Comments on: British Airways turns the table, sells passenger’s luggage http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/ The travel troubleshooter. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:30:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dr. Marta Callotta http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/comment-page-1/#comment-14446 Dr. Marta Callotta Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:25:41 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/#comment-14446 Just to give everyone an update on the situation...First of all, BA will only reimburse up to $1500 for a lost bag .... whereas this compensated most of the cost, it certainly did not compensate fully, not to mention the hassle, lost time and trouble caused by the situation. I was very disappointed in BA and would probably not fly them again because of the situation and how they handled it. Did I ever get my table back ... NO! As far as I know it is floating around London somewhere. The person who purchased the table would not come forward when he found out I wanted the table back. Whereas I appreciate his excitement with his "find" at BAs auction, it certainly would have been nice of him return it to the rightful owner. Bad carma! Dr. Callotta Just to give everyone an update on the situation…First of all, BA will only reimburse up to $1500 for a lost bag …. whereas this compensated most of the cost, it certainly did not compensate fully, not to mention the hassle, lost time and trouble caused by the situation. I was very disappointed in BA and would probably not fly them again because of the situation and how they handled it.

Did I ever get my table back … NO! As far as I know it is floating around London somewhere. The person who purchased the table would not come forward when he found out I wanted the table back. Whereas I appreciate his excitement with his “find” at BAs auction, it certainly would have been nice of him return it to the rightful owner. Bad carma!

Dr. Callotta

]]> By: Kathleen V. http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/comment-page-1/#comment-10500 Kathleen V. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:09:01 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/#comment-10500 June is coming right up. If you purchase a telescope (or already own one) and look toward Saturn on a clear early-summers eve, you will see all of that lost luggage - traveling round and round - I believe the bags are actually the tiny "dust particals" that we see when viewing the rings of Saturn! Well those thousands and thousands of bags have to be SOMEWHERE - right? June is coming right up. If you purchase a telescope (or already own one) and look toward Saturn on a clear early-summers eve, you will see all of that lost luggage – traveling round and round – I believe the bags are actually the tiny “dust particals” that we see when viewing the rings of Saturn! Well those thousands and thousands of bags have to be SOMEWHERE – right?

]]> By: Mia http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/comment-page-1/#comment-9589 Mia Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:29:54 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/#comment-9589 Globalbagtag.com, the world leaders in internet based luggage tracking, has developed a RFID enabled luggage tag for tracking lost luggage worldwide via the internet at http://www.globalbagtag.com This is the latest innovation by the forward thinking company, which was established in 1999 to combat the growing problem of lost baggage and has sold their unique luggage tags to travelers around the globe. Globalbagtag.com, the world leaders in internet based luggage tracking, has developed a RFID enabled luggage tag for tracking lost luggage worldwide via the internet at http://www.globalbagtag.com

This is the latest innovation by the forward thinking company, which was established in 1999 to combat the growing problem of lost baggage and has sold their unique luggage tags to travelers around the globe.

]]> By: Beth A http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/comment-page-1/#comment-3648 Beth A Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:27:23 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/#comment-3648 The airlines always rule, even when it sounds loony. It can be a two way street though. I had a client once, and the airline lost his one big suitcase. He thought he would get it back on a later flight or the next day as they told him. He was a very detailed guy, he had all his home furnishings detailed and vide taped for his insurance company in case he ever had serious damage to his home. He was attending a posh wedding of his only niece on a Caribbean Island for the weekend, and made one list to leave at home, and one inside his suitcase, so he could check off his items as he unpacked them. His flights were awful, planes were late, flight crews snippy, they lost his only suitcase, and there were no stores on this island. He ended up at the wedding in a borrowed much too large suit. He was furious. I am explaining this, because he seemed like a very honest man, so what happened next was out of character, but he had it with the airlines. Aware that the airlines were going to devalue everything in that suitcase by talking to them, made him upset also. He would still have to go out and rebuy his clothes at full price. So he retyped a list that sounded like Cary Grants wardrobe was inside and sent it to the airline. And then kept politely hounding them twice a day. They check out some passengers claims and he must have passed with flying colors. He firmly, kept after them and a few weeks later, he got a check, a very large check, the maximum limit the airline allows. He called to tell me about it, he was very satisfied. The NEXT day the airline called him mad, his suitcase was found. Unlike his description of the contents, the contents were old shorts, old bathing suit, old blazer, etc nothing like the list he submittted. In short, including the suitcase at auction, they might be lucky to net for their share about 100.00. Engineers are not always fashion plates. They had paid him well , since he had estimated the value of everything at about 4000.00. They NOW wanted their check BACK, and they would give him his suitcase back intact, and were saying they were going after him for filing a false report. He told them he felt from the crappy dirty plane, to the snippy crew, to the I don't care attitude about finding his luggage, he wanted the rest of the money for pain and anguish caused by the airlines neglect. They did not think it was funny. And he had to give the check back. The airlines always seem to win, right or wrong. Even though I believe in being honest, due to the circumstances I wish I could have seen their faces when they found his old suitcase and its contents neatly packed with his check off list in the suitcase, and cross checked it in the computer with the list he GAVE them. The airlines always rule, even when it sounds loony.

It can be a two way street though.

I had a client once, and the airline lost his one big suitcase. He thought he would get it back on a later flight or the next day as they told him.

He was a very detailed guy, he had all his home furnishings detailed and vide taped for his insurance company in case he ever had serious damage to his home.

He was attending a posh wedding of his only niece on a Caribbean Island for the weekend, and made one list to leave at home, and one inside his suitcase, so he could check off his items as he unpacked them.

