simons1

Worth speaking to the police to see what is on CCTV but the rest really is just conjecture.

You don't know whether the bag was in "staff quarters" or in a toilet. In fact you don't even know whether the bag was in LHR. It could quite easily have been taken out, into a passing car and away, and returned/dumped some days later. If I had just stolen a bag I probably wouldn't hang around LHR creating some form of trail, I would be out of there asap.

I just don't see the point in all the speculation.

Banana4321

One way to find out the answer to your question OP

http://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk

gms

I note you chose not to quote clause 8k1. This has some very relevant wording in it: "... you must collect your checked baggage as soon as we have made it available at your place of destination or stopover.". In the case of the OP he can claim that he was held up by Border Control. However, BA could equally argue that is not their problem and he failed to collect it upon it being made available.

Anyway, I agree with the others here who suggest that this should really be dealt with by the Police (who must have access to CCTV evidence) and personal insurance (whether personal possessions or travel insurance). I don't see either BA or HAL accepting responsibility. However, I wouldn't place much faith in the UK Police spending any time investigating this one. Their job seems to end these days when they issue a crime reference number.

golfmad

I use this one:

https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com

Click on annual plan, put in your date of birth and state and click go. I use it mainly for the medical cover but I notice it does also include $1,000 cover for baggage loss. The main proviso as with all these things is that the policy holder took reasonable steps to keep the baggage safe and prevent the loss. In this case I would expect the policy to pay out.

Ldnn1

Indeed, but there are arguably quite a few clauses in the CoC which they should have worded differently.

Out of curiosity I did a quick google search for the standard IATA CoC and found this wording:

...which does imply (more so than BA’s clause) that it is really for the protection of the carrier than the passenger.

Anyway, we probably shouldn’t get into a legal debate about it here. That’s a task for the unfortunate OP and BA...

710 77345

Can someone please clarify what travel insurance product they're recommending for such a situation? My not particularly cheap American Express travel insurance has

Ldnn1

I would hope Amex would take a flexible approach to the second point and pay out in OP's case, but yes it would be limited to £500. That’s the risk one takes with anything which isn't fully insured - same would apply if OP were mugged in the street.

The fact is that sometimes crap happens and you end up taking the hit. Happened to me last year when I checked my laptop into the hold as Virgin said my carry-on was too heavy. The hard drive got fatally damaged en route, with cost of data recovery c.£1000. Wasn't covered either by VS or my insurers so it’s unfortunately something I have to bear myself.

If I were OP here I'd pursue the avenues open to me, but prepare myself for the fact that I might not get much out of it.

simons1

My John Lewis travel policy costing £160 a year covers situations like this. It does indeed have a single item limit of £500, then again I don't carry single items more expensive than this or where it is essential then I know to obtain extended cover.

There is no such clause as the one you refer to, it only says that in the event of theft or damage a PIR and/or police report is required.

In fact I would say the clause you detail renders the whole thing meaningless, the only way you could counter that point would be to have all your belongings with you at all time. If that is really the Amex position then I would change to a decent insurer.

MSPeconomist

In the USA, many comprehensive homeowner policies provide some coverage to possessions when traveling. Of course there would be a deductible and only expensive policies would reimburse on a replacement cost basis rather than current used market value.

Fly Baby

Well mine is via a UK bank but I can't check the details as I don't currently have access to them. I would imagine it offers similar exclusions to the one you mention with Amex. I'm assuming I'd be covered for such a situation but I can't currently say for sure...

I did have someone take my battered Samsonite at Boston a few years ago. The BA rep (who was excellent and took complete control of the situation) checked the receipt and confirmed it had definitely come off the aircraft. Within 40-50 mins they'd identified a likely person (as there was other luggage not collected) and they tracked her down, called her cell phone and asked her to return to the airport.

I was encouraged to go to my hotel and, true to their word, they delivered the bag to the hotel reception within 3-4 hours. I was of course happy to have the bag back but it made me realise how easily this can happen (by accident as well as by intent) and I've never packed anything of value into checked luggage since.

But who knows, maybe I'm living in an under-insured fools paradise?...I'll check later this week.

DELLAS

The insurance clause for many policies mean that you did all you could to protect your bags. For example leaving a case in the boot of a hire car and it gets broken into is ''neglect''. Or in a bar leaving your bag at the table while you order a pint is also considered ''neglect''.

In the instance of this situation the insurance company ( a decent one ) would most likely rule that you took all reasonable efforts to secure your property from being stolen as it was placed in the hands of the airline and you were delayed at passport control which was not your own fault. Also the area is a secure area i.e.: you cant just walk in off the street. I do not believe BA to have any blame in this instance. Insurance is the only way to go. They will need the Police report to process the claim.

I would like to see an example of this and what the insurance ruled. I have a Platinum cover annual multi trip and unlike many I read it cover to cover to make sure I am fully aware of what it does and does not cover. For anyone taking out cover it is essential to not just buy based on price or AVIOS bonus but to really study it. Not until something happens do you realise what horror stories can occur if you do not read it. A lost case is one thing but not being covered for medical in America or somewhere else because you voided the cover through your own actions is something that happens more and more these days especially when you have people that buy online or in supermarkets etc...

Allianz is usually a good policy but it still needs read cover to cover.

HIDDY

Insurance is the way to go with this....that's what we take it out for so use it!!

Worth checking to see if your home insurance policy covers items lost outside the home.

NWIFlyer

It doesn't even need to be someone who comes off a flight tired through lack of sleep. Travelling from the Crowne Plaza in Dublin to the airport this week reasonably early in the morning, an elderly gentleman tried to lift my bag from the luggage rack rather than his own, before his wife fortunately pointed out his error. It transpired the one he really wanted was a completely different manufacturer, size, colour, had different ID tags and was on the other side of the bus!

I suspect accidental taking is rather more prevalent than any of us think.

windowontheAside

Where policies have a single item limit, is that typically a cap of the most they will pay out or are more valuable items excluded from cover?

Gshumway

The only airport in the US I have ever been asked to show baggage tag against something else matching (like my ID or the tag given back to you at checkin) was Las Vegas. More than once even.

Every other US airport is open to the public and you don't see many airport or airline employees around.