[Anonymous]

[IanFromHKG]

The incompetence of this airline’s baggage handling is staggering. I know we are being unusually unlucky, but between us the family have taken five short-haul flights on BA this year. And BA have lost or mislaid bags on four of them.

1. Memsahib and Offspring, LGW-GVA. Bags come out on wrong carousel. Not all the bags for that flight, just our bags, so of course the Memsahib assumes they’re lost. What is definitely lost is two hours of waiting for bags, queuing for baggage agent, filling forms, being told to check other carousels and eventually finding bags
2. Next day. Me, CX HKG-LHR connecting to BA LHR-GVA. Bag properly lost this time, along with two hours waiting and queuing. Despite reassurances that they would contact us, no attempt is made, and my numerous calls to follow up are met with indifference and the repeated comment that they have no idea where the bag is or when it might turn up. Also lost as a result: two half-days of ski-ing, and almost EUR800 of the shareholders’ money in recompense for purchases we had to make. Miraculously on the return flight my bag made it!
3. Memsahib, returning from the same trip (yes, three out of four sectors on the same holiday), bag lost on GVA-LHR sector. Fortunately that turned up quite quickly and she was able to collect the next day. Nonetheless, onward travel plans disrupted and another couple of hours lost.
4. This morning. Memsahib connecting CX HKG-CDG onto BA CDG-LHR. Memsahib arrives in the CX lounge (also used by BA) in CDG for her four-hour layover (it’s not as if it was a tight connection!) and asks them to check the bag transfer. This does not compute. Memsahib also asks at the departure gate. Also does not compute. Arrives in LHR and guess what? Again, they have no idea where the bag is. No idea when it will be delivered. More time lost on a short trip.

It really does beggar belief, doesn’t it? Especially when you consider that they lost one of my bags last year as well (although I think that was AA’s fault, in fairness).

The only other airline that has EVER lost one of my bags was CX, many years ago, and they were helpful, gave me cash for immediate expenses, telephoned me back to tell me they had found the bag, called again to check delivery details, and got it to me the same night.

I have a nasty feeling that the Memsahib won’t have it so easy. And since there is no-one else at the house, even if they find it in time, she is probably going to have to stay in for the delivery, which means she will lose time with her mother who recently moved into residential care – one of the reasons for making the trip.

I am so angry.

So, sorry for venting, there isn’t really any other purpose to this post, but I just needed to get this frustration off my chest. AAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!

[JohnHarper]

Ian, I’m really sorry to hear this. It’s always at the most inconvenient time that something like this happens.

Although I’m no advocate of BA I would say that I think you’ve been particularly unlucky. Thus far they have never lost one of my bags – I just seem to get the especially rude and disinterested cabin crews!

[IanFromHKG]

To go through your post in turn, pseudo-SM:

BA engage baggage handling services. Therefore BA’s responsibility.

Half the problems in Switzerland, not most. In any case, still BA’s responsibility.

Your assumption that the bag was mislaid before CDG is completely erroneous. CX confirmed they flew the bag to CDG.

Travelling with hand luggage was not an option due to the size of contents.

So far the points made in your post are demonstrably complete tosh, as of course they were meant to be. And a splendid example of how to kick someone when they’re down, just to make a rather pathetic point. I hope you’re proud – I wouldn’t be.

EDITED TO ADD

The rather pathetic post by “SeargentMajor” to which I was replying has been deleted, and quite right too. Shame he didn’t have the decency to apologise as well. Canucklad’s post below was also replying to the same post.

[nmh1204]

sorry to hear of your troubles Ian.
Didn’t you lose your bags last year as well?

[TMConsulting]

I would also say that (at least for the 1st issue) the handling agents are responsible for putting your bag on the wrong carousel.

I once had bag issues in GVA too (4th of January, so very very busy time in GVA) coming back from OZ. Couldn’t find my bag on delivery belt so went to the lost bag desk… had to wait about 1h. So far, not that dramatic. BUT I called next day to check if they had found it, they didn’t have. Finally, went to the airport the morning after. I was “invited” to have a look at the HUGE pile of undelivered bags that was “standing” in a backroom. took me about 40 seconds to spot my bag and leave with it… I would probably have had to wait 3-4 days if I hadn’t been there myself.

