Scoobysue Posted April 7, 2007 Report Share Posted April 7, 2007 Not sure if this is the right place for this but here goes ... Does anyone know what an airline's obligatoin to its passenger is when it fails to deliver said passenger's luggage to the same airport at the same time? So long story short (ish): Last weekend I flew Shetland - Aberdeen - London - Paris but, on getting to Paris, no luggage! I reported it to the airport people and begged an emergency pack (toothbrush, etc.). On Tuesday, I flew back to Aberdeen but my luggage had got to Paris on Monday - only to the airport's delayed baggage storage facility, it hadn't been delivered to me. I broke my return journey in Aberdeen, where my luggage was delivered to me on Thursday. BA were happy to reschedule my Shetland flight from Wednesday to Friday and waived any charge for doing so. By the time my luggage was returned, I'd bought 2 x t-shirts, 1 x sweatshirt, 1 x backpack (having only had my handbag as carry-on), 2 x packs of contact lens fluid (couldn't bring home the one from Paris due to restrictions on taking liquid on board). I kept my receipts for all these 'emergency' purchases and am thinking of trying to claim it back off BA. Since it was a short trip and all a bit last minute, I didn't take out travel insurance but my flights were booked on Mastercard, which does have some insurance benefits. I'm reluctant to invoke the insurance part of my credit card agreement, it' s not their fault: BA made the boo-boo so BA should pay! So, how much could I try to get from the airline compo-wise? Someone said the airline were meant to give me money when my luggage first didn't arrive but they're only obligated to do that if the passenger asks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted April 7, 2007 Report Share Posted April 7, 2007 This should help. http://www.euroconsumer.org.uk/index/your_rights/air_travel_home/lost_or_delayed_luggage.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobysue Posted April 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2007 Thank you, JustMe. Strangely, I've been through the BA website with a fine-tooth comb and nowhere does it mention that they have to give me money. I guess they wouldn't, though. First post on Tuesday a strongly-worded letter will be winging its way to BA Central. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMouth Posted April 7, 2007 Report Share Posted April 7, 2007 After initially refusing to pay for my spare laptop battery that got broken on a BA/Loganair flight they coughed up the money (£100 ish). I had reported it as soon as I could so they were eventually happy with that. I am convinced that the best way to deal with these things is to write to them suggesting that surely a mistake has been made relating to the decision on this occasion. The travel insurance cover, that I got every trip, didn't cover it so I have decided never to bother with travel insurance again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooks Posted April 7, 2007 Report Share Posted April 7, 2007 By the time my luggage was returned, I'd bought 2 x t-shirts, 1 x sweatshirt, 1 x backpack (having only had my handbag as carry-on), 2 x packs of contact lens fluid (couldn't bring home the one from Paris due to restrictions on taking liquid on board). No underwear? Seriously though. Push it for everything you can. Make a point of moaning about the carry-on restrictions and the 'new fairer baggage policy'. Perhaps if you had more smaller bags or a more lenient carry-on baggage policy, you wouldn't have been left so distressed etc etc.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobysue Posted April 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 No underwear? Sadly, I couldn't find a shop selling underwear in the suburb of Paris where I was staying and, by the time I got to Aberdeen, I knew I'd have at least one set of undies somewhere at my mum's house thanks to my habit of making use of the laundry facilities while there. I'm thinking now that I should try to claim punitive damages for having had to wear my undies for three days straight. That's the thing, though, even if the airline had given me cash straight away, they couldn't have magicked up a shop that was open at gone six o'clock on a Sunday evening in France, an essentially Catholic country. If there ain't a knicker shop available in the vicinity, one can't buy knickers! I will lay it on thick in my letter about the major emotional turmoil caused by having to get three days' wear out of one bra & one pair of knickers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobysue Posted April 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 With one thing and another, not least of which was wanting to wait till I was back at work so I could photocopy my receipts before sending them off, I've only just written my stroppy complaint to BA. I just wanted to say thanks again to Justme for linking the site that mentioned the Montreal Convention - I quoted that in my letter. And thanks, too Pooks for the idea to gripe about their carry-on restrictions, which led to my closing words in the letter, of which I'm rather proud! " I appreciate that the carry-on restrictions are there for passenger safety but can not reconcile that with the post-Lockerbie requirement that unaccompanied luggage is not carried on passenger flights. If your tracking systems are not sophisticated enough to keep luggage with passengers, how am I supposed to believe that my next flight is free from unaccompanied, and therefore dangerous, hold luggage? ... As it’s clearly unrealistic to expect the carry-on restrictions to be relaxed at any time while the current threat persists, the least BA, and the airline industry as a whole, could undertake to do is to improve their handling of passengers’ checked-in luggage. " A touch hysterical, perhaps but, for the first time ever, I find myself wishing I was a tabloid journalist. Mine is not an isolated case (pardon the pun) so it would be easy to generalise from the specific. I can see it now: the headline 'Have the terrorists won?'. They've not killed anyone but surely the level of disruption to everyday life is a victory of sorts? In fact, the airlines' inept handling of luggage has achieved the terrorists' ends for them. Hintety hint for any tabloid journalists out there ... I've demanded reimbursement of £117.58, which must be peanuts to a big multinational, but am not hopeful about getting payment in full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soljey Posted April 21, 2007 Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 Sad to hear of your experience but glad you were re-united with your bags. My wife and I checked in at Sumburgh to fly Sumburgh-Edinburgh-Manchester. In Manchester, we stayed a couple of days before flying on to Tunisia. The check-in at Sumburgh was the last time we saw either of our bags!!!! Theyh never even got to Manchester - and still haven't!! We went on holiday with just what we were wearing. More needs to be done about the lost baggage debacle. We are pushing for everything we can get. No-one offered us any help, even when they knew the dire straits we were in!