Abandoning Luggage
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Discussion

Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
What's the situation if your luggage has been stuck on a plane for over 24 hours?

Plane has been diverted to Brussels as it can't land in Heathrow, they can't off load any luggage, but given that Brussles is now full of diverted planes, which are going no where for at least another 24 hours, people want to make alternative arrangements to get back to the UK.

So what happens to the luggage? I know it will get offloaded before the flight departs if the passengers are not on the plane, but then what?

_DeeJay_

5,057 posts

284 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
When it happened to us, the bags were delivered to us at home about a week later.

The airline paid for anything that we'd had to purchase as a result of the delay, though it's worth checking your airline's policy on how they deal with that.

Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
Ok thanks for that, for me the priority is to get home and if the luggage is lost forever then so be it.

F i F

48,857 posts

281 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
I would advise strongly that you check the situation with the airline's handling agent. If they decide to offload the aircraft and present it at baggage hall then it will be treated as abandoned luggage and go to lost property or whatever normally happens.

Some airports are better than others in this respect, but for example I once sat at LHR for three hours when they struggled to cope with half an inch of snow that had melted about two hours earlier. The system said bags would come to belt x and thus it meant they were trying and thus repatriation would not be handled if baggage was abandoned.

To be fair the exact rules were unclear, some said if you filled in the issing baggage report it would be got to you, others said the missing baggage form would not be accepted because the baggage wasn't yet missing, technically.

Hence I think you need to check.

Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
We have been trying to speak with the Airline since 17:00 yesterday, but the office is closed, the only hub they have in Europe is at Heathrow, the have no contracts with anyone at Brussles Airport, the crew whilst helpful, are unable to answer questions, they are continually being given duff information by Heathrow, the flight has been rescheduled twice today, despite Heathrow clearly stating, they are closed to all arrivals.

F i F

48,857 posts

281 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
Crumbs, sympathies but suspect you have to stick with it. Sorry have no really sensible advice.

Obviously you could just bail and catch Eurostar but it seems as if they are still trying to get you to the destination. Once you bail you are on your own contractually is how I see it.

_DeeJay_

5,057 posts

284 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
F i F said:
I would advise strongly that you check the situation with the airline's handling agent. If they decide to offload the aircraft and present it at baggage hall then it will be treated as abandoned luggage and go to lost property or whatever normally happens.
Are you sure about that? If the OP was to fill out a missing luggage form then surely they've done their bit? Surely it's reasonable to expect your luggage to arrive within an hour of you at the airport.

No matter which way you look at it, 24hrs is excessive. Just how long would you wait? 2 days? 5?

Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
Matters at home, mean we've bailed and manaaged to get to the Eurostar terminal, and get a ticket, can't gain access to the lounge though :ar$e: If the luggage is lost forever then so be it, hopefully it will end up somewhere....it must go somewhere?? The world of lost luggage?

With the continued snow fall and freezing temperatures, and given the amount of planes which have been diverted, I remain unconvinced that Heathrow will be fully operational tomorrow.

F i F

48,857 posts

281 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
_DeeJay_ said:
F i F said:
I would advise strongly that you check the situation with the airline's handling agent. If they decide to offload the aircraft and present it at baggage hall then it will be treated as abandoned luggage and go to lost property or whatever normally happens.
Are you sure about that? If the OP was to fill out a missing luggage form then surely they've done their bit? Surely it's reasonable to expect your luggage to arrive within an hour of you at the airport.

No matter which way you look at it, 24hrs is excessive. Just how long would you wait? 2 days? 5?
And if they won't accept or there is noone to register a missing luggage form with, what then?

And he's not arrived at the destination yet.

Some airports don't even put abandoned baggage in lost property, it's destroyed.

Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
And now Eurostar has cancelled the train!

anonymous-user

84 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
For you to get your luggage, the airline must know it's missing. You do this by filling out a PIR form at the destination with the handling agent/airline before anyone will look for it.

The luggage can then be traced which is easy as it's at the airport still.


Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
It's not at an airport it's on a plane. People on the Korean Air flight, were taken off the plane late last night, the plane has just taken off from Brussles and is enroute to Madrid, passengers were not contacted to board the flight, so they now have no idea where their luggage is...neither does Brussels Airport.

The chances of us getting to Heathrow to complete a form this side of Christmas are zero.

anonymous-user

84 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
Your luggage will be in Brussels. The aircraft wont have departed with unacompanied luggage on board.

If you don't fill out a PIR form it's unlikely you'll see it again. I'm sure you will beable to do this through the carrier.

Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Sunday 19th December 2010
quotequote all
The Korean Air flight did not off load the luggage. The Asiana Airline flight is still sat on the tarmac at Brussels with no idea when it will fly, although a slot of 7am tomorrow has been given, but this also happened yesterday.

No forms available to complete at Brussels, lots of passengers at Eurostar who have done the same, just abandoned the luggage in favour of trying to get home.

If we ever manage to get hold of the airline, maybe we will know more.

Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Monday 20th December 2010
quotequote all
Just a quick update, the plane is still sat on the tarmac in Brussels unable to move as the airport has run out of de icer, passengers are all trying to book themselves onto other flights as Eurostar are no longer taking bookings.

They have been told the luggage can not be removed from the plane.

ManiAli

5,299 posts

223 months

Monday 20th December 2010
quotequote all
KEEP ALL RECEIPTS - FOR ANYTHING NO MATTER HOW SMALL

i work in refunds and no receipts means no refunds

if you required things that were in the baggage so to replace them you had to buy them new - then do so adn keep the receipts

once its all over - keep all tags of baggage and the copy of the sheet u sign when u get ur bags back

write into the airline for repayment of these costs.

Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Monday 20th December 2010
quotequote all
Thanks for that, most useful smile

Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Monday 20th December 2010
quotequote all
Flight has finally landed a LHR, luggage is on the belt, but we are not there to collect it, anyone know what happens now, all the offices I have called are now closed.

Tumbler

Original Poster:

1,432 posts

196 months

Wednesday 29th December 2010
quotequote all
Just a quick update, unable to make contact with the Airline, either via email or by phone, so took a trip to Heathrow this morning, result, luggage reclaimed successfully.