The Wall Street Journal had a good August 21, 2007 article regarding British Airway's atrocious record of lost and misplaced luggage. Frequent transatlantic flyers are bound to have a negative experience with air travel at some point; it's practically expected. However, British Airways apparently outdoes even the current US record-holder for most lost luggage, US Airways. Airline passenger satisfaction is at an all-time low, and lost luggage certainly does little to rectify the industry's image.
The WSJ reports that British Airways lost the bags of more than 550,000 passengers in the first 6 months of 2007. The management in part blames this on bad weather (why is the airline industry so surprised when it rains?) and sees their problem as part of the larger airline infrastructure dysfunction. Now, no one would suggest that airlines control the weather. Too many flights, runway gridlock, and an understaffed baggage handling system, however, are things that the industry can control. No one can point to bad weather as the reason for escalatingly bad experiences with air travel, and expect to be taken seriously.
Tips for Travelers to Have Better Transatlantic Flight:
- Book connecting flights with a buffer of at least two hours. This gives you and your luggage plenty of time to adjust for any initial delays or mix-ups.
- Keep any medication, jewelry, and other valuable items in your carry-on luggage. If you need to have a hypodermic needle on you, be safe and have a doctor's note as well.
- If you can help it, don't book a flight on British Airways, at least until its record improves. No matter your destination, there are always other options.
- Important items that can't fit into carry-on luggage can be shipped, if time allows. Babies Travel Lite specializes in shipping children's must-haves to hotels and other destinations.
- Consider flying on an all-business airline. Expedited check-in and personal attention are just part of what makes these airlines attractive for luxury travel and high-end business travel, and this helps improve the chances for your luggage arriving at the right destination.
British Airways is opening a new terminal in Heathrow, some time in 2008. Airport management expects this to "greatly boost capacity" (according to the WSJ), which means - more flights, more passengers, more baggage. Airline passengers could understandably wonder how this, then, is also expected to alleviate the problem of lost and misplaced luggage.
Related, on Suite 101:
JetBlue Airways - Pros and Cons
American Airlines Admirals Club
Jennifer W. Miner - Jennifer has years of travel writing experience, spoken at several national conferences, and more. See Jendeavor.com for more details.
