Dear Alex,
I flew into London Heathrow Terminal 5 last year and it’s probably no surprise to you that British Airways lost my luggage. My missing case was eventually found two months later, but rather than have BA return it to me in Manila, I suggested the airline send it to a relative in London. I had a trip planned to Europe in a couple of weeks’ time, so I would be able to bring it back with me.
BA doesn’t serve Manila, so I returned there from London with Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong. Cathay would not carry the extra suitcase free of charge, so I had to use 20,500 Marco Polo [Cathay’s frequent flyer programme] bonus miles to take it along. After I returned home, I thought BA would be able to refund Cathay’s bonus miles because the two carriers work closely with one another. But, after much correspondence, BA is only prepared to pay US$80 in compensation. Am I being unreasonable in asking for my miles back?
Helge Oliversen, Manila
Alex replies:
Each airline’s ticket provides a separate contract for travel, which is why Cathay would not carry your suitcase for free. Although both carriers belong to the Oneworld alliance and work together in a number of areas, this co-operation does not extend to carrying each other’s lost bags. I suppose BA couldn’t put a value on another airline’s frequent flyer miles so it offered a cash payment.
Normally, when luggage is mislaid it is delivered to the passenger’s final address. So when you asked BA to leave it in London, you upset the airline’s system. It would have been easier for all concerned had you requested your missing case be returned to Manila. Put this one down to experience.
