Options when your bag is delayed ?

StuieUK34 · 29 May 2018 at 1:15AM

hey all,

Any of you ever had your bags delayed ? if so, any options available to you ?
I don't care if not, but if delayed bags = leverage to get a freebie, I am all ears.....

3 of us took a plane to Vegas with BA from heathrow..
My suitcase never got here...
I went to Baggage services, and before I even had to fill out a form, the guy knew they were missing my bag!
Short story, the guy said they left it in London, and it would have cost someone more money to delay the plane while they loaded it onto the plane, so they just send bags on next available flights!

ok.... so the guy says the bag will arrive the next day at 2pm, and will be delivered to your hotel for 5pm...
at 5:30pm, I had no bag, so I call the number I was given, and the guy says your bag will be delivered by midnight, or the following day, !!!!!! !!!!!

I told them I would come to the airport to get my bag, so off I go, got there for 18:10 , my bag is Outside of the Baggage services office, just sat in the general bag area, where ANYONE could have just walked off with it! couldn't believe it!!
Went into the office, eventually some guy comes out of the back room, I ask why my case is out in the general area and not in there office with other bags I see, the guy says it was left out there so someone can pick it up and deliver it to my hotel that day or following day.....
I said anyone could just walk out with my case, to which the guy shrugs his shoulders!!!

Either way, I got my bag, although a day late, and had to mess around to get it...
If I could squeeze a freebie out of BA for a better seat on my way home, that would be great, but if I cant and delayed bags is just a normal thing that u have to deal with, so be it

Handy to know if anyone has ever got a freebie out of the airline for delayed bags ?

Westin · 29 May 2018 at 4:48AM

So far, and not a record I want to further, in my flying days I have twice had my baggage delayed and misplaced by airlines.

Travel insurance will have a provision for delayed baggage but is often only paid out if the bag is missing for 24h+. Check your policy for details of cover.

Airlines will often provide either a small travel pack of essential items or allow you to spend £/$ x for travel items to tie you over.

With your case (excuse the pun) I would imagine that a quick trip to Walgreens probably had you covered for that day. Not so easy when you are in a remote area located far from shops or in a county where most shops do not have anything other than national clothes. I still have a Djellaba in the wardrobe which is available for fancy dress hire!

You will likely be able to claim for any essentials on production of receipts. I would also claim for the taxi fare to/from the airport to collect your bag. That is about it. Frustrating but misplaced baggage happens (but thankfully relatively rarely).

If you are thinking and hoping for a magical upgrade to Club World on the return - forget it.

Hope you have better luck on the slots and tables.

eDicky · 29 May 2018 at 4:58AM

Didn't the guy inform you that you could go shopping for any clothing or toiletries etc that you needed, having no access to your own in the delayed bag, then present the receipts to BA for reimbursement?

If not, perhaps because it would have made failing load your bag less economical for them...

Sorry, I don't know your chances of a successful compensation claim, others might.

N9eav · 29 May 2018 at 6:52AM

In the past I claimed on the travel insurance for the necessities purchased as a result. Sometimes this is the easier route to claim, but you need to keep all receipts. You can write to the airline and complain as well and see what they give you. Chances of getting a better seat as a result on your return is about 0.

Once all of our cases were delayed by several days and the insurance paid out for all the clothing we bought.

koalakoala · 29 May 2018 at 8:08AM

I've had baggage delayed more than once and BA didn't tell me I could buy stuff and keep the receipts, but I knew the procedure, so I bought essentials and was reimbursed.
They certainly used to tell you in the old days!

StuieUK34 · 29 May 2018 at 4:55PM

cheers all

on the BA paperwork, it says I can claim for essentials if I keep receipts....
I was hoping for that magical upgrade to prem ecom !!!
Lady luck been good to me so far on the slots, think I might try the upgrade to prem ecom at the airport, and show the lost baggage paperwork to get a reduction in the price!!!

elsien · 29 May 2018 at 4:59PM

You probably need to separate out the bits that were under BA control and the bits that weren't. Not a lot of point complaining about the baggage services idiots, if that's down to the airport staff and not BA. For example.

jpsartre · 29 May 2018 at 5:24PM

You won't get a free upgrade because of a delayed bag but if you make a big fuss over it BA may throw a few thousand Avios your way.

eastcott5 · 31 May 2018 at 11:53AM

We had the reverse in Chicago. Our flight to Richmond, Virginia was delayed then cancelled due to almighty thunderstorms but the bags somehow went on ahead of us. The airline then booked us into a local hotel as'distressed passengers' - the Hilton at a VERY cheap rate but with no luggage except hand luggage. Some passengers with business meeting were not pleased to find all their luggage had gone ahead.The Hilton gave us an emergency pack of toothbrushes etc and a free breakfast. Also lent us costumes so we could use the pool!
The flight next morning was fine - but as above our luggage was sitting in a pile in the airport with no attempt at security. The relatives that we were due to meet were standing by it ready to load it into their car.!

Options when your bag is delayed ?

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