My wife and 3 year old son flew BOM-IAH in WT back a couple of weeks back, and given that she was going to be pushing him around in a stroller, she wanted to check most of her hand baggage. Before she went to the airport, I checked online as to BA's baggage policies, and didn't see anything preventing it, so I said it shouldn't be a problem. (I figured most airlines are happy to have people checking in their hand bags ahead of time, to save overhead bin space.) The hand bags were 15kg and 14kg, so there were individually within the hand baggage limits that BA had established.

When she gets to the checkin counter, she is told by the agent that BA doesn't allow the checking in of hand bags, and that she's going to be charged 14000 INR (about $233) per extra bag checked in, or she can wrap both extra bags together in shrinkwrap and be charged for one extra overweight bag (since it'd be 29kg together) at 18000 INR ($300). She called me from the airport, asking what the heck was going on. I said I have no idea, but as she was getting no traction with the agent as to how this didn't fit the website, told her to pay it and I'd figure it out later. She chose the latter option since it was cheaper to do it that way.

I'm usually a *A guy, so I don't know BA's policies. (she only flew BA on the way back because we had friends flying back on the same flight that could help with taking care of our son during the trip) Is it actual practice on BA to prevent the checking in of hand bags? If not, how do I go about getting a refund?