passengers during the delay. Wick claimed that airport and airline officials threatened passengers with arrest if they left the terminal without their belongings. However, airport officials and Orlando police denied these claims, according to Fox35 Orlando.
Passengers described conditions within the customs area as lacking seating, food, or vending machines, with some resorting to sitting on the floor. The ground stop due to adverse weather lasted for approximately 90 minutes, followed by a period of lightning before operations resumed. While two Virgin Atlantic flights were processed, the baggage for a third flight did not arrive for several hours.
Virgin Atlantic issued an apology to affected passengers, acknowledging the frustration caused by weather conditions and the lack of amenities in the customs area. The airline confirmed that all passengers were eventually reunited with their luggage.