His flights were awful, planes were late, flight crews snippy, they lost his only suitcase, and there were no stores on this island. He ended up at the wedding in a borrowed much too large suit. He was furious.

I am explaining this, because he seemed like a very honest man, so what happened next was out of character, but he had it with the airlines. Aware that the airlines were going to devalue everything in that suitcase by talking to them, made him upset also. He would still have to go out and rebuy his clothes at full price.

So he retyped a list that sounded like Cary Grants wardrobe was inside and sent it to the airline. And then kept politely hounding them twice a day.

They check out some passengers claims and he must have passed with flying colors.

He firmly, kept after them and a few weeks later, he got a check, a very large check, the maximum limit the airline allows.

He called to tell me about it, he was very satisfied. The NEXT day the airline called him mad, his suitcase was found. Unlike his description of the contents, the contents were old shorts, old bathing suit, old blazer, etc nothing like the list he submittted.

In short, including the suitcase at auction, they might be lucky to net for their share about 100.00. Engineers are not always fashion plates.

They had paid him well , since he had estimated the value of everything at about 4000.00.

They NOW wanted their check BACK, and they would give him his suitcase back intact, and were saying they were going after him for filing a false report.

He told them he felt from the crappy dirty plane, to the snippy crew, to the I don’t care attitude about finding his luggage, he wanted the rest of the money for pain and anguish caused by the airlines neglect.

They did not think it was funny. And he had to give the check back. The airlines always seem to win, right or wrong.

Even though I believe in being honest, due to the circumstances I wish I could have seen their faces when they found his old suitcase and its contents neatly packed with his check off list in the suitcase, and cross checked it in the computer with the list he GAVE them.

]]> By: Richard http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/comment-page-1/#comment-3644 Richard Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:43:20 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/#comment-3644 They've found its easier to sell the luggage instead of returning it: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2007/08/27/cost-and-found-89520-19692563/ They’ve found its easier to sell the luggage instead of returning it:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2007/08/27/cost-and-found-89520-19692563/

]]> By: Ed http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/comment-page-1/#comment-3639 Ed Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:00:55 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/#comment-3639 I think a case can be made that if your luggage is overweight and you then pay extra for the overage that the airline is liable for more than the ammount that they claim in their documentation. Because then the luggage is no longer an adjunct to you as a traveler, but instead, they become custodians of your "shipped" package and must guarantee safe transport of it or reimburse you the actual cash value of your luggage and the contents....I'ld like to see a court case take on this subject to see how it ends up. Ed web/gadget guru I think a case can be made that if your luggage is overweight and you then pay extra for the overage that the airline is liable for more than the ammount that they claim in their documentation. Because then the luggage is no longer an adjunct to you as a traveler, but instead, they become custodians of your “shipped” package and must guarantee safe transport of it or reimburse you the actual cash value of your luggage and the contents….I’ld like to see a court case take on this subject to see how it ends up.
Ed
web/gadget guru

]]> By: Jo http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/comment-page-1/#comment-3637 Jo Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:00:09 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/#comment-3637 And that's why I've done carry ons for the past twenty years! And that’s why I’ve done carry ons for the past twenty years!

]]> By: Richard http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/comment-page-1/#comment-3610 Richard Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:40:04 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/#comment-3610 Wasn't there a recent news story about BA or BAA flying planeloads of "lost" luggage back across the Atlantic??? Wasn’t there a recent news story about BA or BAA flying planeloads of “lost” luggage back across the Atlantic???

]]> By: Jerry http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/comment-page-1/#comment-3607 Jerry Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:20:56 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/#comment-3607 BA's luggage failures are not new. A decade ago, I flew from NY to Milan via Heathrow and my luggage was mistagged. BA kept promising that I'd get the piece in Milan, but whenever I called, "it wasn't here yet." On leaving Milan, I went into the arrivals luggage room and found it sitting on the floor in a large pile of luggage. BA’s luggage failures are not new. A decade ago, I flew from NY to Milan via Heathrow and my luggage was mistagged. BA kept promising that I’d get the piece in Milan, but whenever I called, “it wasn’t here yet.” On leaving Milan, I went into the arrivals luggage room and found it sitting on the floor in a large pile of luggage.

]]> By: Europea http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/comment-page-1/#comment-3600 Europea Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:58:12 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/blog/british-airways-turns-the-table-sells-passengers-luggage/#comment-3600 BA and the new owners of Heathrow have lost control of the baggage system there, they do not have enough people to handle the volumes. The airport contracts out with an auction company which auctions thousands of items of lost luggage something like once a month. It has been widely reported in the British media that when BA loses a bag, it is increasingly likely to tell the passenger that the bag is lost forever, pay the passenger the pittance outlined in the contract, and auction the bag off. BA and Heathrow don't have the people to track down your bag, but while it's sitting in a hallway somewhere, someone might rifle through it, so by paying you off to get rid of you, they avoid you filing a lawsuit for theft of the bag's contents. BA and the new owners of Heathrow have lost control of the baggage system there, they do not have enough people to handle the volumes. The airport contracts out with an auction company which auctions thousands of items of lost luggage something like once a month. It has been widely reported in the British media that when BA loses a bag, it is increasingly likely to tell the passenger that the bag is lost forever, pay the passenger the pittance outlined in the contract, and auction the bag off. BA and Heathrow don’t have the people to track down your bag, but while it’s sitting in a hallway somewhere, someone might rifle through it, so by paying you off to get rid of you, they avoid you filing a lawsuit for theft of the bag’s contents.

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