Off loaded luggage
I hope I'm in the right section of the site regarding my question, if not, I apologise and will attempt to ask it elsewhere. Anyway, and in short . . .
Flying home recently from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to London Gatwick, via Atlanta, I utilised Delta Air Lines. My 14.30 flight from Baton Rouge was delayed by over two hours, meaning I'd missed my British Airways connection to the UK.
Promises by Delta to have me transferred onto a Delta or Air France flight turned out to be hot air. A BA customer service supervisor told me it was "f**king tough luck" and no, I wouldn't automatically be accommodated on the next evenings BA flight to the UK.
Consequently, I asked for my luggage to be "pulled". I was told by Delta personnel this process might involve a two hour wait. I only had a night in a hotel (at my expense) ahead of me so was happy to kick my heels for two hours. After three hours, my luggage hadn't emerged. I made enquiries with luggage handlers and was told pulled luggage could take anything from 6 to 8 hours to appear.
In the early hours of the following morning I approached Delta lost luggage personnel. They confirmed that my request to have my one item pulled was made at 20.21, but added at 20.41 my item had left Atlanta bound for Europe.
Can "unaccompanied" luggage travel without its owner being on the flight? Is this not some breach of FAA rules?
The following morning I returned to the airport. I enquired with Delta as to my suitcase fate. I was told it had probably been returned to Baton Rouge.
$1,109.40 later, I checked in at the BA desk. There I was told BA would not allow unaccompanied luggage to fly onboard its aircraft.
Upon landing at LGW the next morning, a text alert revealed my luggage would be delivered to my home address that evening. Therefore, it had left Atlanta for UK on day one.
It duly appeared, locks broken, wrapped in tape. Inside, a standard leaflet from the TSA informing me that it was not liable for the destruction. Whether they deny responsibility with regard to the stolen items, I'm not sure.