[Swissdiver]

Clearly this thing is useless at BA. But in fairness to them, it is a lure with most of the airlines I flew so far… At the end of the day, it is a lottery game.

[pomerol]

Swissdiver

That is exactly the point I was trying to make.

BA are not responsible for the Baggage Reclaim, That is the responsibility of the Airport Provider.

But of course their are those on this forum, who think BA are responsible for everything.

[Potakas]

Pomerol,

You have the point, but may I add something?

BA is the one that have a contract with BAA or the service provider at ATH/CDG/FRA etc. and is BA’s job to make sure that they provide the service as agreed. If they have an agreement for that kind of service. I am saying that because on my home airport (ATH) many carriers that have the same ground handling operator as BA, deliver the priority luggage as they should.

Similar thing many times happens with the fast track security at T5, once I asked the BAA agent why the don’t open more security channels for the fast track as the queue was too long, 20 minutes and much longer than the regular one. The answer that I got was that BA is paying for only one security channel on that specific time of the day. Here, is clearly BA’s fault that I don’t get the service properly.

So, in general you are correct but it is BA’s responsibility to ensure that the service is provided to the passengers if they pay for that service to a provider. The passenger is paying BA for that service and BA is responsible for that one to be delivered to the customer.

[M.Moose]

Haven’t had that many travels through T5 – only 2 in the past 8 months. On both occasions, bags were on time and queues were manageable. Yes, I did have the “tag” on – not sure if it many any difference.

One place I do know it makes no difference is Changi Airport, Singapore. Regardless what airline I fly and class of travel, my bags are always there ready for collection when I arrive at the belts.

Worse experience, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia…..it took forever….but at least the bags did arrive!

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“But of course their are those on this forum, who think BA are responsible for everything.”

BA is not responsible for the value of sterling or the increasing standards of the British education system, as demonstrated by A level results.

But getting baggage delivered, guilty as charged.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“Interesting, 11 posts, 9 posters have a concern about priority baggage but 1 does not. Rather than simply state facts as experienced, as 9 others have done, VK chooses to denegrate those who have the temerity not to experience the world as they do.”

I reckon VK is that posh bird in the First video.

[stevescoots]

I am not familiar with what happens with bags the other side of the belt, is it airline staff that do the loading/unloading or is it airport staff?

anyway you cannot critisize BA exclusivly on this. Every, and i mean every airline that I have flown longhaul into UK with priority bags has the same issue. first and business come out when the baggage handlers feel like it. of recent ones I remember

QR to HK bags out in first batch.
QR HK to LHR T4, first and business almost last, consistantly.
QR to CAN, bags out first
QR to LHR T4 bags out middle batch
CX HKG-LAX..couldnt tell..was waitimg so long in immigration could have been first or last!.
BA back to LHR T5 bags out first
Thai LHR-HKG, bags out first
Thai HKG-LHR, bags out last, including crew bags!

Its either baggage handlers or the way they pack them ob the plane

[pomerol]

Stevescoots

It is the baggage handlers, who are employed by the Airport Operator.

[StephenLondon]

I thought BA had their own handlers at T5?

[stevescoots]

Then the root cause is the baggage handlers,

the airlines must take some responsibility for not enforcing or having an agreement. However i would guess that very very few passengers actually go to the effort of writing a compliant. I know i have not,

[DerekVH]

My understanding is that the baggage handling system at Terminal 5 belongs to BAA but BA have their own baggage handlers who are resposible for the loading and unloading of baggage to/from the actual aircraft? See

http://www.heathrowairport.com/assets/Internet/Heathrow_Airside_and_Baggage/Downloads/Static_files/Baggage_Handling_at_Heathrow.pdf

[VintageKrug]

The baggage handlers are amongst the most highly militant unionised groups – this is the crux of the problem.

There has historically been an almost anti-capitalist tendency within this group, which has made delivery of premium baggage a nightmare in the past; anecdotal stories of First Class baggage being deliberately held up are quite widespread.

I have however noticed considerable improvement at Heathrow in the past few months.

You are correct baggage is BA’s ultimate responsibility, regardless of whoever actually delivers the service, but as has recently been seen with two years of silliness on the part of one unionised working group, dealing with these dysfunctional unions isn’t as simple as one might at first imagine.

[conair346]

Baggage handlers are not employed by the airport or generally directly by the airlines. They come from specialist companies like Servisair, Swissport, Menzies, Flight Support, Dnata or Plane Handling. These companies perform some to all of an airlines ground duties.

I’m not au fait with BA’s arrangement at LHR T5, but I know at their outstations in the UK the whole operation apart from load control is handled by Servisair – ticket sales, baggage, checkin, dispatch and cargo. Load control is done by some people at LGW and passed via the dispatchers. So it is upto Servisair to deliver the bags in the right order, and BA pay Servisair to perform these duties. The airports do not get involved. In days gone by the airport may have performed these functions – BHD used to have security, baggage, atc, afs and checkin as inhouse functions. I think afs and atc are the only ones left, all others are private companies.

[joeadvisory]

Change of topic – what about the follwoing. BA First and the madness of trying to change a booking.

i am booked to fly Zurich-Miami 1st return. I needed to change the return leg but only the sector London – Zurich to 1 day later. Foned BA in UK and they would nt change as they said i am swiss resident so must do change in Switzerland. Fine, but BA in Switzerland work abnormal hours. they are closed sat afternoons/sunday and any public holiday. so couldnt change sat nor sunday and nor monday as monday is public holiday. In 2011 this kind of hassle/service is a complete joke.

[nevereconomy]

In my experience there is no Priority Baggage on BA. Whatever haul I fly it is totally at the whim of the handlers when my bag comes out, regardless of country of arrival. CX and JAL are superb – always one of the very first on the carousel. It is very much an airline thing, though the whole union issue plays a part, too.

[Author]

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