We’ve all heard horror stories about passengers arriving at their destination only to find out their luggage was sent to a different location, or worse — discovering that their belongings have been damaged or lost entirely.
For some, traveling via a commercial flight comes with the anxiety of wondering whether their bags will make it to their rightful destination. And while airlines promise to take care of your valuables, these types of stories aren’t so reassuring. Take for instance Sally — who goes by @s1llys4ally on TikTok — a Southwest Airlines passenger who experienced a double-whammy on one of her travels.
In a post shared on Oct. 18, Sally revealed that Southwest Airlines lost the guitar she traveled with, and it never made it to her destination. They then promised to ship the guitar via their delivery service. Her guitar arrived, but there was a major problem. When Sally opened the guitar case, she was horrified to find it soaked through, with a strong stench of urine wafting from the inside. To make matters worse than it already was, she had her mother’s ashes stored in the guitar case as well.
Sally said she spoke to several people from Southwest Airlines about her complaint, but she felt as though they were not taking her situation seriously, especially since it’s a biohazard. “I touched this with my bare hands trying to figure out why my guitar is soaking wet, and I have cuts on my fingers,” she said. After filing an official report, Sally was told to wait 30 days for a response. So, she shared the TikTok video hoping it would get the issue resolved more quickly.
People are fuming over the outrageous treatment
As of writing, Sally’s post has received nearly 8,000 comments. People were outraged on her behalf, with one exclaiming, “they WHAT” in disbelief over how horribly her luggage had been handled. Some urged her to consult a lawyer, while others were sympathetic to her situation and offered heartfelt apologies.
On Oct. 21, Sally shared an update where she gave more details and answered users’ questions about the incident. She and her friend were able to capture a video of the moment she opened the guitar, and she said the inside was completely saturated. She also acknowledged some comments about her seeming to be more concerned about her guitar over her mother’s ashes. So, she courtesy to replace her guitar.
Sally also shared how important the guitar was to her. She lost her mother to COVID-19 a few years back, and her grandmother also passed away. The one thing that helped her cope was her music, and she always traveled with that guitar. “It’s more than just a fun thing for me. It’s really a necessity,” she shared. Fighting back tears, Sally said she had to take her mother’s ashes from the bag, a painful but necessary step, in order to keep the bag for evidence. She ended the video by thanking the commenters for their kind words and support while expressing the hope the issue will be resolved soon.