Question for Globaliser re T5 baggage

[lucky white heather]

Globaliser....could you please tell me what the current status is for baggage coming off your BA domestic flight into T5...I know they have now allowed check in baggage to accompany us but wondered if you knew the up to date situation with bags being delivered off the belts post flight....speedily or not?

Thank you... I posted this same question on the British Isles section hoping to catch your eye for any up to date feedback please.

[Globaliser]

I'm afraid I don't know any details about the up-to-date situation, except that the noises seem to be that the baggage system is in general working well for the flights that are operating.

[lucky white heather]

I'm afraid I don't know any details about the up-to-date situation, except that the noises seem to be that the baggage system is in general working well for the flights that are operating.

 

 

thanks anyway Globaliser.

[Rock Chick]

Globaliser....could you please tell me what the current status is for baggage coming off your BA domestic flight into T5...I know they have now allowed check in baggage to accompany us but wondered if you knew the up to date situation with bags being delivered off the belts post flight....speedily or not?.

 

Heather, can you clarify what you mean about allowing check-in baggage to accompany us please? We'll be flying into T5, but transferring to T4 for our Houston flight. Do you mean that we can physically take our checked luggage to T4 ourselves after it comes off the domestic flight? If so, that would be a huge relief given the current difficulties. :)

 

Carol

[vikielynne]

Carol, I think that Heather was referring to the fact that at one point passengers were not allowed to check in any luggage.

[lucky white heather]

Heather, can you clarify what you mean about allowing check-in baggage to accompany us please? We'll be flying into T5, but transferring to T4 for our Houston flight. Do you mean that we can physically take our checked luggage to T4 ourselves after it comes off the domestic flight? If so, that would be a huge relief given the current difficulties. :)

 

Carol

 

Hi Carol, if you book your luggage straight through when you check in for your first flight down to LHR..you won't see it again until it hopefully turns up at your destination...so you would not be able to manhandle it with you to go to the other terminal.When all the nonsense was going on at T5 when it opened and the baggage delivery system to aircraft backed up, they had to do something as they became overwhelmed with undelivered luggage to carousels and aircraft alike so they only allowed you to fly with appropriate size/ weight carryon luggage until the system got sorted out..which Globaliser says was only one for day..personally I thought it seemed to have gone on for longer????

Unless you don't want to bother checking it right through...I am not certain but think....you might be able to book it in as far as LHR, collect it off the carousel if the bags system is now working properly???? and then head to re check it at a BA counter for your next flight????maybe this is not possible as your ticket will be showing your destination and bags will probably be tagged for there but I would phone/ ask BA if you can do this to avoid the risk of losing your luggage in LHR before you even join your next flight.

 

We're worried as well because we fly into T5 on April 29th and will hopefully be able to collect our bags off our BA flight before we head for the X bus to SOU to join our next cruise...losing your luggage is my ongoing nightmare too!

I'd be interested in what BA have to say about this suggestion!

[Globaliser]

... they became overwhelmed with undelivered luggage to carousels and aircraft alike so they only allowed you to fly with appropriate size/ weight carryon luggage until the system got sorted out..which Globaliser says was only one for day..personally I thought it seemed to have gone on for longer????

It was actually only for one evening. It must have been about 4 pm or so on day one that BA decided to accept no more checked bags that evening, but they started to accept them again when they opened for business the next day, and AFIAK they haven't stopped again.

[lucky white heather]

It was actually only for one evening. It must have been about 4 pm or so on day one that BA decided to accept no more checked bags that evening, but they started to accept them again when they opened for business the next day, and AFIAK they haven't stopped again.

 

Thanks for emphasising the short time it actually lasted for BA's non acceptance of checked bags Globaliser.... it must have been the news coverage that made it seem like they had such a huge problem to resolve it seemed like they had refused to accept checkin luggage for longer than that very short time....with constant repeats of coverage probably influencing travellers like us with a vested interest in T5 (more than any other terminal ) since we will also shortly be affected by whatever the current status of BA luggage checkin / correct transfer to appropriate next flight, the chances of its safe arrival at destination , and delivery back to owners. I know you have your finger very firmly on the pulse and what you tell us is usually gospel so we always accept your up to date info! Thanks for keeping us properly informed.

[Globaliser]

I know you have your finger very firmly on the pulse and what you tell us is usually gospel so we always accept your up to date info! Thanks for keeping us properly informed.

You're welcome! I try to do what I can and pass on what I know, because I need to keep myself informed for any travel that I might have to do. But "gospel" is putting it waaaay too high! :D

[FlyerTalker]

But "gospel" is putting it waaaay too high! :D

Not to worry....there will always be the heretics here who'll dismiss it.....;)

[Rock Chick]

 

We're worried as well because we fly into T5 on April 29th and will hopefully be able to collect our bags off our BA flight before we head for the X bus to SOU to join our next cruise...losing your luggage is my ongoing nightmare too!

I'd be interested in what BA have to say about this suggestion!

