A few days back, British Airways apologized to its passengers after UK’S AIR Transport users council (AVC) placed the airline at the top of the list of worst offenders among 24 European airlines for misplaced baggages. But the more shocking aspect of the AUC report was the manner in which various airlines handle such cases despite the well chalked out passenger rights in these countries. For instance, a passengers bag was lost by an airline and her claim for $155, in line luggage was rejected. The airline eventually paid her only $790. The general rules when it comes to missing bags is that if it is not traced in 48 hours, the chances of not getting it at all go up. Seasoned flyers stuck to thye cover of your luggage and inside, especially if you are doing a transit flight. What do you have to say to all this?
I had a very interesting conversation with someone who works for the Heathrow, London-based company that returns to UK-resident airline customers all the cases eventually relocated and sent back to Heathrow. KLM had lost my case in Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) where I was changing planes. I'd been told that if they didn't find it within 48 hours, the chances were not great, and that if they didn't find it within a week, I could more or less forget about it. Still, they found it 11 days later (in Russia) and returned it to Heathrow, from where it was delivered to my home the next day. I asked the delivery driver whether, in his experience, KLM were particularly bad for this (because I use that airline very regularly). He said that airlines are not really "good" or "bad" for this problem at all. Airport baggage handlers are good or bad for it, and the airlines are dependent on them. So KLM are bad only because Schiphol baggage handlers are bad, and many people change planes at Schiphol. Similarly BA are not "bad", but they use Heathrow airport a lot, and they carry more passengers than any other airline there, and that's where huge numbers of cases get lost by the handlers (particularly those of transit passengers). I now take hand luggage only (which is extremely limiting, these days!) when I'm changing in Schiphol and would certainly do the same if changing planes in Heathrow, too. Travelling may be getting cheaper as the years go by, but it's certainly not getting any more pleasant or convenient (or faster).