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobysue Posted April 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 ^^That's awful. Does anyone seem to know where your bags might be? Logically, they must either be in Sumburgh, Aberdeen or Manchester or maybe even lurking in the depths of an aircraft's luggage hold. I hope you're hassling the airline relentlessly. It's not the fault of the person on the phone/at the desk that airline baggage handling is atrocious but it is his sor her job to record your complaint. Look at the link someone (Justme?) posted higher up. With the Montreal Convention you'll soon be entitled to claim your bags as officially 'lost' and become entitled to compensation. Isn't/Wasn't (am confused by the whole election thingie) our local MSP Minister for Transport? If he gets in again and gets his job back, I'd suggest that both of us write to him about the lost luggage situations and really 'lay it on thick' about the emotional turmoil, etc. Hope you're reunited with your bags soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engineer21 Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 i was travelling too belfast for a US working visa a few months ago and on my return too aberdeen was via manchester however i had only 45mins from landing at manchester too the aberdeen flight taking off so knowing that this mite not be possible for my bag too make it i brought this too the attention of the flybe desk in belfast they were helpfull and said that there would be no problem and my bag would make it well hahaha flight was 20mins delayed in landing at manchester so i had too run for the aberdeen flight and needless too say my bag didnt make it! i was lucky tho as i was due too be meeting a ship in aberdeen that evening but i was delayed so was in the hotel that nite and 8am the next day my bag appeard at the hotel! i did get a overnight bag from Flybe no compo tho. one of the polish crew onbaord lost his bag between aberdeen and shetland a few months ago and had too buy some clothes etc in shetland and british airways did give him a cheque for 50 quid although he is having trouble cashing it as he has polish bank accont - any ideas?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soljey Posted May 15, 2007 Report Share Posted May 15, 2007 Still no luggage - after almost 2 months. Seems that bags were eventually found in Edinburgh then lost again!! We have received not a single penny from Flybe at all yet!! How incompetent can they be to lose our bags twice in the same journey. It now seems that since 45 days are up they stop looking & if found they will be "destroyed". I guess that's a euphemism for our clothes ending up on someone else's back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy71 Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 By the time my luggage was returned, I'd bought 2 x t-shirts, 1 x sweatshirt, 1 x backpack (having only had my handbag as carry-on), 2 x packs of contact lens fluid (couldn't bring home the one from Paris due to restrictions on taking liquid on board). I kept my receipts for all these 'emergency' purchases and am thinking of trying to claim it back off BA. Since it was a short trip and all a bit last minute, I didn't take out travel insurance but my flights were booked on Mastercard, which does have some insurance benefits. I'm reluctant to invoke the insurance part of my credit card agreement, it' s not their fault: BA made the boo-boo so BA should pay! So, how much could I try to get from the airline compo-wise? Someone said the airline were meant to give me money when my luggage first didn't arrive but they're only obligated to do that if the passenger asks. I used to work in a travel agency as I understood it BA used to give passengers upto £25 per day that their luggage was missing...... This is the most upto date info on the BA website. Reimbursement for essential items due to baggage delayed in transit? Question How much will you reimburse me for if I buy replacement clothes and personal necessities until my bags are returned to me? Answer You will be reimbursed the cost of essential items (underwear, shirt, blouse, toiletries etc. - if overnight kit not provided by British Airways) that are purchased, should your baggage be delayed.The maximum value allowed for any essential items will be advised to you at the airport. These interim expenses comprise part of the total baggage liability and will be deducted from any final claim payment.Please retain all receipts until your claim has been settled in full as BA may require them as proof of purchase.Please note : Customers arriving home on their final flight will not be reimbursed for any interim purchases. Please remember the limited liability and keep expenses to a minimum. Claims should be filed upon your return with your local British Airways Customer Relations office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobysue Posted May 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 ^^ Thanks for that info. I hada to email customer relations to ask about why they'd not even acknowledged my letter. They replied and claimed never to have received it - yeah, right, as if! So, now they say they'll reimburse promptly in full on receipt of copy receipts, etc. I'm just too busy just now to mess about with photocopying from my files and sending a recorded delivery letter off so it'll have to wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoobysue Posted May 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 OMG - typed that last post while on hold to BA. Had booked then cancelled flights to Glasgow for long, complex reasons and was told 'they're fully refundable' but only got half back on my credit card. Was calling to query it and the operator person spoke to his supervisor and, because I'd been misinformed, they'll refund the other half within 5-7 working days. Funny innit? I'm happy now BA 'only' owe me 100-odd quid instead of the 300 it was fifteen minutes ago. and they've said they'll repay the 100-odd from the baggage incident so they're my favouritest airline again - till next time! Moral of the story? As Bigmouth said in an earlier post - hassle 'em, then hassle 'em then hassle 'em some more. Eventually, they'll pay to make you go away & stop hassling them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TATTIEHEAD Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 I HAD SOMEONE STAYING HERE FOR THE FOLK FESTIVAL WHO LOST THERE LUGGAGE SHE GOT IT BACK THE DAY BEFORE SHE WENT BACK SHE WAS TOLD SHE SPEND £35 PER DAY FOR EACH DAY HER CASE WAS MISSING THAT FLYBE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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