BA / Iberia Meltdown

Looking for information on a place in Andalucia or simply asking for advice on somewhere to visit? Post here and someone out there may know the answer.
Lavanda
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6191
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:42 pm
Location: Cáceres Province, Extremadura

BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Lavanda » Sat Apr 02, 2022 5:03 pm

It seems that the new COE of BA, a Spaniard, has sold the IT department to a new company who has promised to run things more cheaply. Chaos has ensued. On Thursday my BA flight from Heathrow to Madrid was cancelled, along with another 130 odd other flights. I got a very nice Iberia person to help me and he got me on a later flight, did my suitcase and off I went to the departure lounge. It had been a long day and the long wait made me sleepy. I got my flight number confused with another one leaving 15 minutes before my flight, also by Iberia and also to Madrid. When I tried to board what I thought was my flight I was told that I was on the wrong flight but they would sort me out and, low and behold, I got a seat. I asked about my luggage, on the flight just before the one I was now on and the desk person told me she had ‘fixed it’. How this was possible, I have no idea as the flight must have just taken off, with my luggage, or maybe not. If I was not on the flight, would my luggage have been taken off the plane? Who knows.

I got to Madrid and, of course, my luggage did not. I suspect it was on the earlier flight or still at Heathrow having been taken off the earlier flight but not put on the one I was on. At Madrid, way past midnight, I filled in the necessary lost luggage form, got my case number and went to my hotel. Many other people were also filing forms for missing luggage while many bits of luggage were whizzing around the luggage reclaim carousel with no takers.

What happens now? On my lost luggage form is the number of the flight I was on but no record of the number of the flight I should have been on, but wasn’t. Do people ever get back lost luggage and how on earth do they track things down? I have checked the tracking site various times today but nothing has been found. Do the tracking people work at weekends? How long before I claim on my insurance, but how to claim for irreplaceable photos of my recently departed Dad when he was a child?

I feel very upset and confused but, in part, it’s my fault, too. Any advice from anyone as to what I could do next?

As a PS, With all this confusion thousands of people had wrongly filled-in SpTH forms, including me. I filed a new one for the second flight I also did not take, and landed in Madrid with all the wrong information regarding flight number and seat. The QR code was scanned and I passed through the check point BUT it shows that none of what we do goes to any joined-up cross-checking database and seems to be, largely, pointless.

User avatar
Wicksey
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5879
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:21 pm
Location: Axarquia coast

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Wicksey » Sun Apr 03, 2022 10:12 am

What an awful time you've had Lavanda. Did you have a test before coming back as that is time constricted too? Travelling is a hassle enough these days without all the BA shenanigans.

A friend's luggage went missing (I don't think it was on her plane when it left Gawick) and she said that it was found and was actually delivered to her (here in Spain) when it appeared. A neighbour's visitors didn't have their luggage but it turned out someone else had picked it up by mistake. It was sorted out by the airline (Jet2) in the end.
Are you tracking this through BA's website
https://www.britishairways.com/en-es/in ... ed-baggage

markwilding
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 7776
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2009 11:02 am
Location: Bilbao Spain

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby markwilding » Sun Apr 03, 2022 11:06 am

Some years back my luggage was not on the belt when I got to Mallorca. As far as I remember the sticker on the suitcases has all your information in the barcode. About a week after my return I got everything back. I had been on a cruise and I could see by stickers the journey my luggage had taken following me around the Med.

Pamela1
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 2542
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 3:30 am
Location: Co Durham/ Granada Province

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Pamela1 » Sun Apr 03, 2022 11:18 am

First of all Lavanda, i'm really sorry to hear about your Dad, i know through your posts on here that he was in his 90's but it is a huge loss nevertheless.

What an absolute distressing time for you, it all sounds such a muddle but from what i know all airports have a lost luggage department and your luggage will have a sticker attached to it so they should be able to locate it. My friend once lost her luggage coming back from Madrid into Liverpool airport, everyone else retrieved their luggage except her. She also had one or two sentimental items but alas her luggage was never found, perhaps someone picked it up and walked off with it, she will never know. I hope you get yours back, it took about 2 weeks before they declared her luggage totally lost, she claimed on her insurance but even that took time. I hope everything turns out ok for you.

Lavanda
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6191
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:42 pm
Location: Cáceres Province, Extremadura

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Lavanda » Sun Apr 03, 2022 4:14 pm

Thanks everyone and for condolences for my lovely Dad.

