It's time for an update, and unfortunately, it's not a success story; it's a deep dive into the bureaucratic abyss of modern air travel.
Following our return from Hurghada to Cologne/Bonn (CGN) on Air Cairo flight SM2904 on November 1, 2025, six out of our seven suitcases vanished. But the real chaos started long before the bags disappeared.
The Check-In Nightmare: A Comedy of Errors
Our package tour, booked via a major tour operator, placed us with different airlines: CorendonAir outward, Air Cairo for the return. This meant zero control and no online check-in—we only had a voucher.
As we approached the check-in desk in Hurghada, the system, in a moment of perfect timing, crashed. After it finally rebooted, our queue moved slowly. When we finally reached the front (around 10:30 PM, with a 11:05 PM departure), the clerk's computer failed again.
The biggest irony? There were four managers visibly standing around, watching the issues unfold, yet offering absolutely zero assistance. They simply observed the slow-motion collapse.
Our check-in finally went through, but the baggage tag printer couldn't cope. After much struggle, one tag printed. The suitcase went on the belt. Then, the process broke down completely.
I noticed the lanes next to us weren't even loading bags onto the conveyor anymore; they were just getting labelled. This happened to us, too. We were rushed off with the classic, empty assurance: "Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Arrival: Welcome to Cologne and the PIT Stop
We arrived in Cologne at 4:00 AM. Unsurprisingly, only one of our seven bags made it. We weren't alone; the baggage hall was a scene of chaos. We filed the Property Irregularity Report (PIR: CGNSM10243) and drove home, exhausted.
The following day, we received an email from the local handler (WISAG) with our PIR number. That’s when the real misery began.
The PNR Black Hole: Bureaucracy as a Weapon
While the PIR proves the loss, Air Cairo requires a Booking Reference (PNR) to file the official claim on their system. Since our package tour only provided a voucher and no online check-in was possible, WE DO NOT HAVE A PNR.
We are now trapped in a vicious loop:
- Air Cairo: "You must submit the claim with a PNR."
- Tour Operator: (Silence, or vague instructions).
- Local Handler (WISAG): "We only track, we don't handle the claim."
We have sent multiple emails to everyone involved, but so far, no results. We are facing a seven-day deadline to file a formal claim, and the PIR alone, in the airline's eyes, seems insufficient to open the file.
Cynicism, Chaos, and a Wedding Ring
We will send more emails today, clinging to the slim hope of progress. While most of our lost items are replaceable, one of the missing bags belongs to our friends and contains a wedding ring. This moves the situation beyond mere financial inconvenience and into genuine, painful loss.
It seems the entire system—from the dysfunctional check-in to the non-existent management help, and now the weaponization of a PNR we never received—is designed to make the customer give up. Normally with a PIR you can track the status online. But that is only when the airline is connected to the system or mybag, which Air Cairo is not!
A cynical question to the travel industry: When will accountability become more important than the cost-saving practice of sending weary, late-night travellers off with a hollow promise?
If anyone has managed to successfully bypass the PNR requirement for an Air Cairo claim, please share your wisdom. We are desperate to break this loop. Probably if we would have picked another line or the system of our agent didn't mafunction, all our suitcases would have made it to Cologne :(
Cheers, Peter