Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

Amid Southwest Disaster, Kind Stranger Texts 50 Passengers the Location of Their Luggage : 'You Are a Life Saver!' Brittany Loubier-Vervisch endured baggage claim chaos at the Tampa International Airport over Christmas weekend.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Amid the chaos of canceled and delayed flights over the past two weeks, many travelers have been without their luggage as bags of all kinds have been piled up in baggage claim areas across the country.

And while many people are still wondering when they'll see their belongings again, nearly 50 passengers whose bags were unloaded at Tampa International Airport had luck on their side over Christmas weekend through the kindness of a stranger — high school science teacher, Brittany Loubier-Vervisch.

After her flight to Tucson, Arizona was canceled, Loubier-Vervisch went to the Southwest and Spirit Airlines joint baggage claim in the Tampa airport in an attempt to find her luggage amid the "hundreds, if not thousands" of bags in the terminal.

Related: 'Nightmare': Customers 'In Tears' As Southwest Cancels Over 70% of Flights, Prompting Probe By Department of Transportation

As she shifted through the rubble, she had an epiphany — she could text message people who had their numbers attached to their bags to let them know where their luggage had ended up.

"For people that had no idea where in the United States their luggage could possibly be, I was like, 'Well if I at least tell them it's in Tampa, they know it's not still where they were, where they were going or you know, they can figure out where it is and at least know where to look for it," Loubier-Vervisch told Insider.

Many of the bags came from passengers who were supposed to go to Tampa and never made it or people who had dealt with multiple flight delays and cancelations who left the Tampa airport without their getting their bags back (out of frustration or logistical issues reclaiming a bag).

Related: Man Emotionally Reunites With Luggage After Southwest Disaster

One passenger named Taira shared Loubier-Vervisch's text message on Twitter where it quickly went viral, receiving over 18,200 likes.

"Thank you to the random stranger who texted me that my suitcase was in fact in Tampa," she said. "You are a life-saver!"

In the replies to the original Tweet, Taira told a user claiming to be friends with Loubier-Vervisch that she had sent the kind stranger a gift card as a means of thank you.

A little kindness in a lot of chaos seemed to go a long way.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business Solutions

Cut Costs, Not Features with This Microsoft Bundle Deal

You get Office, Windows, Project, and Visio for $72.

Leadership

4 Bold Leadership Moves Every Successful CEO Uses to Navigate Change

Ready to turn fear into fuel and lead with confidence? In this article, I share how leaving my corporate job without a plan led me to build a thriving business. Learn four bold strategies to embrace uncertainty and turn challenges into opportunities for growth today.

Thought Leaders

These 3 Trends Will Change What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur in 2025

Here are three entrepreneurship trends from the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that are changing the landscape for the future.

Data & Recovery

Protect Your Business Data Without Sacrificing Privacy With Koofr Cloud Storage on Sale

Get 1TB of lifetime storage for your business with no recurring fees or data tracking.