A man from the GTA who flew to Jamaica to spread his late brother’s ashes was devastated to find the airline lost the bags containing the cremated remains.
Charles Matthews boarded an Air Canada flight to Jamaica to fulfill his brother’s dying wish to have his ashes spread beside their mother’s, CTV News reported.
In March 2023, Matthews flew to Jamaica with ten family members and his brother Conroy’s ashes packed in a checked suitcase.
Upon arrival, all of the travel party’s bags were retrieved except the one containing the ashes.
Matthews went back to the airport in Jamaica multiple times to fill out lost baggage forms, but did not find the suitcase, according to CTV News.
Upon returning to Canada the following month, Matthews reportedly contacted Air Canada about the missing case, but it was never returned to him.
In an email statement to Now Toronto, Air Canada called the incident “very unfortunate.”
Air Canada said it attempted to locate the bag but due to the “prolonged delay” between the incident and the report, the airline says it was unable to confirm its whereabouts nor determine how it was lost.
There are also limits within which compensation can be claimed which were exceeded in this case, the airline confirmed.
“It is regrettable the customer did not report it to us at the time it occurred, and instead only reported it to the airport and then Air Canada approximately three months after the flight,” the airline said.
Air Canada also noted that ashes are permitted on board aircrafts.
“We do allow people to travel with a loved one’s ashes. In fact, it is good practice for people travelling with cremated remains to carry them on board and keep them with them in the cabin,” the statement said.
According to Air Canada’s website, cremated remains are permitted in addition to carry-on allowance, and must be stored in a cardboard or wooden box or an urn made of a material that can be security screened.
