sczcardfan

Had it happen to me last fall. Due to a flight delay, had missed a connection and gotten rebooked for the following day. Checking in the following day, my companion got a seat assignment, but to the puzzlement of the desk I only received a boarding pass but no seat. Advised to proceed to the gate where they could get me a seat, we did so.

Once at the gate I did panic a bit on having them make announcements that they were offering compensation to take a bump to a later flight, but decided I might as well offer to take the compensation. All is well that ends well however, as when boarding started I was approached by an "apologetic" agent who remarked that they hadn't needed to bump us after all, but they did have a seat assignment for me that they hoped I found suitable. I decided I would have no complaints with the upgrade from Y to J for both me and my companion...

Shockingly I found the 10 hour flight much more comfortable than had been anticipated, and the delay no longer as annoying!

randomflyer

Is there any chance at all the you have an Amex Platinum, OP?

They have a generous airlines reimbursement scheme for various losses due to airline problems. I've not tested the lost toiletries-due-to-overbooking-problems, but they've reimbursed me twice now for charges incurred the past two Crimbos when snow caused BA flight problems for me and I had some expenses related to changed flights.

Every year on just a few trips my Amex Platinum pays for itself many times over (though the initial annual fee is eye watering.)

But here is a rumination on what-if concerning the OP's particular situation. His/her incident must not be a one-off for BA or any other airline. Many of us show up to check-in with things in checked baggage that are there because they would not clear Security.

Given this OP's situation must happen many times per day and every pax will be faced with--dump all checked liquids no matter what the cost OR chance missing the flight by not being able to go to the gate....is there ANY solution BA could find in its operations to address this scenario?

It's a glitch in the system. So where's there a glitch, a solution might be sought.

This scenario must occur with regularity on every overbooked flight that goes.

Just an idea that has no operational basis, but if there was a place at the end of the check-in to take a bag that needs to be screened for the precise purpose of being taken to the gate in this instance, then returned at another desk airside....

Or is this too expensive an operation to mount for perhaps just a few dozen bags a day just to save pax from having the situation this OP did?

Just wondering.

8420PR

What happened to the OP is unique to BA at T5. All other airlines either accept checked luggage (tagged 'standby') or will allow passengers to wait at check-in to see if there are seats (with no conformance checks at security).

I am sure that BA did not intend for the OP to lose all his toothpaste at security, however it was solely the result of BA's policy and practices.

randomflyer

That IS interesting. So it may mean then that T5 has a glitch of sorts in the process.

Question is do they want to put the resources (whatever they are) into fixing the procedural problem.

Hey, (a bit tongue in cheeck but...) maybe BA needs to place in a prominent passerby location one of the old fashioned "suggestion" boxes for pax to drop in ideas for better customer service. This would qualify as a problem a pax might want to mention.

With the amazing minds and experience levels traveling through T5 on any given day, that might be a wealth of brain power brought to BA through a suggestion box. (I know online has taken the place of old fashioned things like that, but....if it were there..who knows.)

mtacchi

2Pts.

1.BA will tag staff bags Standby and send them thru as such.

2. Why on earth would you not demand EU compensation for the overbooking, get the cash, and then rebooked on one of the dozen other flights on that route?

It was BA's problem that they overbooked, and you solved it for them.

Had you stood your ground, they would have had to make you happy instead.

Swanhunter

Pretty normal if there are oversales (and also for non-revs too iirc). BP's are re-printed with a seat assignment at the gate.

Scots_Al

Taking you at your word (and no reason not to), you do seem to have been shafted on this occasion - under strict interpretation of (loaded) t&cs BA may be right, but certainly not in terms of what's right - natural justice if you like.

Unfortunately, as ever, the time and place to deal with these things is there and then - you may struggle now. And as to security telling you that you could not exit back to landside, I would have taken my stuff and told them to stop me if they had the legal right to...

eugh I've been hanging around the security forum for too long!

Shona

Obviously this is a denied boarding event giving a minimum entitlement under EC Regulation EC 261/2004 of 125 Euros. ( The OP was denied boarding following presentation for check-in and was offered a (non-satisfactory?) re-routing-coincidentally on the same flight upon which the OP held a confirmed reservation.

Any additional claim for breach of contract might be compensatory-based upon the losses suffered- or conceivably restitutory-based upon the value of the fare income received by the carrier ( the highest value seat sold on the flight) for the combined breach and failing to comply with EC 261/2004.

(This leaves aside any consideration by the CAA of regulatory breaches of EC 261/2004 to deter ( additionally) any reoccurance).

Whether the OP feels the carrier deserves politeness or any other form of supplication -when the carrier wasnt polite enough to comply with perfectly plainly written legal requirement-I'll personally leave to the OP to decide.

Internaut

Very much agreed. It's easy to pass judgement on the OP over a matter that happened in "the heat of the moment" but really, the processes BA/LHR/T5 operate should allow for no heat of any moment. We're talking customers here and the best way to keep loyal customers loyal is with good process and ensuring that, if anything, it's the company/staff that take the heat and not the customer, when things go wrong.

If it's not possible to check in a customer in without a guaranteed seat then either i) undo that or ii) enhance to process to make it less miserable for the customer.

Scots_Al

I make no pretence to be a lawyer, but I struggle with this tbh (I'm being polite - I accept full well I may also be being ignorant, but my logic is stretched!)

blix

I was told that MAYBE I could get the next flight with compensation (two hours delay) they never made it clear that I will get the next flight. They never asked me: do you want the next flight?. The setting was: sorry we are overbook, please wait, there is a chance to get the next flight with compensation BUT let's try going to the gate first.

henkybaby

Everything else aside, you were traveling with carryon luggage (otherwise you could not have taken it with you) so it was not unreasonable for the agent to assume that it conformed to carryon regulations. Did you at any point indicate that you needed to check in your carryon or did you expect them to guess?

If you got to your destination within 2hr of your original scheduled time I don't think you are entitled to compensation.

blix

In fact the staff at security pointed me to the 'duty free shop' to buy replacements! But to be fair to them, after insisting to have them back, they made a concession: go to the BA desk and ask them to check-in your luggage from INSIDE the security zone. At BA desk they told me 'If I were you I would rush to the gate immediately because it seems now that there is a seat for you'. I wonder what would have happened if I denied to rush to the gate and expect to get the next flight and compensation.

I think BA has planned this procedure (as it may happen a lot at T5, see below message about security glitches) - they just give you hints, suggestions but they never commit. Thanks for your reply.

blix

Yes I asked them don't I get to check in this bag? and she said no because you are not guaranteed a seat.

henkybaby

No, that is not what I meant. Did you say "I can't take this bag through security since it contains liquids and gels exceeding the legal blah blah". For that matter: did they ask?

Not saying that BA is not to blame (if only morally) but I somehow can't imagine that 'do you need to check bags?' did not come up in this situation since it makes all the operational difference to how your kind of situation gets handled. Especially if you were at check in on time. If you had a normal suitcase you would not have been allowed to take it with you through security either.

Something just does not feel right. Either the CI agent was a less than proficient at his/her job or you made an honest mistake somewhere. I don't believe they told you that you should leave any luggage you can't take on board behind....