All updates, plus 'One clock stops, another one starts'
Note: We are in the process of contacting British Airways' Public Relations team to give the company an opportunity to respond under the industry-leading HEXUS Right2Reply initiative. Should the company choose to comment, we will, as always, publish its response - complete and unedited - at the end of this article.
Update 1: We have just spoken to British Airways' Press Office where Richard Goodfellow, a very nice chap indeed, has told us that he'll have a look at this article. We have now mailed Richard the link, as well as offering him and British Airways access to our HEXUS Right2Reply initiative. We wait to see what BA's response will be...
Update 2: Richard from British Airways called me back shortly after the last update. He has now taken my baggage reference number and is going to call Terminal 1 to see what's going on... we wait with baited breath!
Update 3: Richard has just called again to give me an 'end of play update'... which, sadly, brings my baggage no closer to home and this story no closer to a conclusion. However, to prove what a star he is, he tells me that he has to go over to Terminal 1 tomorrow and that he will personally go wading through the lost bags to see if he can locate my luggage.
Interestingly, Richard told me that British Airways are, to his knowledge, the only carrier operating at Heathrow who employ their own baggage handlers, everyone else uses third party contractors. Now, this still doesn't help bring my bag any closer but at least it's good to know that in talking to BA you are talking directly to the company responsible.
Which just leaves one final question unanswered... Where's my bloody bag??
Check back tomorrow for updates as we get them.
Update 4: 20th June, 2007: Richard has just called me as he was standing in the middle of a load of lost bags, (how many exactly I can't say, it sounded like a fair few). I've gave him as good a description of my bag as possible but after one likely looking bag turned out to not be mine it looks as if the bag isn't there. Richard will call me back later after he has spoken to the shift manager at Terminal 1.
This is depressing as it looks like the bag is either not at Heathrow or has taken a walk...
Update 5: 20th June, 2007: Another call from Richard. This time he left me a voicemail as I didn't get to the phone in time.
After a load of digging, my it looks like my bag isn't at Heathrow. New Telex messages have been sent to Hong Kong as they now think the bag never made it off the Cathay Pacific flight from Taiwan to Hong Kong. Sadly, British Airways doesn't employ a baggage handling team out there though they do have a small management team resident to Hong Kong Airport. He's messaged them about the bag so, with luck, something might turn up.
However, seeing as Hong Kong is thousands of miles away and so far my bag hasn't eased through the system, it's fair to say that even if the bag is at Hong Kong, it could be a good while yet until it sees the shores of Blighty again. Good thing I'd decided not to smuggle Miguel, my Mexican midget out there this time, he'd be pretty angry by now!
Update 6: 21st June 2007: My bag has turned up! I've just received a call from Richard telling me that my bag has been found tag-less, but safe and sound and totally unmolested, in Cathay Pacific's missing bag area. It's been put on the next flight back to the UK, which lands at 5.25.am on the 22nd June. Barring no more major mishaps it will be will couriered to me first thing tomorrow morning, June 23rd.
Time elapsed between BA claiming it found my lost baggage and returning it to me:
4 Days, 47 Hours, 28 Minutes
4 Days, 47 Hours, 28 Minutes
Update 7: 26th June 2007: After chasing BA express baggage courier service to confirm the whereabouts of my bag after it didn't arrive over the weekend, contrary to what was promised, I was informed that the bag had been returned to them for an unspecified reason. After confirming my address with the courier service I was promised delivery for some time on Monday and the bad did finally land at my home at around 6pm Monday evening, 25th June.
I would have liked a happy ending there, but sadly that is not the case (no pun intended). BA have delivered the correct bag to me but in a state that can only be described as "having had the shit kicked out of it".
How much damage do you think someone can do to a soft cased duffel bag?
As you know I’m a seasoned traveller and I've experience damaged baggage before when I've travelled with hard-shell luggage, which is why I travel with a soft duffel bag as these are much less likely to get buggered, but this time around it seems the full fury of a baggage handler's ire has been vented on my bag. From first inspection the pull handle bracket has been smashed in two, rendering the trolley abilities of the bag non-existent.
The zips are so knackered that the only way to open the bag was to wench them apart with extreme force. I'd just like to add a personal thanks to whoever opened the bag for not using the security key and unlocking my ATS (AMERICAN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS) approved padlock, by cutting though the security loops on the zip fasteners rendering them completely useless for the future.
Possibly the bag has been used as a trampoline or a skidoo, as the crushed state of the contents would suggest that the baggage handlers may have been practising for the 2008 Beijing Olympic's synchronised trampolining team or they just attached to the back of the baggage cart and dragged it around the airport for a couple of laps. The damage to the contents would suggest the former while the crud and dirt engrained on the outside of the bag suggests the latter.
I understand the bag had to be opened to check the contents and validate my ownership, but why wasn't the security lock used as it should have been?
I don't wish to appear to be picking holes, but one could reasonably expect greater care to have been taken with a customer's bag. As soon as we’ve spoken to Richard at BA we’ll let you know.
