zafiragirl

All in the title!

We arrived yesterday after travelling GLA-LHR-MIA. Our original routing was changed on Sunday night due to the cancellation of Monday's BA1477. Our connection at LHR became very tight due to a short delay in the BA1491, and we made it to T3 and on
​​​​to the BA209 the skin of our teeth. Sadly, our bags were not so fortunate.

It's now 24hrs since we checked in to our hotel, and the bags are still not here. Tracker says they were on this afternoon's LHR-MIA, arriving about 1430 local time. It's now 2230, and we're supposed to be joining a cruise ship at noon tomorrow 😕

MrZ is a GCH, but the UK Gold line is closed. The number given to us for the baggage people at MIA is unobtainable. Any ideas on anyone who could help us? We're really worried now! Stopped at a CVS for some essentials last night and picked up a change of clothes for MrZ (I had brought spares in my carry on), but as of tomorrow, we're recycling our travel clothes...

abligh

Suggest ringing the Gold line in another country (pick one where you are in working ours). Contact Us should help on the web page while logged in with MrZ's account.

Jagboi

I would buy essentials for the cruise, but keeping it reasonable - perhaps 2 changes of clothes and toiletries. Nothing you wouldn't buy if it was your own money. If the bag is lost under the Montreal convention the maximum liability is approximately £1000. If you have travel insurance, that may provide some cover too.

armouredant

Buy what you need, don't let it ruin your trip. BA will cover a surprising amount covered in the past: £250 of clothes and toiletries as well as £180 of taxis to and from the airport, eventually, to collect my bags.

LondonElite

I would just buy some clothes, keep WorldTracer updated (probably of limited value if you are at sea) and file now with your travel insurance.

DYKWIA

If it's a long cruise, then 2 changes of clothes would not be enough. And some cruises require formal dress for dinner. Plus swimwear etc. If the cruise leaves at noon - I doubt there would be time to get what was needed.

Also, even if the OP manages to get through to the Gold line, I doubt there would be much they can do. From what's been said on here before, they can only see the same information as the passenger from World Tracer.

It must be a horrible situation to be in!

gingerlucy

I feel your pain - my bags missed a connection in Madrid on the way to Ecuador, and the next day we were heading out at dawn on a tiny plane then boat then trek to a jungle lodge departing well before the next daily flight would arrive. In our case there was no chance of a resolution and I was just lucky that the dawn flight couldn't land at the destination airport due to weather so had to abort and return to Quito, telling us we'd try again in the afternoon, so I had time to go shopping! No real lessons learned to be of any help to you but you have my sympathies.

Will you be calling into any major ports in the next couple of days? Perhaps the gold line could arrange to have your bags delivered to the port for you to collect?

Other than that I have heard stories on here of people who have had to buy replacement ski gear in similar circumstances and have managed to get that reimbursed even though of course that was very expensive, so cruise wear should surely be the same principle.

corporate-wage-slave

The only time I recall seeing BA push back on a claim for delayed luggage was someone who really was taking the Michael (tried to buy an expensive brand label bag to replace a less expensive bag which had been damaged). So long as you buy from mainstream retail outlets and keep costs below the Montréal maxima for all baggage claims (approx £1200 per person) then you should fine. But obviously contact your insurers if there is a risk that they will need to be involved.

simon stingray

Did you speak to the BA baggage rep at the airport?

Exactly the same thing happened to us last Christmas and we were boarding a Princess cruise the following day. When we told the rep we were on a cruise he noted down our entire cruise itinerary so the would be able to send the bags on to catch up with the ship. We were told to buy whatever we reasonably needed and keep the receipts which we did. We spent about $900 between the two of us when we did a mad shopping dash in Macys the following morning before boarding the ship.

The BA rep also told us to inform Guest Relations as soon as we board the ship as they are very experienced at dealing with this issue which we did. The cruise line (Princess) were fantastic. They took copies of all of our docs relating to our flight bookings and lost baggage claim and assured us that they would be calling BA @ MIA airport 3 times a day to follow up and get our luggage. The cruise line gave us a whole range of complimentary toiletries and unlimited same day laundry service (no charge) for the limited clothes which we had.

We received our luggage 2 days later after the BA staff@ MIA airport forwarded it on an AA flight to Grand Cayman where our ship was due that particular day. The Princess port agent collected the luggage from the airport and delivered it to the ship. We were relieved and amazed that they did what they promised.

After returning home I submitted a claim online to BA and in less than a week I had a call from BA informing me that our claim had been approved and the funds were in my bank a few days later.

Hope this may help you in this stressful situation.

Confus

The BA airport team in MIA is very well versed in how to fix these situations and will do whatever they can to get your bags to you, either rush to MIA via another route before you depart, or to a later port if required. It helps if they know you’re on a cruise (buying a cruise special fare really helps here but simply telling the airport team should also work). You’re not the first and won’t be the last - hopefully you won’t be without for too long.

Truthmonkey

I'd be inclined to contact your cruise line as well, and ask them if there's anything they can do to assist in addition to you badgering BA - the cruise lines often have good local and head office relationships with the major airlines. It can only help.

Edit: others responded with similar advice while I was typing. I can only agree.

Dublin_rfk

Start now with screen shots and update them daily until your luggage shows and be reasonable with clothing purchases.

nachosdelux

Hope you get your bags, make it safely to the ship, and have a wonderful cruise.

I just got off the Oceania Riviera in Miami today and had a great time.

My first cruise (may years ago), we lost our bags (well the airline did, actually) and did not get them until day 5 of a 7 day, but we still managed to have fun.

Bon Voyage!

no longer atc

I'd be tempted to go back to MIA to see if you can collect them....if they don't arrive before your ship sails, then as long as BA have the itinerary they will fwd them to the next port of call, and the port agents should get them to the ship for you.I used to work for BCal in lost luggage at LGW, and once (because I happened to have my passport with me at work) I was tasked with flying out to AGP with a wheelchair and delivering it directly to the disabled pax in his cabin onboard his cruise ship. His face when I knocked on his door, in full BCAL tartan was a picture ! Good luck !

Often1

The easiest way is the old-fashioned way. Hop in an Uber out to MIA and pick up the bag. BA may or may not reimburse the expense later on, but don't worry about that until you are back home.

While enroute, call the BA US line (open from 07:30 to 23:00) and ask them to message baggage services that you are enroute so that you don't cross paths with a messenger.

In 2 hours you will have your bags and won't have had to go shopping for all kinds of things which aren't what you really want.