Then, Paris CDG… flown 3 time through this “airport” (each time with 2-3h to connect) and guess what… my bags have ALWAYS been delayed. In that case, I’d first blame the CDG handling agent rather than BA…

[IanFromHKG]

Nmh1204, yes, although as I mentioned I think that was AA’s fault (I was connecting AA-BA)

TMConsulting – airlines engage baggage agents. If I appoint an agent to perform my contractual duties, I remain liable for the performance of the agent. BA choose not to use their own staff in GVA, and to use agents instead – not my problem, BA’s. Their responsibility.. Ditto CDG.

[canucklad]

I’m sorry, but blaming a handling agent, or indeed a whole country, just don’t wash I’m afraid.
It’s BA’s fault if they are paying a 3rd party company that isn’t up to the task.

If an airline wishes to liberate me of my hard earned cash, I’m expecting them to deliver a service that they’ve promised.
If I complain about the food, I’m not expecting the CC to turn around and say “ It’s Gate Gourmet’s chef” or in Ian’s case “It’s all Swissport’s fault, nothing to do with us Guvnor”

Hope it’s all resolved sooner rather than later. Shame you don’t collect Avios points Ian : )

[IanFromHKG]

Ha – yes, maybe I should open an Avios account! I would probably have enough now for a couple of short-haul trips. Hand luggage only, of course!

[nmh1204]

Hi Ian,

I thought you had lost your luggage on 4/5 sectors before? Or perhaps it was someone else, thought I saw a thread on here about it, but tried to find it and no luck

[MartynSinclair]

Very sorry to hear about your bag problems (again) Ian. I hope it turns up.

Does your unfortunate experiences encourage you to at least try out a baggage tracking system. Interesting article in this months magazine.

An additional question to TM Consulting… when you went into the back room, did you notice is the piles of “missing bags” whether any had address labels… meaning, if the airline could have been bothered, could they have dealt with the issue in any other way…. or were there simply too many bags to deal with??

[TMConsulting]

OK, yes… sorry…

I might have had to be a little more explicit. My point was more to say… It could happen with any airline. If the service provider is not up the task for BA it is probably the same for all the other airlines. So could happen to anyone flying any airline… not only BA.

As for CDG… it’s the only transit airport where my bags got stuck (on each of the very few occasion I had to fly through there)… but I guess it’s just bad luck! or is there better airport to connect at when it comes to transferring luggage from one airplane to another?

[TMConsulting]

Martyn,

They were bags waiting to be sorted out “manually”. Too many of them or too few people to deal with it. I’ve actually never seen GVA so crowded. And it seemed as if people just didn’t want to claim there bags as many where left on the delivering belt for very long (may be they where on the wrong belt too).

[IanFromHKG]

nmh1204 – it was ¾ before. NOW it’s 4/5!!

Martyn, I will look at the article, but TBH we have so many bags I suspect it would be an expensive undertaking! In any case, a three-minute call to CX, and an hour’s wait for them to call back, means I know that “the bag flew with [the Memsahib] to Paris on CX261”. Since it clearly wasn’t on the BA flight to LHR, it seems overwhelmingly probable that it was left in Paris, since BA don’t fly anywhere else from there. So even if I had a tracking device, knowing it is in Paris doesn’t really get us much further! However, as mentioned, I will look at the article when I get a chance (I am flying over on Wednesday night – but thankfully, CX all the way!)

[KarlMarx]

I didn’t see the post that was deleted and I’m sorry for your inconvenience, Ian from HKG, but I do think it is a case of being unlucky. There is no reason why your cases won’t be lost on the next sector either, in a big system like airport baggage processing, it is truly random thing and some people are going to travel for20 years without ever encountering a lost bag, whilst others may have runs like yours.

[Author]

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