BA OLCI misreporting baggage allowance
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 843
BA OLCI misreporting baggage allowance
Last weekend I flew ZRH->LCY in CE and LCY->ZRH in economy. On checking in for the return flight, it clearly said both my companion and I had an allowance of 2 bags (which I thought a bit odd for an economy ticket but put it down to BAEC gold status), and I selected one bag for one of us from the drop down, and checked in. On the strength of this, we spent 30 quid on some contact lens fluid. At checkin at LCY the checkin staff informed me that the ticket was HBO and therefore they wouldn't accept the bag for checkin unless we paid 60 quid for an additional bag allowance (despite the fact OLCI had told us otherwise). She seemed to find this quite amusing and said several pax had had the same issue that day. No amount of arguing would budge her. Apparently the drop down menu is "for the benefit of the airline and not for the benefit of passengers". I asked to speak to a supervisor who said, despite wearing BA uniform, that as he didn't work for BA, there was no one who did work for BA in the airport, and no way to contact anyone from BA, that he could not do anything. So we chucked the fluid.
So, firstly, do not rely on what OLCI says your baggage allowance is.
Secondly, a question: is OLCI giving misleading baggage allowance a well known "feature"?
I'm now always going to select "Don't know" for how many bags I am going to check in at OLCI, as I don't see why I should be helpful to BA if it's only for their planning and not my benefit.
And yes I have complained, as much about the attitude of the check in staff as the 30 quid lost.
So, firstly, do not rely on what OLCI says your baggage allowance is.
Secondly, a question: is OLCI giving misleading baggage allowance a well known "feature"?
I'm now always going to select "Don't know" for how many bags I am going to check in at OLCI, as I don't see why I should be helpful to BA if it's only for their planning and not my benefit.
And yes I have complained, as much about the attitude of the check in staff as the 30 quid lost.
#3
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 50
depending on the one world status level, some customers receive free checked in baggage with hand baggage only fares. I received a checked in bag for free on Iberia with baec gold, but it seems that baec gold don’t receive any extra allowance on BA flights. It’s confusing, but HBO only fare with a baec membership means hand baggage only.
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 843
Yes I booked an HBO fare. So yes, per the ticket, I was not entitled to check luggage, as the check-in agent pointed out while chuckling to herself. However, OLCI said I had an allowance of 2 bags and I'd forgotten exactly what I booked (I have about 6-7 open BA bookings at once) and foolishly I believed the bit that said "Allowance: 2 checked bags" or similar, not remembering whether I'd booked a different economy return or whether this was due to being BAEC gold (as per Geerat's response, sometimes you do get an allowance with BAEC gold on HBO fares). It seems it was due to a bug in OLCI.
#5
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Programs: BA Gold, Accor Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 553
LGW tried to charge me for checking a bag yesterday despite having paid £30 to add a checked bag to a HBO fare. The agent was really quite rude and insistent that I had to pay £50 until I could find the confirmation email in my inbox.
Moral of the story is that their systems are terrible!
Moral of the story is that their systems are terrible!
#6
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 50
LGW tried to charge me for checking a bag yesterday despite having paid £30 to add a checked bag to a HBO fare. The agent was really quite rude and insistent that I had to pay £50 until I could find the confirmation email in my inbox.
Moral of the story is that their systems are terrible!
Moral of the story is that their systems are terrible!
#7
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,796
Yes I booked an HBO fare. So yes, per the ticket, I was not entitled to check luggage, as the check-in agent pointed out while chuckling to herself. However, OLCI said I had an allowance of 2 bags and I'd forgotten exactly what I booked (I have about 6-7 open BA bookings at once) and foolishly I believed the bit that said "Allowance: 2 checked bags" or similar, not remembering whether I'd booked a different economy return or whether this was due to being BAEC gold (as per Geerat's response, sometimes you do get an allowance with BAEC gold on HBO fares). It seems it was due to a bug in OLCI.
However there is a possible complication here - from what I can see this is OLCI rather than MMB at fault here, it would have been interesting to know what the Baggage line showed directly below the fllght details area. Usually OLCI would generate a baggage payment process if there was an excess over the MMB allowance, so it may be that MMB was wrong too, but given BA's IT it would perhaps be unwise to make assumptions. If MMB was wrong and stated an allowance, then a refund on the baggage fee would be appropriate. If MMB was correct and stated HBO, but OLCI didn't generate the payment page, then the OP could at least claim the delta between the OLCI fee and the airport version, so £5 or 5€ for the first bag, hypothetically.
Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; Oct 28, 2018 at 9:56 am Reason: glaring typo
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL
Posts: 843
However their is a possible complication here - from what I can see this is OLCI rather than MMB at fault here, it would have been interesting to know what the Baggage line showed directly below the fllght details area. Usually OLCI would generate a baggage payment process if there was an excess over the MMB allowance, so it may be that MMB was wrong too, but given BA's IT it would perhaps be unwise to make assumptions. If MMB was wrong and stated an allowance, then a refund on the baggage fee would be appropriate. If MMB was correct and stated HBO, but OLCI didn't generate the payment page, then the OP could at least claim the delta between the OLCI fee and the airport version, so £5 or 5€ for the first bag, hypothetically.
- If you are travelling with hand baggage only and have printed your boarding pass, you can go straight to security provided your destination doesn't require a documentation check at the airport.
- If you have printed your boarding pass and are travelling with checked baggage, go to a bag drop desk.
In the event, not knowing whether the fee would be refunded, we just chucked the contact lens fluid and subsequently wrote BA a stroppy complaint. We'll see how that goes.