Lost Luggage - Customs Regulations
 

Arrived today in Casablanca from LHR via MAD on BA ticket, BA flight numbers, second flight on Iberia metal. All my checked luggage didn't arrive along with luggage for about 10 other passengers on same flight.

At present the location of the luggage is unknown. Completed a luggage irregularity report at the airport with the handling agent.

Can anyone help me with the following:

1. Initially handling agent stated they would not get luggage once found to me at my hotel in Rabat as I was too far (about 80km). When I challenged this the agent changed to saying I had to collect at the airport for security reasons. Later she said due to customs reasons before reverting to security. Does anyone know if there are separate rules for Morocco which prevents courier transfer of luggage?

2. Is BA the responsible carrier being a BA ticket and BA flight numbers or is it Iberia being the last operator of the metal?

3. I know I can buy essentials and try to claim back, however if instead I use hotel express laundry on the single change of clothes in my cabin luggage can I claim that back or am I better buying limited new items. Laundry is chaeper but will BA see it that way?

Thanks for any insights

2 - Iberia as the operating carrier of the last leg is responsible and you need to deal with them

3. Apparently BA don't pay for laundry but you will be claiming from IB so it's their policy that matters.

1) It is the case that in some countries you are required to clear luggage in person even if it is a case of delayed handling. I don't know if Morocco is one of them, but the possibility is mentioned in BA.com's baggage pages (see here). In the UK this is handled by filling in a form accepting liability, so that you don't need to be present. Realistically - given the distance - it may be better to do this on the return to the airport for the return leg. Your other option is to ask the airline to send it back to your home address.

2) Iberia. Last leg operator is what counts here.

3) I don't know Iberia's policies, but for BA they strangely don't cover laundry but do cover purchase of new items. Personally I would buy new items since that is what the system knows and understands. The only thing to watch is that the liability per passenger is about £1200, and that has to cover both your immediate expense plus the potential expense if the bag is permanently lost. Given that a number of people were affected it seems unlikely to be a permanent loss.

You may need to contact your insurance company at this point to see what they can offer in this situation.

Iberia is responsible.

This question is better asked on Iberia's forum as their policy will apply.

I remember when my bags were delayed and IB was the last carrier all I got was a package with an oversized underwear and T-shirt and toothbrush/toothpaste.:D That was it. The agent did not mention anything about buying any clothes, instead telling me to call IB, which I did not. I was flying back home the next day.

Coming back from Dominican Rebublic to Malaga recently my hold bag missed its connection in London. It was through checked by Ba in Punta Cana even though it was on two different PNRs (one was a 241 award) but failed to appear in Malaga. My wifes bag did luckly. Both were tagged to AGP.

The missing bag was delivered by courier the next day and as I understand it did not require any trip through Spanish customs even though it technically should have had originating outside the EU zone.

Something similar happened previously and I had to go to Heathrow and claim my bag from a carousel airside and bring it out via customs..

So basically if its found YMMV with regards to customs and getting it back....

Any experience of an airline agreeing to rerouting the luggage once found to a different airport? On Tuesday I travel by train to Marrakech. Assuming my luggage is still in Madrid (at least 2 of the other passengers I spoke to were connecting from London which suggests the luggage simply missed the connection although agent in CMN stated they hadn't been advised by Madrid of luggage missing the flight so it was entered as missing not delayed on the tracking system) would it be reasonable to ask for a redirect to Marrakech and any customs issues re personal collection can occur there (collection in Marrakech will be a lot easier than returning to Casablanca
Airport.

A first recourse to my travel insurance for emergency items seems the safest option.

I think re-routing to another airport may not be wise unless you have a long trip to Morocco. I would think in terms of sending the bag back home, but you will appreciate I'm not well placed to draw on personal experience here. Iberia is on WorldTracer like BA, and that may allow you to change the destinaiton - their link is here
https://wtrweb.worldtracer.aero/WTRI...9-51EC23991321

and the Iberia baggage link is here:
https://www.iberia.com/gb/baggage/tracing/

Yes, in fact, the experience I had with Iberia involved just that. I was flying back to Kiev (on a different airline and a separate ticket) the next day, and there was no problem with asking IB to send the bags to KBP. I did have to come to the airport to pick the bags and clear customs (only because I could not report my bags as missing with the airline that brought me to Kiev so there was no PIR filed at KBP and I could not complete the customs form). However, I think you should only do it if you are not coming back to the airport where your PIR was filed.