London-Heathrow baggage

[30something cruiser]

A couple of weeks ago, there was a lot of discussion about the backlog of missing luggage at Heathrow, especially with British Air. I was wondering if anyone had an update on the situation. I fly there next week.

[olga77]

Good luck!

We lost ours in 2005, but then got it back. I don't think situation got any better. Try to pack at least all the necessary 2-3 days stuff in your carry-on, just in case. Heatrow is a crazy, crazy airoport and we'd never ever fly there or via Heatrow again.:(

[bigwally]

Not too much in the way of good news - it's still hit or miss. You can follow ongoing discussion on the problem here.

 

I'm trying to hedge my bets on our trip. We'll be packing collectively - some of my stuff and some of the wife's stuff in each bag. Then I've bought the itinerary holder luggage tags pictured below. They'll have our full itinerary and contact details for the trip, a copy of which will also go inside each bag.

 

 

Then I've left a fairly long period of time between our connecting flights (2.5 hours), which should give them plenty of time to transfer the bags. And then (but this is down to luck of the draw) these flights are arriving and departing from the same terminal (T1).

 

Anything that goes missing but arrives prior to us leaving our pre-cruise city (3 days) is inconvenient but fine. Anything that doesn't show up before leaving on the cruise would be a nightmare.

 

I guess the ideal, if we are going to loose luggage, is to have an inconsequential bag or two go missing for just over 24 hours. That way we can get a shopping trip out of the airline and our travel insurance to the tune of about $800! :rolleyes: But best not to tempt fate, I suppose.

 

BTW, in 25 years of TA travel and nearly 20 years with BA, I've never had a peice of baggage go missing. Come on BA, don't let me down now!

[30something cruiser]

I read the thread you linked. That is terrible. I cannot believe how disorganized and disinterested they are. Because of my fears, I have shipped 1 suitcase by virtual bellhop. We filled it with all of our dressy and nighttime clothes, shoes bags, etc. We figured that if our luggage was lost, it would easier to replace the casual day time clothes.

 

I am flying on virgin Air nonstop from MIA-LHR. Then we are spending 1 night in London and then fly the next day on British Air from LHR to Copenhagen to pick up our cruise. It is that leg that scares me to death. I assumed that because I was checking in the luggage in Heathrow, I should be better off. But after reading the linked site you sent me, that doesn't appear to be the case.

 

I will put my itinerary inside my luggage and pack half of each suitcase with my husband's and my clothes.

 

It is a shame that they can't get this under control and have ruined countless vacations this summer.:o

[skandls]

We returned on July 15 from the Constellation. Our flights were British Air from Copenhagen to Heathrow. American Airlines from Heathrow to Los Angeles. One of our 3 checked bags got delayed. It was delivered to our home 4 days later. I was glad that this was the trip home.

 

Just remember that flying out from Heathrow - even if its a connecting flight you will need to consolidate all your stuff into one carryon per person. So make sure your personal item will fit inside your carryon.

[bigwally]

Just remember that flying out from Heathrow - even if its a connecting flight you will need to consolidate all your stuff into one carryon per person. So make sure your personal item will fit inside your carryon.

 

Not right now. There is a 6 week (IIRC) pilot programme currently going on to see how going back to two peices will impact airport security. Edit: Actually, let me edit this - the programme is for passengers connecting to other flights. It's not for passengers originating in the UK.

 

However, this is the BAA so I'd be prepared for anything. Especially if there is another security scare of some kind.

[skandls]

I'm glad for those people who did not know the 'rules'. It created a big mess when people connecting in LHR had to get rid of one bag. People were forced to check bags or stuff into their own bags or their friends carryons. So the best thing to do is to check the day you are flying so you can be prepared.

[jstducky]

Wait.. from what I understand, the one carry-on rule only applies right now if you are connecting through LHR or your flight originates at LHR, right?

 

If your fly from say the States and your flight terminates at LHR, you can have a carry-on and a personal item correct? They won't make you consolidate to one carryon from your origination airport.

 

But it's a good point you bring up. I think many people read the "you can only have one carryon when going through Heathrow" and I don't think they understand that it means, absolute, no ifs, ands, or buts, just one carryon, and that includes your personal item. So if you have a backback, then you can't have a laptop too unless you can consolidate one into the other. If you are carrying a purse then that's all you get, you can't take the purse and the carryon, you'd have to stuff the purse into the carryon, etc.

