Originally Posted by
miniboot
So on a flight in CW upper deck from LAX-LHR a couple of weeks ago, I left my Kindle in the laptop drawer. Called the helpline a few hours after realising and they could only suggest to call 'Bagport', the lost property group in LHR. Of course, it hasn't shown up there.
Firstly, I fully accept that my personal items are my responsibility and BA gives you a reminder to take all your personal belongings with you before disembarking.
That said, if you do happen to have a moment of forgetfulness after a long flight, they are next to useless in helping to recover things. Their policy is for you to call the airport's lost & found department. If it's not there, they aren't helpful in any way at all. I don't expect them to go on a manhunt for my stuff, but a simple call to the contractor that cleaned the plane would have been helpful.
I really think that, especially in the premium cabins, they should go a bit 'above and beyond' for their passengers. I would also think they'd be concerned that either their lost property procedures aren't working as intended (or the item would be at bagport), or there's a thief in the chain somewhere. Mine doesn't seem to be an isolated incident either looking back on flyertalk. BA didn't even log the details of my case (which insurers require). Luckily in this instance it's just a Kindle, although the files on there that I don't have stored anywhere else are the main reason I want it back.
Firstly, I'm sorry to hear you lost your Kindle. I'm very attached to mine as well.
But, realistically, I'm not really sure BA could have done much more in your case.
Firstly, you only let them know about the missing device 'a few hours' after you realised. When exactly did you realise ? If it was at the airport then a quick trip to Customer Services would have helped.
A few hours later the plane may well have been turned around and flown back home/out again.
I think as well there has been a mix up in communications; CS (who you phoned) suggested you phoned Bagport at the airport because this was probably the best course of action at the time. In your shoes I'd have telephoned BA back and explained Bagport were less than forthcoming and you'd like them to log the case so you could claim on your insurance. I'm sure they would have done this for you.
Files stored in only 1 location is never a good idea; all sorts of things can happen to electronic devices and I back up my data religiously because, like you, I cannot afford to lose my files.
Perhaps I am coming across as unsympathetic, which I don't mean to be, but it's unclear what, realistically, the airline can do if you only notify them of your loss 'a few hours' after you disembark.
For the record there are plenty of cases here of people who have been reunited with items where BA have gone the extra mile, so your implication that they don't do this is not really the case. There was a thread a few days ago where someone left their iPad in the lounge and a BA staff member brought it to them on the plane before the aircraft took off.
I hope your insurers cough up with no hassle at least.
BAH