Originally Posted by Consol
Interesting, who took your bag from you? The BAA don't seem to have a right as your contract is with the airline and it is responsible.
Absolutely. Your conditions of carriage are with the airline. BAA are nothing more than a supplier/subcontractor to your airline. You have not contracted with them for anything (except for things you buy directly from them like car parking). But security and baggage handling is part of what you pay for in your ticket.
Restrictions on baggage are driven by complaints about queues for the checking process. There is no security reason why bag numbers should be limited, there is nothing in the various security acts about limiting bag numbers. It is purely a cost-limiting measure by BAA to avoid employing extra security staff.
Note that if you go through security but then buy 20 large bagfuls at the BAA duty free shops beyond, that is of course FINE with BAA ! Maybe not with your airline of course.
If your airline has signed up to a contract with BAA to follow their procedures with their passengers, but has not passed this condition on to you in their contract of carriage, then that is the airline's problem not yours.