Passengers endure luggage nightmare at Denver airport

DENVER (WPVI) -- Travelers at one of America's busiest airports are in the middle of a baggage nightmare.

Their baggage isn't arriving when they do, or it's nowhere to be found.

For some United passengers at Denver's airport the wait for baggage is even longer than the time it took them to fly there.

Delays at United baggage carousels are lasting hours.

United is pointing the finger at a new contractor hired at last month to handle bags for the roughly 250 daily flights serving dozens of cities.

Baggage handling are plaguing and even delaying some flights.

Patty and Rob Price travelled cross-country, all the way from the East Coast with a toddler and a baby.

Two hours after landing one of their car seats is still missing.

"They don't have it in the system, so we have our fingers crossed," said Patty.

"The kids are losing it," said Rob.

Some United employees aren't happy either.

When we showed up to talk to passengers, some employees simply left, leaving already frustrated customers waiting even longer.

United admits problems with the contractor are "challenging" and says "delays are unacceptable".

The contractor, Simplicity Ground, blames the trouble on the holiday travel crush and severe weather.

Thanks to new technology, airlines are actually doing a better job handling luggage problems, down twelve percent over the last decade

The Prices finally got out of the airport, but still without their car seat. United gave them a loaner.

Both United and their baggage contractor say now that the holiday rush is ending things should be back to normal soon.