Yellowknife (Aug 28/06) - After a long journey from Toronto on Air Canada and its partner airline Jazz, sisters Lacey and Brooke Taylor-Payne waited in vain at Yellowknife Airport's luggage carousel, only to discover their bags failed to arrive.

Lacey Taylor-Payne (left) and sister Brooke sit with their luggage. The sisters arrived last Monday on Air Canada Jazz. Unfortunately, their luggage didn't come to Yellowknife until two days later. - Jason Unrau/NNSL photo

Jazz began operations in Yellowknife for the first time this summer to much fanfare, but so far the Taylor-Paynes are not impressed.

"We were pretty cheesed off," said Lacey of having to wait until Wednesday for their stuff.

"I was disappointed that I didn't have clothes for the next two days," added Brooke.

Uncle Jim Taylor, with whom the sisters are staying until their parents arrive to complete the family's relocation, was also annoyed.

"At the very most it's a minor inconvenience but it seems like every time (a Jazz flight arrives) there's a lineup at the lost luggage claim," said Taylor whose own bags, along with his wife's were waylaid on a recent Jazz/Air Canada trip from Yellowknife to Halifax.

"This is really unacceptable, it's not like we or the girls had changed carriers (en route)."

When Taylor called Air Canada to try and locate his nieces' four bags, according to him the airline first said the bags would arrive Tuesday.

Then after Tuesday passed a second telephone call was answered by an Air Canada staff member who denied the bags were missing at all. The bags, including the girls' hockey equipment eventually were delivered Wednesday.

"If we had a hockey game or tryout Tuesday, it would've been a problem," said Lacey of the delay.

According to Air Canada Jazz, late arrival of passengers' baggage can happen for a number of reasons.

"Our goal is to have the luggage arrive with the customer (but with) a late arrival of a flight, it could happen that a bag could miss the connection," said Manon Stuart, Air Canada Jazz Manager of Corporate Communications who added that a security hold-up of baggage can also play a role.

"Baggage being waylaid in Edmonton has not been a problem as far as I'm aware of," Manon said.

"But with new enhanced security that has been put in force, we've seen an increase in checked luggage and definitely it plays into the entire scenario."

But City Lodge Bed and Breakfast owner Bryan Sutherland alleges that airlines flying in and out of Yellowknife have frequently dumped passenger luggage in favour of cargo.

"It has come to my attention that a large part of why luggage is not arriving in Yellowknife at the same time as travellers is because airlines are choosing to take paid cargo," he said.

"I'm appalled if this is happening and more so if no one does anything to stop it."

Sutherland added that most leisure visitors are here for only three to five days, making waylaid luggage a major inconvenience, especially for sport hunters. It has a negative affect on tourism, he said.

Canadian North spokesperson Kelly Kaylo said it was common practice among airlines to co-operate by shipping luggage to the North from other airlines.

"Frequently we will contact the next carrier involved to try and move baggage," she said. "In this example, has Air Canada come to us, possibly.

"We do the same thing as a common courtesy for our customers."

First Air said it did not transport Air Canada Jazz luggage.

Kaylo said that cargo-over-passenger luggage has never been its policy or practise for Canadian North.

"We never remove passengers bags in favour of cargo," said Kaylo.

"Clearly we never want to be in a position where we're separating passengers from their luggage.

"The only time bags are affected is when space on the aircraft is restricted by the total weight of the aircraft."

Kaylo said this situation can occur under a number of variables: The number of passengers; number of bags including excess baggage; the routing of the aircraft; and in the case of a combi-aircraft (planes fitted to handle cargo and passengers), cargo, as well.