[bigwally]

Wait.. from what I understand, the one carry-on rule only applies right now if you are connecting through LHR or your flight originates at LHR, right?

 

If your fly from say the States and your flight terminates at LHR, you can have a carry-on and a personal item correct? They won't make you consolidate to one carryon from your origination airport.

 

Nope, as I said above...the pilot programme allows you a carry-on and a personal item for flights that connect through LHR irrespective of origin. It was reported in the Times of London thusly and has been verified by a number of BA's frequent travellers:

 

"To ease the situation a five-week trial began at Heathrow on Monday in which passengers transferring between flights are being allowed two items of hand luggage. Passengers will continue indefinitely to be banned from carrying through security checks any liquid containers with a capacity of more than 100ml, which is about the size of a tube of toothpaste."

 

You are correct that for flights orginating at LHR the one bag rule is still in effect.

[olga77]

Quote:

Just remember that flying out from Heathrow - even if its a connecting flight you will need to consolidate all your stuff into one carryon per person. So make sure your personal item will fit inside your carryon.

 

Or do not flight to Heathrow from Heathrow or via Heathrow if you can avoid it. I swore that to myself once! BA isn't my favorite company, thank you very much! We wrote them a letter after our bad experience with the buggage, etc. and they didn't even accommodate us. What the reimbursed us for wasn't enough. So my advise to you don't fly BA or other complanies via H.

[jstducky]

But it's not just BA, all airlines through LHR seem to have problems.

 

I had a bad experience with losing luggage at LHR last year. My problem was with Iberia. It took me almost 1 year to get reimbursed.

 

So is Gatwick a better option?

 

Also, what about flights that terminate in LHR. In that case, you can have a carryon and a personal item, right? Because LHR is your final destination, not a transit terminal or an origination terminal.

[bigwally]

In that case, you can have a carryon and a personal item, right? Because LHR is your final destination.

 

Correct. But it's important to recognize that it won't be the same coming back. The one bag rule will definitely apply to you then.

[skandls]

We flew into Heathrow with a carryon and personal item. That was not the problem. The problem was when we left Copenhagen we were allowed our carryon and personal item. When we were on our way to our connecting flight at Heathrow we had to consolidate into one bag and go through security a second time.

[bigwally]

The only way I see that happening right now is if:

 

a) you originate landside at LHR.

 

b) even though you are connecting, you are forced landside for security screening for some reason rather than being able to use the Flight Connections Centre.

 

c) you get a security agent who is ignorant of the pilot programme.

 

d) the programme is scrapped due to a new security scare or the final decision is reached that allowing two carry-ons again simply won't work.

[Elaine0138]

Then I've left a fairly long period of time between our connecting flights (2.5 hours), which should give them plenty of time to transfer the bags. And then (but this is down to luck of the draw) these flights are arriving and departing from the same terminal (T1).

Don't bank on it my son and girlfriend had 4 hours between arriving and departing from T1, neither of their bags arrived in Edinburgh with them, they were delivered later that night.

 

 

Pleas check out the www.baa.com for all the latest information when transfering through Heathrow and Gatwick. Alot of people think that this is an off shot of British Airways in fact it is a Sapnish company who operate several airports here in the UK.

[bigwally]

Don't bank on it my son and girlfriend had 4 hours between arriving and departing from T1, neither of their bags arrived in Edinburgh with them, they were delivered later that night.

 

Later the same night would be fine. I guess I'll have a change of clothes and my PJs in my carry-on. I'm actually hoping that they'll have their act together better by September - summer rush will be over, they'll have (hopefully) shifted the backlog of lost bags, etc...

 

 

Please check out the http://www.baa.com for all the latest information when transfering through Heathrow and Gatwick. Alot of people think that this is an off shot of British Airways in fact it is a Sapnish company who operate several airports here in the UK.

 

Yes, Spanish construction company Ferrovial overpaid for the BAA and now is systematically pulling every dime they can out of the operation to help pay the loans they floated to buy it. What this means to the general public is that they aren't spending a dime on any of the airports they run because that would interfere with the systematic robbery that is taking place!

 

BTW, I hear on my favourite frequent traveller site that at least one security agent was barking at people with two-carry ons earlier today in the T4 FCC. So as I noted earlier, be prepared for anything!

[MAKEM]

Good luck!

We lost ours in 2005, but then got it back. I don't think situation got any better. Try to pack at least all the necessary 2-3 days stuff in your carry-on, just in case. Heatrow is a crazy, crazy airoport and we'd never ever fly there or via Heatrow again.:(

 

every UK airport,at present, only allows 1 piece of hand luggage when flying on or from the U.K.

