Luggage arrived before PAX is this correct?

[Tartan Gannet]

I have recently been in Scotland, returning on Sunday 1st July.

On the outward leg LHR to GLA I was able to take my bag on board as I normally do as hand luggage but this was not possible, the flight being crowded, on the return leg GLA to LHR and it was tagged to be put in the hold. Now I was rather early for my flight when I booked in at GLA, the previous one to LHR not boarding until about 45 minutes after I checked in.

On arrival at LHR Terminal One my bag failed to appear on the carosell and I eventually asked at the Luggage Enquiry desk. My bag was waiting and I was told "It came down on the previous flight" I took it of course without any comment but was puzzled as I thought that, after Lockerbie, all personal luggage had to be on the same flight as the PAX and if loaded and they didnt board then it was off loaded prior to the Aircraft departing. Can someone clarify this please?

Also has the Railair Coach pickup point for Reading been moved at Terminal One LHR? After being sent on a wild goose chase on Sunday to the "Central Bus Station" I resorted to taking the Heathrow Express to Paddington and a fast train to Reading to get home.

[PaperTiger]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">all personal luggage had to be on the same flight as the PAX </font>
International flights only I believe (due deference to Scottish Nationalists ;) .

[Chalky]

I don't think international or domestic makes any difference. If a passenger fails to board a flight for which he/she has checked in, and he/she has baggage in the hold, it should be removed.

However, if a bag misses the flight it should have travelled on, it can be loaded on another as a "rush bag" after undergoing a full security screening. My guess/hope is that someone thought this was the situation and "rushed" it.

On the other hand, could your bag have been mistakenly tagged for the previous flight? In this case, as you were not listed on this flight you would not have been shown as missing and this would seem to be a possible security loophole. Please would a dispatch expert tell me this can't happen!!

[This message has been edited by Chalky (edited 03 July 2001).]

[The_Banking_Scot]

This has happened to me twice before during the past year ( both times on British Airways). Once on HEL-LHR and the other time from IAD-LHR after checking in relatively early both times.

It is better than waiting for your luggage for three days after arriving but I did wonder about the security implications.

[Low_and_Slow]

I was under the impression that the concern of the airline was that you not intentionally separate from your luggage, but that they where willing to do it themselves.

Of course what they do if you fail to check in for your flight and the luggage went on an earlier one is a bit of a mystery...

[Spoonbill]

As long as the bag has been security checked and has remained within the restricted area at all times prior to loading, it can travel with or without you, providing that the airline can also account for your movements, ie. they've checked you in at the same time as the bag.
This way there is no security risk, as the bag is checked and cannot be tampered with.



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It wasn't me.

[152]

As far as I am concerned, the bag should NEVER travel before the passenger. At LHR we have a system called BRS (Baggage Reconciliation System). Which was developed in Germany after the Lockerbie incident. It basically checks if the passenger has made it to there connecting flight. You scan the tag and it shows up green if the pax is onboard or checked in, and shows red for do not load. If you have checked in bags and you do not make the flight, the bags WILL be offloaded (the bag tag numbers are in your pnr). If however, you made the flight and the bags didn't, then as Chalky says it will go through a security procedure that involves several x-rays on the same machine, the bag will then be forwarded to you with a 'Rush Bag' tag.
In my 7 years at the airport I have never heard of a bag being 'tagged' onto a flight that the passenger has not got a booking for. The computer will not generate it, the baggage tag has details on it that needs the information from your PNR, such as, PAX name, flight number, destination etc.

As for what other airports do, I do not know.

Hope this helps a bit.


152 :)

[This message has been edited by 152 (edited 03 July 2001).]

[expedite_climb]

I guess this is similar ...

last december I was travelling with BA from LHR to NCL.

Only as my bag ran down the belt did I notice that the lady had stuck a MAN tag on it.

I had already checked in at the self service machine.!!!

[Pom Pax]

I've done it twice many years ago but didn't think it was allowed / possible these days.
1. Pulled off the Glasgow shuttle to take an urgent phone call. Always in the care of BEA staff until on board the next shuttle. (1972)
2.Detained by the tax clerk in Bangkok. SQ staff asked if I wanted by baggage off loaded, I replied "No I'll catch up with it later". Baggage went on SQ at 1430, I on TG at 2030! Well past midnight in Changi before baggage located locked in cleaner's broom cupboard. (1981)
However now in the 21st century I have managed to arrive before my baggage.

[411A]

Flew to KPIT years ago on a B727 and the forward baggage door would not open, about 50 pax waiting for baggage which never appeared. The pax service(?) agent locked himself in his office with NO word to anyone and the airplane returned to KMIA with all the bags. The security guys in MIA took all the bags out, and by mistake sent them ALL to Las Vegas. Never found out why....good 'ole Eastern Airlines at its best.

[FE Hoppy]

4 of my last 5 flights throught LHR my bags didn't make the connection but I did.
I think my samsonite may be suffering from repetative x-ray sindrome.....

[englishal]

I checked in in Adelaide for Singapore (Singapore airlines), then to pick up BA tickets in Singapore and carry on to London, checking in again in Singapore. The check in staff in Adelaide checked my bag all the way through to LHR even though I only had tickets as far as SIN. I didn't complain, but how can they do this ??

[Spoonbill]

Englishal
Checked in baggage is deemed to have passed security requirements. Once it dissapears into the dark world of the security screening process, it is deemed to be safe and can be forwarded on to any destination provided YOU have tickets (collected or otherwise) for the flight to the same destination as the baggage.
I assume that the check in staff were able to check that you had valid tickets for the onward flight, otherwise the bags would have been off loaded at the interim stop.

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It wasn't me.