Complaints: Airlines serving SL, getting to airport, general airport issues

13/09/2024

09/09/2024

https://sierraloaded.sl/local/lungi-airport-sea-coach-luggage-tampering/.

A video featuring a distressed traveler, identified as Fatmata Samara, has gone viral on social media, raising concerns about the handling of luggage at Lungi International Airport and the Sea Coach service. In the video, Samara recounts her frustration after discovering that her suitcase had been t...

23/08/2024

It is not often in 2024 that an air traveling passenger has a suitcase broken into and items missing. However for passengers through Lungi the occurrences are not an exception.
Early this morning (with Turkish Airlines arrival of 23.08.04) a passenger reported the zip padlock fastening broken and a bag of cosmetic products (roughly of 50 euro value) removed from the suitcase. Upon complaining to the lost luggage section (2 places) she felt that the staff were rude and turned the tables acting as if they were the victims for receiving the complaint and not the passenger that had the items taken from and bag broken. The report expanded to the staff collecting the $25 security fee, leaving the remark of generally rude and unwelcoming airport staff (in contrast to the overall welcoming people of the country). The same passenger has entered SL in February and had the same experience with one expensive portable speaker missing from the suitcase then, as well. This time the passenger made every effort to protect the suitcase, but unfortunately the departing EU airport did not have a bag wrap facility (most passengers globally do not need to wrap suitcases as theft from luggage is not common practice).

16/06/2024

This is the trend on media concerning the chronic problem of missing luggage at Lungi Airport (of course the responsibility lies with Turkish Airlines, but the bad name is shared with the “Lungi Airport arrival” experience). The problem is known and persistent for years. However it seems it is accepted from major stakeholders and it is something our visitors simple must get used to and expect. Is this helping our reputation as a competing tourism destination? In recent (expensive) Fam trips for Travel Journalists, their luggage arrived as their mission ended. What will they write about? Is there really nothing that can be done?

17/10/2023

https://twitter.com/fandayturay/status/1714194643053683194?s=46&t=3zfFghKVfwfFOJIOVmKgDA

09/08/2023

This report arrived today from tourists that have faced inappropriate behaviour from our Immigration Officers at Lungi. Is this the way to “welcome” tourists in our country? Do we want tourism? Are we willing to do anything to stop this?

09/04/2023

This morning (again) the flight (TK 533) came without some passengers’ luggage. The person filling out the missing luggage forms at Lungi, was also rude. For a tourist who is coming for 7 days to our country, for the first time, and most likely has planned an itinerary outside of the capital, asking him to return in a few days and claim his delayed bag is “just too much”.

It has become a habit and frequent visitors have come to expect this probability as a repeated occurrence. Travel agents have started giving “warnings” to potential visitors that this may happen so they are more prepared. But it shouldn’t be this way.

If one can gather the total number of “missing luggage” forms filled per week/per month at the airport, we can assess the magnitude of the problem and plan strategies to mitigate this.
We cannot have a modern airport experience when luggage is routinely missing at arrivals.

04/04/2023

We may have a dazzling new airport, but Immigration Officers are clinging to their bad tricks. This report comes from an American tourist that is departing tonight. Is there something “we can do”? Is there something “we are willing to do”? There have been many similar complaints about the old airport. Together with a fantastic new airport, this is our chance to offer a great first and last experience of Sierra Leone.