BA Birminham Baggage Woes

[jethrobee]

Hi All,

I dont normally post, but I want to warn others about something that happened to me yesterday.

Was on the BA flight to Newcastle from Birmingham on the JetStream. So, small prop plane, no room for cabin bags, gave my bag to the baggage guy, was loaded as normal.

Nice smooth flight up to Newcastle, unfortunately upon arrival my mobile phone (Sony Ericsson T68i) was missing from the bag.

The captain was very helpful, as were the air-side ground staff at Newcastle, they looked around for it in the hold, but to no avail.

The next problem came when reporting it to BA, no-one seems to give a damn about it, I have spent hours at desks in the airport, on the phone, but the same response, we dont expect valuable items in luggage, not our fault mate.

So there we are, I am now phone-less, got to claim on my travel insurance (freebie BA policy with the gold exec card), but it will take "some time" to sort out.

What has insensed me the most is that this seems to be a regular event (according to Birmingham airport police). I reported it to them last night on the return leg of the journey.

J

[Tiger]

Sorry to hear about your phone going missing from your baggage. I always see mobiles like a wallet/passport items and was a bit silly to leave items like this not on yourself or near you. I`m not being unsympathetic here but being sensible and realisic. Unfortunately, we don`t live in sunny sunshine valley and things like this happen. However, looking at it in a different way the phone may have slipped out of your bag at any point, may have been lifted by a thief at the airport, or even left at security.

Be possive here. Look on the bright side....no one can bother you and think how lovely it was 15+ years ago when most people didn`t have the dam things. GOD your so lucky...YOU GOT FREEDOM!

[World Traveller]

Tiger,

Bearing in mind most people will turn their mobiles off at the gate, then turn them back on after disembarkation, is it not fair to presume putting a mobile in hand luggage is a reasonable thing to do? I know I do, after all why do I want a useless bulky lump of metal in my pocket, particularly in a cramped aircraft cabin?

WT

[Tiger]

WT

Have you seen an average wallet? Serveral credit cards/debit cards/store cards, drivers licence and cash, would you put his in your bag to be put in a hold?
Mobiles are usually smaller and lighter than the average wallet.

I`m not saying its right or wrong, and its unfortunate that a paxs looses his/her phone...but some sort of care is needed. The paxs probably never thought as he/she did it, we all do things as we are all human like that. Hopefully, this posting and general chatting will stop others making the same mistake. Although a mobile isn`t a wallet it needs to be seen as such as they are becoming more advanced and worth more and work out expensive if the unfortunate happens.

[Land After]

Many of you seem to be overlooking the real problem here. The Jetstream, in common with many commuter aircraft, has limited baggage space onboard. This means that you often have to hand over your hand baggage on boarding, collecting again as you disembark. (Don’t start protesting that about baggage size – you simply can’t fit a standard size piece of hand baggage, the size of a pilot case, in the bins or under the seats).

Clearly you may have valuable in these bags that you would not normally check in, such as mobile phones (no use during the flight!!) and laptops; possibly also company or commercially sensitive documents. If the security of these items is being compromised, there is a major problem.

We need to know where this is happening and the attitude of the airlines. Where there is a demonstrated problem, we need to vote with our wallets. And most likely large corporate wallets at that, because these are not low cost bucket and spade routes!

[jethrobee]

Yes, you've hit the nail on the head. I appreciate that we don't live in a perfect society, and that valuables (especially mobile phones) are a tempting target.

How many times have I heard of friends having phones lifted from the car? BUT if I am forced by the airline to put my valuable items in their care (in this case I had no choice, there was no space inside the cabin) then I dont think I am being unreasonable to expect the airline to be able to take responsibility.

I am several days on, the whole sorry event has been reported to all and sundry, BA Insurance, BA Customer Relations, Birmingham airport police CID. There is no chance of me getting the original phone back, but at least I can claim on the free BA travel insurance.......... even though I will have to pay the excess.

[SLF]

Er, Jethro, dare I suggest that if your mobile was too large or heavy to take on board, it's probably time you had a new one...?:D :D :D

[jethrobee]

Hi All,

Just a quick update, I have just received a cheque from cityflyer for £225. Which is a nice gesture, however it falls somewhat short of the carphone warehouse retail price of the phone (£365).

Anyway, I am back off to Kuwait soon, so I will pick one up over there (about £250) so I should be nearer the mark.

Although the airline has made this gesture I am still furious that no-one has contacted me to apologise. The calls to the airline have been unreturned despite promises for management to return my call.

I will just have to revert to flying from LHR, at least its real BA there, they always look after me.

I actually hope that someone from BA reads this and gives the people at CityFlyer a swift kick up the backside for damaging the BA reputation.

Jethro

[Ricky Butcher]

Its not CityFlyer, it's CitiExpress. At least CityFlyer could keep their schedule together.

[No longer ATC]

Jethobee....you ain't the first and you sure won't be the last!I left BA after 15yrs in Lost luggage... the worst place for this sort of petty pilfering is... CDG. Woe betide anyone who is made to check hand baggage at the last minute... I think the ADP staff regard hand luggage as a "perk of the job". Wish I'd had a pound for every pilferage report I ever had to make! And yes, your right, the airlines don't give a rats ass!With regard to Cityflyer, I recall many , many staff meetings with management .. they [and I am talking about 5 or so years ago..things may be different now] were happy to hide behind BA uniforms/logos etc but did'nt want the hassle of providing the same standrds of customer services..too many times we would have Cityflyer pax turn up at BA mainline lost bags dept because Cityflyer had given them the big finger...you can't have it both ways in this franchising buisness..all or nothing-same standards ought to apply across the board.....time to get off the soapbox....

[jockmcstrap]

Erm,

Cityflyer ceased to exist as from end of march 2002 !!! BA bought them out !!!


Jeth

Why dont you post a message in the Airports/Airlines/Routes forum ?? Im sure a couple of baggage loaders would be able to sort you out with a phone !!!

[PAXboy]

"baggage loaders would be able to sort you out with a phone !!!"

:D :D

Now that there is a UK wide database of stolen phones, the phone can no longer be used in the UK. This will start to depress the market as it's only use is in the immediate time before it is discovered missing. i.e. whilst you are in the air!!

The UK networks are trying to pursuade other mobile phone companies around the world to join the database. It will take time but it is a start. They log the electronic number fo the hardware, which is specific to each and every phone. Bit like a fingerprint.