I got a text message about an hour ago. My luggage has been found. Well, it could only have been in Heathrow or Madrid and on one of two planes but I am relieved. It gets delivered to me tomorrow by courier.

Yes, Wicksey. I did the PCR test, again with the service from Recova and Boots. I got my results within 20 hours but, of course, in addition to the Spanish Locator Forms being wrong by the time I landed in Madrid the test was 14 hours out-of-date but no one checked that bit too closely as far as I could make out. One man in the queue for the Madrid re-re-scheduled plane had been in Heathrow for 7 hours on top of a delayed BA flight from somewhere or other and he had needed a test which, presumably, would have been days out-of-date on getting to Madrid. All this testing stuff is only sensible (?) if everything runs on time which, currently, BA and Iberia do not seem to be managing too well.

Still, full marks to the luggage location service. I'm happy.

User avatar
Wicksey
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5879
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:21 pm
Location: Axarquia coast

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Wicksey » Sun Apr 03, 2022 5:01 pm

That's good news about your luggage Lavanda, you must be relieved. I'm sorry to hear about your dad too. All this hassle doesn't help things, but at least you'll have your treasured belongings back.

I thought about having the LFT which is cheaper and quicker but having to get it done within 24 hours of arriving here is stressing me out a bit. It seems you have to spend half your week there thinking about getting tested and getting the result to get home if you have the PCR.

olive
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 4500
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:13 pm
Location: Poniente, Granada

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby olive » Sun Apr 03, 2022 8:30 pm

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Travel is now such a hassle. My dad is 95 and we have just decided he is managing all right so will give our yearly visit a miss.I certainly don’t fancy air travel Hope your luggage turns up.

User avatar
Wicksey
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5879
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:21 pm
Location: Axarquia coast

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Wicksey » Mon Apr 04, 2022 10:33 am

More BA flights cancelled today along with hundreds of Easyjet 'due to Covid'. My friends were given about 20 hours notice that today's flight is cancelled. More travel misery for people.

olive
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 4500
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:13 pm
Location: Poniente, Granada

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby olive » Mon Apr 04, 2022 12:14 pm

I suspect it will only get worse after Easter with all the non social distancing. We know of loads of people off work both here and in UK. It is conceivable that my flight on March 8th 2020 was my last ever!

User avatar
Wicksey
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5879
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:21 pm
Location: Axarquia coast

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Wicksey » Mon Apr 04, 2022 12:20 pm

I've flown twice during Covid but they were internal flights and all went smoothly. My OH went back to the UK to see his dad in November without any problems, but next month will be my first trip to the UK for 3 years which I'm not particularly looking forward to.

Pamela1
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 2542
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 3:30 am
Location: Co Durham/ Granada Province

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Pamela1 » Mon Apr 04, 2022 1:41 pm

Lot's of flights cancelled by BA and Easyjet, they say they have staff shortages due to covid..Not looking great for Easter hols.
Manchester airport has all kinds of problems, luggage not being there when people land and long waits. Airports let staff go during lockdowns, many will have new jobs elsewhere and new recruits will be in training mode and not have experience..Travel industry is certainly taking a bashing both during and after lockdows.

Lavanda
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6191
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:42 pm
Location: Cáceres Province, Extremadura

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Lavanda » Mon Apr 04, 2022 1:49 pm

Travel over Easter looks like it will be hideous. My advice would be not to travel anywhere or to travel light with a cabin bag only.

User avatar
Wicksey
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5879
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:21 pm
Location: Axarquia coast

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Wicksey » Mon Apr 04, 2022 4:25 pm

I never travel at peak times/school holidays if I can possibly help it. It's often the times when they go on strike too, just to add to the misery. I never take hold luggage either, and pay for priority so I can have the two bags on board. It all makes it a bit quicker getting off and out without the carousel scrum. Flying was bad enough before Covid, but is even worse now.

Lavanda
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6191
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:42 pm
Location: Cáceres Province, Extremadura

Re: BA / Iberia Meltdown

Postby Lavanda » Mon Apr 04, 2022 4:35 pm

Agreed. My luggage was to have been delivered today and I have been in the house all day but, so far, at 17.35, I have no luggage. How long do delivery people work on a weekday, I wonder …


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests