Air NZ passengers who mistakenly took wrong bags go to extrordinary lengths to return luggage

The bag that Kiri Ipolito thought was hers.

A man who accidentally took the wrong but identical luggage bag after arriving in Wellington on an Air New Zealand flight from Brisbane has revealed the astonishing lengths each party went to return their possessions.

On Monday, Wellington woman Kiri Ipolito, who was on the same flight as passenger James Sauvao, told the Herald she grabbed the last bag off the carousel - which she thought was her bag - only to get home and realise her mistake.

“I went to go look in it and then it was someone else’s tag, and then I opened it and I knew from the top of the clothes it wasn’t mine,” Ipolito told the Herald.

She had been one of the last people off the plane, and had assumed the only bag that looked like hers, was hers - but unbeknown to her, another man had already got off the flight and done the same thing, grabbing a bag he thought was his and leaving without checking the luggage tag.

It turns out both parties had purchased an identical bag from Kmart the night before their flight.

Ipolito was desperate to find her luggage as it contained clothing for her mother. She was also hopeful she could return the bag she picked up to the rightful owner.

But in the end, the mistake wasn’t initially made by Ipolito - instead, in his own words, it was Sauvao who accidentally took off with the wrong bag first.

The moment James Sauvao realised it wasn't his bag.

It was reported on Monday the pair got together to return the bags. But since then Sauvao, the other party involved in the quirky mix-up, contacted the Herald to reveal it took a drive across the lower North Island to be reunited with each other’s belongings.

“I actually opened up my bag the day after my flight. It was only when I opened it I realised it wasn’t my stuff,” he explained.

After tracking down and confirming Ipolito was the one with his belongings, they then organised a meet-up at the bottom of Remutaka Hill, of all places.

“I let her know I’m not from here because I’m visiting with my partner and her family. We had an Airbnb in Carterton so we asked the lady where halfway was.

“We both agreed on meeting at the beginning of the Remutaka Hill since it was both an hour away for us.

“Thankfully we met up and were able to exchange bags. I explained how I was so exhausted that day that I grabbed the wrong bag. And needed my clothes for my partner’s cousins 21st, which was on that Saturday.

“She was really nice and we were both so thankful to get hold of each other and exchange our bags.

“It’s just amazing to see people work together to help solve problems.”

Both Sauvao and Ipolito have seen the funny side to the mishap and say they’ll now be extra vigilant in checking their bag tags.