Winging It

Have great vacation, hope you're not flying anywhere.

Hi, I am looking for help in discussing and understanding considerable problems that British Air is having with baggage this summer, especially in Heathrow. I returned to Phila from Istanbul through Heathrow on June 21st with neither of my checked bags; one arrived three days later, the other has yet to arrive (5 weeks later). I thought the problem was a fluke (I've never lost or heard of anyone losing a bag before) until I began investigating Brit Air on line. There are multiple complaint posting sites by unhappy Brit Air passengers and a decade long trail of newspaper/online articles about Brit Air problems, including being reported in 2006 as the worst in baggage delivery among the top 24 European Airlines. See

http://www.londonlogue.com/public-transport/british-airways-top-airline-for-lost-luggage.html#comments

The problem is magnified by the "customer relations" system--disconnected phone numbers, impenetrable menus, varying information--and the process of claiming reimbursement, which doesn't even begin for three or four months after the bag is missing.

While I'm certainly eager to get my own bag back, I'm also concerned to warn other travellers--1) to avoid BA/Heathrow if possible, or if not, 2) to put nothing of value in checked luggage or insure it or send it ahead...

I realize you're on vacation, but when you return, might you help me--both retrieve my bag and publicize the problem? I'd be happy to write an article myself; I've been necessarily doing research in the quest for my bag. Thanks so much. Last week at the airport I was told by a BA agent that there are 70 open missing bag cases for Phila Airport for the last two weeks; their system won't include bags missing for over two weeks. As the problem is continuous, from what I can tell, I suspect that hundreds of Philadelphians are also missing their bags.

Thanks so much for reading. Cindy Giddle