no longer atc

(FYI- I was a BA lost baggage agent for 13 years at LGW so I do have extensive experience here)
Firstly, as others have said- spot on with reporting it to GBESA, whoever you spoke to in You First, with all due respect was not a lost baggage agent, so didn't really know the rules around it. You must report the loss to the final carrier, in this case SA at GBE. The airline *should* deliver it to you, but there are local exceptions, for instance if Customs will not allow them to clear bag but require you in person to do it.
Now, I have been out of the game some years, and new check in systems are now online etc...the baggage tags issued at LHR should be stored in your check in record. When I flew to FCO recently I received an email from BA after check in with the bag tag numbers-did you? If not, maybe You First can access your booking details and retrieve them? IS your ref nbr GBESA-----?

cziwkga

Thanks for all the replies up-thread - my original question is clearly answered. I can't get BA to take the case over and even if I could it would not be a good idea.

Thanks also for this, no longer atc. I was hoping that BA might be able to give us that sort of information that we could pass to SA airlink to help with the search. I specifically asked You First about that but they said they had no access to the relevant systems. Which I can believe, but I had hoped that they might be willing to liaise with someone who did have such access. But I didn't get an email of the type you refer to, and I don't think I ever have on the occasions I checked in baggage. And finally yes, the PIR ref does begin GBESA

simons1

The flights to Gabs are not operated for SAA. They may have an SA flight number/be a partner but the flights are independent.

cziwkga

Thanks again for all the help & advice offered here. Thought I would report that the bag did arrive after 3 days somewhat the worse for wear. Finding who to speak to at GBE once we got there to collect it wasn't simple but all's well in the end. Claims with SAA & then probably insurers in progress.

philthegreek

In the three instances I have had lost bags with BA they have delivered to my final destination as have Austrian, United, Turkish and Ethiopian. The only time I have had to go to the airport to pick the bag up was in Botswana and to the best of my memory that was with SA. In my case the bag arrived on the last flight of the day and I could only collect it the following morning so my conference presentation was delayed by half an hour whilst I retrieved the suit and tie.

Often1

Some basic advice here which applies in this specific instance and then in general:

1. It has been the standard for 60+ years that the last delivering carrier is solely responsible for recovering and delivering the bags as well as paying for any associated losses. This instance is a good example of why that is. How the carriers allocate all of this amongst themselves is none of the passenger's concern. The passenger has a single point of contact.

2. BA's response to OP was exactly correct. The least productive thing to be done is to have more than one carrier involved in the process. If, by way of example, BA misdirected the bag departing LHR and it is in HKG, the final carrier may well be in the process of arranging a reroute from HKG to GBE. If another person steps into the middle of this and starts the same process, the chance of the bag going missing again is enhanced.

3. Under the Montreal Convention, OP is due his reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred while the bags are missing. This sum is then deducted from any final payment due should the bags be lost (at 20 days) or damaged. The Montreal Convention maximum is approximately GBP 1,275 per passenger not bag. What is reasonable differs around the world. Stories abound of BA high status passengers being reimbursed for suits needed for business meetings and the like. But, worldwide, most carriers look to generous carry-on allowances under the presumption that one would have the first 3-4 days of clothing with one and then reimburse for toiletries and the like. One can fight about this, but it is not likely productive.

4. The best thing to do is to sit back. Keep the carrier apprised of any changes. If the online system is clunky, then call in if there is a change in delivery information. Make certain that the carrier has a local good number,e.g. hotel or the like as a local delivery company in GBE may not fancy calling a UK mobile number. Nobody is actually searching for the bag. Rather, it is in the system and will eventually stand out because it is not where it ought to be. At that point, it will be routed to GBE. When you call the carrier, it does not see anything that you do not see. All the platitudes about how hard everyone is looking are just that.

5. Local delivery is most often a function of local customs practice. There is no uniform answer. The bag ought to be delivered to you wherever you are, but I can't speak to local customs rules which may require that you physically pick the item up at the airport. There is nothing to be done about that. You may also choose to pick the bag up as a matter of convenience if you wish.

In the meantime, go about your business and keep receipts for everything.

Do remember that if the BA delay into JNB was for other than an extraordinary circumstance and your delay into GBE was delayed by more than 3 hours, you are each due EUR 300 in delay compensation and that increases to EUR 600 at four hours. That claim is made to BA and can and should wait until you are back home.