 

Cheers Heather, I'm becoming quite stressed about this. We fly to T5 from Manchester before shuttling to T4 for our Houston flight for our cruise. I've got the additional worry about the cancellation of domestic flights. If they do this on 26th April, we're stuffed because there won't be time for us to drive to Heathrow. Our cruise is transatlantic, so if we (or just our luggage) don't make it we (or the luggage) would only be able to join the cruise when it arrives in the Azores 10 days later :eek:

 

Carol

[lucky white heather]

Cheers Heather, I'm becoming quite stressed about this. We fly to T5 from Manchester before shuttling to T4 for our Houston flight for our cruise. I've got the additional worry about the cancellation of domestic flights. If they do this on 26th April, we're stuffed because there won't be time for us to drive to Heathrow. Our cruise is transatlantic, so if we (or just our luggage) don't make it we (or the luggage) would only be able to join the cruise when it arrives in the Azores 10 days later :eek:

 

Carol

 

I know the dilemma..we've pre-empted the problem by phoning the cruiseline and changing to an alternative route/ airline ( with additional payment and cancellation to BA fee we've had to pay involved ) precisely so we do not have to worry about not catching the cruise at all and trying to reach it enroute (which is not a TA this particular time (thank God!) or going on the cruise because you arrive but your luggage doesn't...another dilemma. Our cruiseline is not renowned for helping you out if your bags don't get to the ship before it sails.You get a free toothbrush , drycleaning and T shirt I think, and an allowance per day to try to stock up with replacements which is not easy on a TA..they don't sell much ...like underwear for example...none that I can recall seeing on any of their ships we've done (several)

I checked this morning and of the 11 flights from our airport to LHR T5... 50% were already cancelled including the first 3 flights, one of which was going to be the flight time we are supposed to be going on. A text message to tell you your flight isn't going is not much use on the travel day! We leave April 29th..it is easy to say wait and see but your holiday cannot be looked on as "it'll be alright on the night" IMO..this is a huge money investment which will be entirely spoiled by this anxiety will you / will you not get there AND with bags etc..Again the first port of call is where they would try to re-unite you and your bags... what is the situation with flights to the Azores...frequent or not?We re-feuelled there many years ago on our way to San Juan to join a Princess cruise and it seemed in the wilderness to us!

Therefore we looked at it as in what difference will it make to pay an additional expenditure here .....instead of trying to join the ship enroute.. your money is not going to be refunded..our cruiseline contract only does flights for you as a convenience as far as I could see ....they are not responsible for you if things like your flights go wrong altho' they may try to help you out???

Look at it as .......preventing the problem before you have to solve it!

[Rock Chick]

Hi Heather, I don't blame you for changing airlines. That's an option for us too but we've now decided to pay extra and fly out the day before our original date and have an extra night and day in the USA.

I phoned RCI and asked what they would do if our flights were cancelled and they said that because we've booked a complete package they would get us to our ship no matter what, but I don't trust them to do this and to be honest I can do without the stress. I'm normally very laid back but we're so worried about missing our cruise especially having worked so hard to pay for it. It's supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime, not the holiday from Hell.

 

Carol

[lucky white heather]

Hi Heather, I don't blame you for changing airlines. That's an option for us too but we've now decided to pay extra and fly out the day before our original date and have an extra night and day in the USA.

I phoned RCI and asked what they would do if our flights were cancelled and they said that because we've booked a complete package they would get us to our ship no matter what, but I don't trust them to do this and to be honest I can do without the stress. I'm normally very laid back but we're so worried about missing our cruise especially having worked so hard to pay for it. It's supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime, not the holiday from Hell.

 

Carol

 

Wise move ....Carol.... I know they might get you to the Azores if that is your first call but some ( maybe most ????) of your cruise is lost at that point...and you paid for a whole cruise!

Wishing you a safe flight (with baggage !)and a happy cruise!

[lucky white heather]

I saw on the main X board an interesting post from someone who posted the contract you have with our cruiseline ..it says they only do air for you as a courtesy/ favour really and the tickets the cruiseline gets are consolidated air ticket prices so if you cannot travel on the correct day there is really no reason for them to assist you and the airline concerned only need assist you when they have space to allow you to board another of their flights which could be days after ???

Worth reading the implications of a "with air cruise" for your future bookings.

[Globaliser]

There's a thread on the Cruise Air forum which is worth reading on this topic: Cruise Air and Air Deviation Explanation.

[lucky white heather]

There's a thread on the Cruise Air forum which is worth reading on this topic: Cruise Air and Air Deviation Explanation.

 

 

Thanks Globaliser once again...I've put this into my "favourites" so I can read it at leisure as we should be aware of what can happen in any given situation and not go creating a fuss to get something the rules don't allow you to ask for...be aware is the motto!

[Rock Chick]

Heather thank you for all the information and I hope you have a pleasant cruise.

 

Globaliser, thank you for all the updates and info you have provided on this and other threads.

 

Regards

 

carol

[celle]

Cheers Heather, I'm becoming quite stressed about this. We fly to T5 from Manchester before shuttling to T4 for our Houston flight for our cruise. I've got the additional worry about the cancellation of domestic flights. If they do this on 26th April, we're stuffed because there won't be time for us to drive to Heathrow. Our cruise is transatlantic, so if we (or just our luggage) don't make it we (or the luggage) would only be able to join the cruise when it arrives in the Azores 10 days later :eek:

 

Carol

 

I would be so inclined to take the train from Manchester, and not rely on domestic flights!