Out of the way

What's with British Airways. I knew what would happen to my baggage a week ago. And surprise, surprise, it did. They still have no information on record, although I have seen the records they had that showed what had happened.

So here is the history. I caught a flight in the US, but it was delayed so I missed the connection to Madrid. After some discussion, I was booked on a flight to London, since I had to take another flight from London the next day.

I did ask them to find where the bag had gone, and it had been passed to the baggage handlers for Iberia (who would have taken me to Madrid) and who happened to be the handlers for BA as well.

When I went to check in, I asked if they would really get the luggage. "Of course". So when I got to London, I asked them to chase it up, since I didn't believe them. Nor did it seem likely that I would get my baggage in Japan, since BA knew I would be back in London in a few days. The only question was whether they would keep it in London, or do something stupid like send it to Spain anyway.

Ta-da, they sent it to Spain the day after they sent me to Japan, in spite of a baggage report that said "fly it to Narita". I found this out when I got back to London - in Tokyo all they did was fill in forms, make a duplicate baggage report, and say they were very sorry I had no clothes to wear to a conference.

When I got back to London, they raised another file. I now have three different records for the same one piece of lost baggage. And they suggest that I could go shopping and buy new clothes, collect the receipts, talk to a customer service representative (the best time I have had for a response is a almost imperceptible 35 minutes just to answer the phone) about what to do with them. I wonder why they think I am making 2 intercontinental trips a week.

Sadly, this is about normal. BA were scarcely any better the last time I flew with them - a single flight, but it took them 3 days to deliver my luggage. With Star Alliance airlines I have had a little better luck in tracing my bag - they usually know where it is. But so far this year they have been almost as bad at keeping it on the plane I am on. And equally bad at providing a realistic solution to the problem of having clean underwear while I wait.