‘Vast majority’ of bags now travelling with passengers after airport fault
42 minutes ago
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The “vast majority” of baggage is now travelling as planned with passengers flying out of Birmingham Airport, bosses said in an update, after hundreds of holidaymakers had been left without their luggage
Outgoing flights have been affected since Friday, with some travelling through the airport describing “absolute chaos” and many still left without their belongings
No luggage was loaded on to a TUI flight to Turkey, with few bags making it to Cyprus, or a Jet2 flight to Rome
“We are working with our airlines and third parties to reunite luggage with passengers as fast as possible,” the airport said
The situation at Birmingham was “very significant,” but also rare, said Alistair Rowland, a former chair of travel association ABTA
“Normally bags go missing, but not all the bags,” he said
Also significant was the communication between the airport and tour operators, and them “letting people know to give them the chance to get off the plane if they so choose,” he added
“But normally bags do arrive within 24 or 48 hours on the next flight out.”
Clive Stokes, from Kidderminster, who travelled to Cyprus said staff “knew full well” luggage was going to be affected before passengers got on the flight
At the check-in desk “we were specifically told to hold on to our baggage tags, and keep them in a safe place,” he explained
“No-one’s ever said they to me before when I’ve travelled.”
He has now been told his luggage has arrived in Paphos, but is awaiting further information
Birmingham Airport
What do I do if my bag is missing?
Technically it is the tour operator or airline that are responsible for baggage, rather than the airport, Rowland explained
It was important that travellers with missing bags filled in a missing luggage form at the arrival airport, he said
“It does seem like Birmingham Airport didn’t do well in this circumstance, [but] actually the claim is based on the client’s contract, and that’s with the airline or with their tour operator,” he added
Simon Leyland’s bags also did not make it with him to Rome after he travelled on a Jet2 flight from Birmingham on Friday to join a cruise with his family
He said he had struggled to get any information about the missing luggage
“The airline weren’t that helpful,” Leyland from Barton-under-Needwood explained
“To be fair everyone we’ve spoken to has been lovely, but the airline said it was the cruiseline’s responsibility, the cruiseline says it’s the airline’s responsibility
“Then when you pick at it, they go ‘well, it’s Birmingham’s fault’. I don’t really care whose fault it is, I just want my shaver.”
What can I claim for?
If you’re left without your luggage, “the rules say reasonable expenses” can be claimed, Rowland explained
“So it would be entirely reasonable to go do some shopping to pick up two or three days worth of clothes, drugs, anything else that’s needed that was in the suitcase, and they will be naturally reimbursed,” he said
If the luggage is missing for 21 days, the case is then seen as lost and there’s a maximum claim value at that point of about £1,300
Passengers are also advised to keep as many receipts as possible
“It shouldn’t be a very long claim, it should be repaid within 28 days, but it is entirely frustrating, particularly in a situation like this where there was no awareness at the point of the flight taking off,” he said
Higher value items lost in luggage should be subject to a travel insurance claims, he added
Hayley Chapman, from Northfield, who flew with her family to Turkey on Friday said their luggage had also now arrived in the country, but they had had to spend a whole day shopping for essentials and clothes
“I think it’s cost about two hundred pounds, just to buy a few clothes and a few basic toiletries to try and get us by for the next couple of days,” she said
“I’ve literally just rinsed out my underwear, and clothes I wore out, to try and give myself another day.”
Connor O’Donnell is also still without his luggage
He flew to Glasgow on Friday evening, arriving at about midnight, to discover no luggage had been put on the flight
Birmingham Airport “chose not to communicate this with any passengers on arrival or beforehand – they simply just took our bags as if there was no problem despite them clearly knowing,” he said
His bag contained “pretty much all my clothes, toiletries and many essentials which I can’t necessarily afford to just go and replace,” he explained
“I have had no communication from Easyjet to inform me how long until I get my bags back, I have no idea how to go about getting any sort of compensation and think some is more than appropriate.”
Behind the scenes
The situation at Birmingham Airport “will be treated very significantly because it’s no bags getting on, rather than a couple,” Rowland said
“If it was a couple of bags that didn’t get on the plane because of some logistical issue, then it might have to wait till the next scheduled flight goes out
“But in a situation like this, I’m sure behind the scenes, there will have been planes dispatched to get the bags over there
“Normally this sorts itself out within 48 hours.”
Faith in the airport?
“I’m a bit of a fan of Birmingham,” added Rowland, who is also chair of online travel company, Blue Bay Travel
“I find Birmingham [to be] pretty good. But when things go wrong, they do tend to go spectacularly wrong, and that happened in this circumstance.”
Baggage problems were compounded by flights being diverted from Bristol Airport, due to issues with their runway, he said
“Birmingham generally though, is one of the best airports in the UK.”
Birmingham Airport said: “We are working with our airlines and third parties to reunite luggage with passengers as fast as possible and we are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience and stress this has caused some of our passengers.”
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