BRITISH Airways have admitted to delaying or misplacing approximately 150,000 bags and suitcases in the first half of the year.
The airline revealed this figure to a passenger who was complaining on social media about their missing baggage.
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They explained that this one per cent was in relation to the 15 million bags they transported from January to June.
The tweet from the airline to the passenger explained: “To put your concerns in context: we’ve transported around 15 million bags the first half of this year and one per cent of them has been delayed.”
A report by SITA revealed that 24.8 million bags were lost or temporarily lost in 2018.
Working out to 4.36 bags per 1,000 passengers, this figure has actually decreased in recent years, according to the report, thanks to new technology.
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Jo and Dave Cook previously spoke to Sun Online Travel about their delayed baggage with British Airways, which only arrived on the last day of their honeymoon.
They explained at the time: “We still have no explanation why the bag was lost in the first place, why it was sent elsewhere and why it is taking nearly a week to be returned to us, when I could have flown back and forth to London five times in the same period.
“Our post doesn’t explain the amount of time, upset and energy we lost on our honeymoon to this.”
Another passenger, Sue Duris, told the Times that it took “a week to be reunited” with her suitcase after it remained in Scotland after her Edinburgh to London Heathrow flight.
Twitter user Ben Lewis wrote: “Another work trip, another lost bag thanks to @British_Airways”
Another social media user added: “@British_Airways still thinks my bag is in Miami and it’s been 24 hrs that it has been in Milan. I’ve lost THREE DAYS of my trip that was already organised and planned to take care of this.”
Matthew Andrews added: “BA lost mine on the 5th Aug. Promised on 6th and again 10th. Still waiting.”
A British Airways spokesperson explained: “We are a large global airline with hundreds of flights operating every day, and on the rare occasion that baggage is delayed, it is returned to the owner within a few hours in the vast majority of instances.”
What to do if your suitcase is lost
If your luggage was in the hold and it becomes lost, delayed or damaged then the airline is liable for your losses, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
There isn’t a rule on a fixed amount of compensation you can receive as it depends on the airline and the value of what you have lost.
The maximum will be around £1,000, but it is unlikely you will receive that much.
Most airlines will reimburse you for the bare essentials you need when your bag is delayed, which can cover toiletries, laundry costs and pants.
You must report that your luggage has been lost or delayed at the airport.
Make sure you keep a copy of the Property Irregularity Report.
The CAA recommends you add a label on the inside of your luggage as well as the outside in case the tags on the outside come off.
Make sure you have travel insurance so you can file a claim if the airline does not pay out.
Earlier this year, thousands of BA passengers were forced to wait and see if their bags arrived after baggage problems at London Heathrow.
Some travellers were told to travel without their suitcases due to check-in queues up to two hours.
To avoid being on holiday without any belongings, experts advise passengers to share suitcases in case one of them is lost.
