silonic

I usually fly first thing in the morning from AMS-LON for work each week, but as I've got a number of important early morning meetings tomorrow, I decided to fly this evening instead.

Unfortunately, whilst I've managed to make the delayed BA443, my suitcase hasn't. Doubly annoying is usually on an early morning flight I'm 'suited and booted' but this evening I'm in a pair of shorts and t-shirts. Not great clothing for my meetings....

From reading this site, I understand I can purchase clothing and keep receipts but I'd appreciate some help to my questions for anyone who has travelled for business before, but had their baggage lost:

1. I'm presuming there isn't a limit on what I can buy, as long as I don't go crazy? I need a suit, shirt, underwear, shoes, toiletries etc. Unfortunately Boots is already closed at LHR and WHSmith have run out of most toiletries! So is it ok if I pop to M&S in the morning and purchase all of this (aside toiletries) or is there an expectation I should limit what I buy?
2. Whilst the staff at lost baggage were extremely empathetic and hoped my case would be with me tomorrow, they actually couldn't track where it was, except to say it was last scanned at AMS and I didn't have any email notifying me that my case had missed the flight. Therefore, without knowing 100% it'll be with me tomorrow, will it be acceptable if I buy multiple shirts, underwear etc to keep me covered until I leave London on Wednesday?
3. With the hot weather predicted for London over the next few days, I also brought with me a number of summer clothes (shorts, t-shirts, flip flops etc) for evening time when I'll be meeting some friends for dinner. Will BA cover those costs too?

Finally, but on a similar topic, whilst walking the claims hall I found 20-30 trolleys loaded with baggage. Are these all bags that have arrived today but possibly their owners arrived some time earlier to find their bags hadn't made the flight? Would this just be today's bags?

flatlander

My only comment would be that if your bag arrives a day later, BA might not pay out for half a dozen shirts, so probably you'll have to play it by ear I'm afraid. From AMS the bag might well be there tomorrow, there are at least a dozen flights it could travel on (including KLM), so perhaps buy one shirt until you can take a guess that your bag is not going to show for a few days.

flatlander

... and what sort of vacuous crap is the slogan on the wall, "Ready Business for a Ready Britain". Ready Brek Enterprise Edition??

LondonElite

What are the five Ps?

Calum

Prior preparation prevents poor performance.

Doc Savage

Prior preparation would seem likely to mean you carry on clothing sufficient for at least one or two days. Luggage does occasionally go on longer trips than we do.

Lesson learned, I guess.

LTN Phobia

The "rules" (common sense-based, not written) are:

1) Never buy anything you are not happy to pay for in its entirety in case the claim gets declined
2) Only buy for the confirmed period of delay unless you are prepared to pay for it yourself
3) Only claim for what was actually needed during the delay (i.e. do not claim for items that you bought speculatively in case the bag failed to turn up for longer than the known period) because it will simply increase the chance of your claim being declines, and it is potentially fraudulent to claim for items that you did not need
4) Do not buy expensive things unless that is what you normally buy and you are prepared to pay for it yourself - airlines have every right to decline to reimburse your 'indulgences'.

I have been told by BA agent that BA considered Ł150 for one day's delay was about the acceptable limit without extenuating circumstances when my bag got delayed and I really needed something for the next day. It may have made a difference that I was in CE. My claim came to under Ł100 and it was reimbursed very quickly.

Lesson learned though - do not pack all your essentials for the next day in your checked baggage because delayed baggage is fact of travelling life. Wear your suit if needed, particularly on such a short flight. Carrying essential items is what the cabin baggage allowance is for and part of 5P.

corporate-wage-slave

=HBO, surely? Our valiant traveller appears to be in London just for a few days.

If you stick to M&S and buy no more than 1 day of clothing/cosmetics more than where you are now, then I reckon you'd be OK. Your insurance company may make this an easier process and will duff up BA on your behalf. The Edgware Road branch by the Metropole Hotel (handy for HEX) opens at 08:00 hrs, which is an hour earlier than the main Oxford Street and Pantheon stores. Fairly limited selection of clothing but enough to get going. Covent Garden/Long Acre also opens at 08:00 hrs and has a much larger selection.

Calum

HBO always for any trips under 5 days. As someone that still travels with checked bags on longer trips, my general rule is to take PJ's for the flight/airport layovers, along with enough clothes and toiletries to last a day or so. So the OP may think he utilized the 5 P's but I have to disagree.

golfmad

I was expecting a marketing story (product, price, promotion, place and another one).

jahason

Are you sure you don't have travel insurance? Through your credit card or if you work for a company then through their corporate insurance? In that case what BA won't pay insurance might.

On a recent trip from Athens back to London flight was delayed by 24 hours due to air traffic control strike. Corporate insurance paid Ł50 for inconvenience and BA paid for extra night's hotel cost.

PUCCI GALORE

I live by 1 P alone.

Possession is 9/10ths of the law! I have become the Carry-On Queen (move over Kenneth Williams!). I read the horror stories here, and just when I am about to crack and check something - I read someone else whose bag is anywhere but with them.

It has taught me to learn to accessorise well and that one handbag is quite enough. Two pairs of shoes has to do - and I wear the Louboutins or the Jimmy Choos to fly. My husband thinks me shoe-extravagant but then he does not wear high heels and I feel undressed without them. He regularly bleats about how I'm going to fit the shopping in as well - but he is the most brilliant packer in the world. If it's a beach holiday I take microfibre towels which fold to nothing What I do balk at is all the flaming cables, plugs, adaptors, and gadgets we lug around the planet. Now you all work - but sometimes I am flabbergasted at how much luggage people take.

flibbly

Hmm, except the time I wore my suit on the last flight of the evening into Dusseldorf and carried just a clean shirt and underwear for my 9.00am meeting in Essen before flying home again at lunchtime.

My suit trousers split (a good 6-8 inches) whilst getting into the taxi at the airport. The hotel only managed to summon up a single safety pin and the shops weren't open before my meeting.

Everyone except my boss saw the funny side.

Often1

For travel which is necessarily less than a week (OP travels weekly) and likely a good deal less, it seems so much easier not to check luggage. One less stop on the way in, one less stop on the way out, and everything under your own control at all times.

If these are important meetings, the last thing I would want to do is be running around buying a shirt just before the meetings' start.

Behindthecurtain

In the military we had an extra P between Prevents and Poor