A passenger arriving at Heathrow Airport fears losing many of her treasured possessions after her luggage got lost by a major airline. She is now worried her bag will be auctioned off if it isn’t handed back to her within seven weeks.
Exasperated US citizen Victoria, 31 had her baggage misplaced after flying to Heathrow with British Airways partner American Airlines on April 3. The case - which contains designer clothing among other personal possessions - went missing in the system after a problem with her flight, reports MyLondon.
She said: "When I got to Heathrow, I was told I was supposed to leave there, drive to London City airpor t, and then fly to Belfast - which I would have never booked myself and wasn’t in my itinerary, and my bag tags didn’t say that. They said my bags would go directly to Belfast City Airport."
She told British Airways she couldn't make the London City airport to Belfast flight, so she was rebooked with Irish carrier Aer Lingus. BA insisted it would put her bags on the new flight, but that was the last she saw of the luggage, despite Aer Lingus promising to deliver the items to her hostel in Northern Ireland.
Victoria has since been told her luggage is still somewhere at Heathrow Airport. But she has discovered there is a risk of it being auctioned off under an airport policy that any unclaimed items are sold after seven weeks.
She said: "I imagine they are making a lot of money off it, so there's no reason to really fix the problem. It's been really stressful and frustrating. I don't think I'll ever see my stuff."
Victoria claimed she was initially told by Aer Lingus that despite “extensive searching” the luggage had not been located offering “interim expenses” of £63 once she had provided proof of purchase for the items contained.
But after being approached by MyLondon, Aer Lingus told Victoria: “We will continue to trace your bag… Under the Montreal Convention an airline’s maximum liability in this case is set at… $1724.55. I have therefore requested a reimbursement cheque to this value in your name in full and final settlement of your claim… On behalf of Aer Lingus, please accept my sincere apologies for your experience on this occasion and for the disappointment and inconvenience caused as a result.”
However, she added: “My clothes were worth more [than the offer], and there were some things that are irreplaceable. But I guess I have to be happy with it.”
A British Airways spokesperson added: “We're investigating this with our sister airline Aer Lingus, and we're doing everything we can to reunite the customer with their bag. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”
A Heathrow spokesperson said the airlines are responsible for the luggage.
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