13-1-2025 (SINGAPORE) A holiday homecoming turned sour for a Singapore-based finance professional after her carry-on luggage mysteriously disappeared during a Jetstar flight from Melbourne, resulting in losses estimated at $2,000.
Sarah Chu, 29, who works in the financial sector, was returning from a Christmas family visit when she discovered her cabin baggage had vanished from the overhead compartment upon landing at Singapore Changi Airport on 26 December.
“I was seated towards the rear of the aircraft, adjacent to the window, and dozed off during the flight,” Chu told our correspondent. “Upon arrival, I was shocked to discover my suitcase was no longer in the overhead bin where I had stored it.”
The incident prompted an immediate search of the aircraft, with cabin crew checking all available storage compartments and questioning other passengers about potential mix-ups. Despite these efforts, the luggage remained unaccounted for.
Chu spent more than two hours filing reports with both the airport’s lost and found department and police authorities, significantly delaying her journey home. “What should have been a straightforward evening turned into an exhausting ordeal that kept me at the airport until 9 p.m.,” she explained.
A regular Jetstar passenger, Chu expressed surprise at the incident, noting this was her first experience of missing luggage on any flight with the carrier. The airline has initiated a seven-day search protocol, though they have indicated that if no developments occur within this timeframe, the luggage will be presumed lost.
“While there’s a possibility someone might have mistakenly taken my suitcase, the lack of contact from either the airline or other passengers suggests it’s unlikely I’ll see my belongings again,” Chu remarked.
