A holiday abroad is supposed to be smooth and enjoyable, but two travellers born in the 1990s, surnamed Pan and Sun, found themselves on a journey defined by one nagging question: where did the luggage go?

The pair said that just before last year's National Day holiday, they had planned to fly on an international connecting itinerary from Beijing to Milan, Italy, with a stopover in Brussels. Because Brussels Airport was hit by a cyberattack, the onward flight to Milan was cancelled, leaving the two bags that had been checked through directly to Milan stranded.

They then encountered a mistake by airline staff that caused further delays and extra losses, and one of the bags did not arrive back at their home in China until 20 days after their trip had begun.

After the trip, the two sued the Hainan-based company responsible for operating the first leg of the journey, seeking more than 10,000 yuan in compensation for the financial losses they incurred. A Red Star News reporter learned from China Judgments Online that the air passenger transport contract dispute has been decided by the Haikou Maritime Court. After hearing the case, the court ordered the Hainan company to pay the two travellers a total of 4,252 yuan for daily necessities purchased due to the luggage delay and for taxi fares.

The court found that Pan and Sun, both born in 1992, bought international connecting tickets sold by the defendant through a platform. The itinerary consisted of a flight operated by the Hainan company departing Beijing for Brussels, Belgium, on September 20, 2025, Beijing time, connecting on the same day to a flight from Brussels to Milan Linate Airport in Italy.

The two completed check-in and checked their luggage when they boarded the flight, and the two bags were arranged by the Hainan company to be through-checked to Milan Linate Airport. The flight was scheduled to arrive at 6:50 a.m. on September 20 but actually arrived at 7:27 a.m., 37 minutes late. The connecting flight was scheduled to depart at 9:25 a.m. on September 20 but actually departed at 10:43 a.m., 78 minutes late.

Of the 21 passengers on the first flight who needed to transfer to the connecting flight, all but Pan and Sun successfully made the connection. After arriving at Brussels Airport, the two missed the connecting flight. They said that because Brussels Airport was hit by a cyberattack that day, subsequent flights to Milan were cancelled, so on September 21 they bought tickets at their own expense for a flight from Brussels to Rome, spending 4,802 yuan.

Around September 20, 2025, Brussels Airport suffered a cyberattack that paralysed its departure systems, causing large numbers of bags, including theirs, to be stranded. Their checked luggage did not arrive with the connecting flight at Milan Linate Airport.

The two actually stayed at a hotel in Rome from September 21 to 23. On September 23, a staff member surnamed Xu from the defendant added plaintiff Pan on WeChat at 2:50 p.m. Beijing time to verify luggage information and follow up on the search. The Hainan company's staff told the two that one of the bags had arrived at Rome's airport. After receiving the news, the two checked out of the hotel at around 9 a.m. on September 23 and took a taxi to the airport at 11:23 a.m., spending 55 euros, about 461 yuan.

After arriving at the airport, they did not receive the luggage. After asking the staff member, they learned the information was wrong and the bag had not been sent to that airport. Later, after searching and coordinating, the Hainan company eventually returned the two checked bags to their home in China on September 29 and October 10, respectively.

Because of the luggage delay, Pan and Sun bought clothing, toiletries, suitcases and other daily items during their time in Europe to meet their daily needs, spending a total of 451.32 euros, about 3,791 yuan.

The court held that the case was a dispute over an air passenger transport contract. It found that the pair's decision to buy separate tickets lacked a causal link to the delay of the first flight, and that their claims for losses during their time in Rome were insufficiently supported. It therefore did not support their claims for 4,802 yuan in rebooking losses and 3,000 yuan in trip delay losses.

Regarding the 3,791 yuan in daily necessities purchased by the two and the taxi fare incurred when they travelled from the hotel to the airport because the defendant's staff provided incorrect information, the court supported the claims. In summary, in accordance with relevant legal provisions, the court ruled that the defendant Hainan company should compensate plaintiffs Pan and Sun 3,791 yuan for daily necessities purchased due to the luggage delay and 461 yuan for the airport taxi fare caused by the staff error.