Feran

Whilst waiting for BA1307 Club Europe flight to London today we had the opportunity to visit this lounge.
At one point a gentleman asked the attendant at reception desk if it would be OK for him to leave his cabin suitcase there whilst he went to the shops. The attendant said he wasn't really supposed to do that but she agreed to allow him to leave it anyway.
As he left my husband approached her and said he was not happy that the suitcase was being left in a public area unattended to which she replied she didn't like his tone and he was being abusive! He reiterated that the luggage should not be left and she continued to say she shouldn't be spoken to like that. I and many others witnessed this exchange and I said he wasn't abusive. We decided we would leave as we felt uncomfortable sitting near an unattended case. On leaving I said to her I was sorry if she thought my husband was abusive but he wasn't and the case shouldn't be there. I advised her in my opinion she was not doing her job properly and as I left she shouted after me that we wouldn't be allowed back!
We headed to security and made an official complaint, everyone in security agreeing the luggage should not have been left. On boarding another passenger who was in the lounge said she had continued to rant on about my husband after we left. The other passenger confirmed to us that my husband wasn't abusive.
We believe she knew she was in the wrong and was acting defensively however why do people think they can get away with using the "your being abusive to me" when their actions are questioned? She showed poor security judgement. There may have been people in that lounge who knew us but didn't know what had happened and who would have assumed she was correct and damaged our reputation as a result thinking my husband was abusive to her.
We filed an official complaint and hope she is dealt with severely as she had no idea what dangers that case could have contained.

Tobias-UK

Welcome to FlyerTalk @Feran and especially to the BA branch. It sounds like you had a bit of an unpleasant experience and met an agent who might need a little help with her people skills. Thank you for sharing and please do keep us informed if you receive any response to your complaint.

I must admit I wouldn't have been too concerned in the circumstances you report, at least as far as the bag is concerned. The bag and its owner will have been screened at security along with everyone else.

I hope your experience has spoiled your trip. Please do stay around, it is always nice to see new contributors.

hearingdouble

... the case had already gone through security though, right? Or am I missing something here?

Quite a number of lounges will hold on to your bags while you go out and do duty-free shopping. Not sure what the difference is here -- security risk seems the same whether the case is in a cloakroom or by the security desk.

Paralytic

I too wouldn't have been overly bothered by the bag being left there, but it does annoy me when customer service staff use the "you're being abusive" line as a excuse to shut down otherwise civil conversations, so well done on raising the complaint.

Schiehallion

I assume the lounge is after security, i.e. the bag had been checked / subject to screening at that point? Was your concern that a bomb might be in the case?

By all means complain ('officially' if it makes you feel better) about attitude, but I struggle to understand where the serious lapse in security is. Many lounges offer a storage facility - so not a big deal (my opinion) - all subject to my initial assumption.

KARFA

Yes, so there are cloakrooms at the LHR T5 BA lounges that will hold your bags when you are in the lounge or if you want to head out of the lounge to do some shopping. No screening is required as the bags have already been through security as you note.

UKtravelbear

Whilst not ideal the case had been security clearance - just like your handag and yourself had been.

Your husband made his point so there was no need for you to chime in again when leaving.

But I'm sorry but you are going off in to fantasy land about what some people who knew you IF they had been there might have thought about about you and your reputation. I'm sure you would have put them right the next time you see them.

Worcester

While I agree that the airside is as safe as it is possible to be from explosives I can only commend you for questioning what the bag was doing there. Vigilance is key to helping the security services and certainly land side anyone who spots anything out of place should report it.

Phil the Flyer

Erm, care to re-phrase that?

HIDDY

Seems as if your husband ruffled a few feathers with his tone especially as the perceived security issue didn't exist in the first place.

Were you flying BA?

Schiehallion

Club Europe, it seems (am I reading too much into the fact OP felt the need to mention it?)

Phil the Flyer

'Whilst waiting for BA1307 ...'

simons1

Welcome to FT. There is never a good reason for a staff member to speak rudely to a member of the public and that is unacceptable.

On the other hand I can see why a misunderstanding may have occurred, Firstly all passengers and baggage going airside would have been security screened, so the risks are minimal. Secondly you suggest that the passenger involved asked the attendant who agreed to hold the bag. I can understand why the attendant may have become a little irritated with another passenger getting involved and saying things like "the case shouldn't be there" (OP's words) when there was no obvious reason to get involved.

From what the OP has posted the outcome of the complaint is easy to predict - the attendant was wrong to be abrupt but telling a staff member that she "isn't doing her job properly" is I would suggest equally ill advised.

NWIFlyer

To be fair to the OP, probably a little, yes. I think the point is that they would not have had access as a result of status, so the probability is they visit lounges less frequently than many here and perhaps therefore didn't appreciate the more subtle nuances of what would be more likely to be considered abandoned luggage within the general airside area. It's informational that we know that, because then we can help with setting expectations for next time.

It's one of the strengths of FT, and this board in particular, that we help less experienced travellers have a less stressful journey if we possibly can - and I can imagine that having the thought in your head that something next to you might be a problem, particularly given the events in London recently, would be a issue.

simons1

How could the bag have been "out of place" when the attendant knew why the bag was there having been asked if it was OK. There is a difference between questioning a situation and lecturing a staff member about how to handle a given situation.