Officials in Ottawa said they are working hard with airlines and airports to resolve the issue.

Sarah Formel's family vacation last week to Scotland to attend a friend's wedding was supposed to be one of those enjoyable trips. Instead, it turned into a "trip from hell."

That's because the family's luggage - including wedding clothes and their nine-month-old child's car seat - did not arrive on the Air Canada flight from Toronto to Edinburgh.

The family spent much of their week-long vacation shopping for essentials and trying to get answers from Air Canada.

Due to increased travel demand and staff shortages, some major Canadian airports have recently experienced long lines, delays, and flight cancellations.

Moreover, travelers complain about another major issue: lost luggage, which sometimes doesn't arrive during their journey.

Jonny Hertel, a WestJet passenger from Calgary, said, "It's frustrating." Her luggage arrived on Saturday - a week after her nine-day trip to Costa Rica.

Hertel's suitcase disappeared after she boarded the second leg of her flight from Toronto. Its contents included a $400 walking shoe and a sum of about $400 in cash hidden in a sock.

During her layover in Toronto on her way home, Hertel inquired about her luggage at the WestJet baggage claim office.

She said, "There were tons of bags placed there." "They don't have enough resources to address these issues."

When Harrison Burton, an Air Canada passenger, landed in Montreal on his way to Moncton on Friday, he was inundated with piles of unclaimed luggage.

He said, "It's a mess." "It's crazy. They need to fix this."

Burton did not find his luggage in Montreal and hoped it would show up when the plane landed in Moncton, where he lives. However, after three days, it still had not arrived.

On the other hand, the federal government has hired more border officers and security staff at airports to help alleviate bottlenecks, although Transport Minister Omar Alghabra blamed airlines somewhat last week, saying they must also "do their part."

Air Canada said most passengers arrive at their destination with their luggage but acknowledges that the number of travelers whose luggage does not arrive has recently increased. Many underlying reasons for luggage delays - such as workload buildup at airports - are beyond their control.

Airline spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said in an email, "When a plane is held at the gate due to a buildup of customs workload inside the building, it may not be loaded on time for its next flight."

"Rest assured that avoiding this issue is a top priority for us."

WestJet blamed the lost luggage problem on countless challenges including resource constraints, flight delays, and cancellations.

Company spokesperson Madison Krueger said in an email that the airline is "actively working to resolve" luggage delay cases.

Ian Lee, assistant professor in the business department at Carleton University, said all parties involved - airlines, airports, and the government - are responsible for the current chaos because they failed to properly prepare for the expected increase in travel after the pandemic.

He added, "They should have had an emergency plan: how we will handle training, retraining, and hiring new people?"

Alghabra said on Monday that bottlenecks at major airports have improved and that Ottawa is working with airports and airlines to address luggage delays and other lingering issues.

He added at a press conference, "We are dealing with this with the utmost urgency."

Under Canadian air passenger protection regulations, travelers with lost, damaged, or delayed luggage can file a claim for compensation of expenses incurred up to nearly $2,300.

Edited by: Dima Abu Khair