[bigwally]

Guardian article about the baggage woes at LHR, including information about the two carry-on bag trial and the possiblity of the one bag rule going away.

 

According to BA in this article the 20k backlog of missing bags has been cleared. However insiders say that they haven't been cleared to their owners, just cleared out of LHR to BA's baggage handling facility in Italy!

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/ba/story/0,,2141168,00.html#article_continue

[30something cruiser]

thanks for the article. it is disappointing, but not surprising that they don't fess up to their continuing luggage problems. I have a question. The article mentions the 2 bag carry-on trial program, but doesn't mention that it is restricted to international transfers. is there someplace i can check to see if it also applies to flights originating at LHR? i checked the BAA website and it doesn't mention the trial program at all, and still shows a restriction for 1 carry-on, with no exceptions.

[bigwally]

Catch up with that thread on the Flyertalk forum. Sort of looks like the BAA is "one hand not knowing what the other is doing" at the moment!

[pcur]

I guess we've been lucky with BA and Heathrow. Both our flights with them have resulted in our luggage staying with us, although this last time in April we had a 45 minute delay.

 

We pack to the lowest denonimator. We had a flight on EasyJet out of Barcelona to Stanstead, and we were renting a SmartCar in the UK, so our ENTIRE itinerary for luggage had to meet those requirements. Not an easy task with a 12-night cruise included!!

 

We had less weight allowed on EJ, and...well....if you've every seen a picture of a SmartCar, you'll understand what I mean by "NO SPACE"!!! :eek:

 

I will check on this Heathrow problem before our next trip. I wonder if it's a summer "thing"????

[Bramcruiser]

I'm due to arrive in the UK in less than three weeks and all these recent articles and threads about problems at LHR have me on tenderhooks. I suppose in the end I can't do much if the luggage gets lost but its definite to me that there are great problems at Heathrow this summer. Is the problem extended to flights originating or ending at the airport? Will be flying in on a North American carrier but not sure of the baggage handling on the Heathrow side. I'm just glad we're not connecting to make matters worse.

 

David

[pcur]

I'm due to arrive in the UK in less than three weeks and all these recent articles and threads about problems at LHR have me on tenderhooks. I suppose in the end I can't do much if the luggage gets lost but its definite to me that there are great problems at Heathrow this summer. Is the problem extended to flights originating or ending at the airport? Will be flying in on a North American carrier but not sure of the baggage handling on the Heathrow side. I'm just glad we're not connecting to make matters worse.

 

David

 

I've been thinking about what I would do if facing this situation, and I think I would do some very strategic packing.

 

ALL the luggage might not get delayed, so mix and match the contents of each bag. DH and I did this "just because" on our last trip, so there were clothes for both of us in both bags.

 

I agree that at least a few days of clothes in the carry-on bags, too. If it was me, I'd dress up more on the plane, so I have another decent evening outfit (nothing ooh la la; knit pants, nice top).

 

So, what's on the body and in the bag can get us by for several days. OK, if disaster hits then what's on the body and in the bag goes to the cleaning service, and it can do me for a whole WEEK, if needed. That's worst case scenario.

 

Again, I've flown BA twice before and had my luggage with me both times. I also think this is due to the fact that we flew nonstop flights both times: SFO and LAX direct to Heathrow. Luggage delays might be due to connecting flights enroute?????

[Bramcruiser]

Oh course Peggy you are correct in that we should all take responsibility ourselves in regards to possible preventative measures. That doesn't mean these kind of problems still are not going to happen but we should at least be aware of the possibility. So many people travel blinded by faith of good luck and I must admit I've been one most times.

 

Well we're flying out of Toronto also non-stop so I figure problems can only arise either at the originating point or the final destination. And not everyone has lost bags - just a large number. So being prepared is the best. I guess why this story caught my eye most than any other of my travels is that this is our first ever visit to Europe and its been planned for a long time.

 

David

[ToBe]

We are still awaiting two of our bags from Heathrow. We had a nonstop flight to IAD. There were @ 15+ people who are also missing luggage. BA knew that the luggage was lost when we arrived at IAD. The conveyor belt was having problems and I guess our luggage suffered. Nothing has shown up on the web site yet. Thankfully this is the end of the trip. We do not need our dress clothes but would like our souveniers.

 

Temma