Any Airline Baggage Experts On The Board?

[Captain Sensible]

If the check in person was fully aware of your itinerary, she 'should' have known and told you the requirement to collect your bag in Rome and re-check in with China Airways. If China Airways are not part of the One World Alliance or a codeshare on the route, the bag would never have been transferred through.

Yes but Trailfinders Shouldn't sell these flights as a connection route to Sydney.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

This is true, but his legs showed on BA.com with China airlines. That's the part I don't understand. In order to have another airlines leg on a BA booking reference, it needs a BA flight number. eg an American Airlines leg will also have a BA flight number and visa versa. Also the Check in Agent should not have tried to label the bag all the way to SYD as it would not connect. I agree with you that Trailfinders seem to be the initial problem. The way in which they book the ticket in the first place was shoddy. To add different flights on different airlines with no connecting rights and sell it as a connection, is misleading at the very least. All they did was bunch seperate flights together. There would have been no missed connection compensation either. Say TH missed the connection in Rome. BA would not have had to rebook him or get him accommodation and compensation as they would with a normal connection. As far as they are concerned they did their job getting TH to Rome in this case with no connection rights also sending the bag all the way to Sydney for him when he only booked to Rome. China Airlines didn't have to transport his bags, they got off Scott free. Trailfinders should make it clear the bookings are separate. Still I do understand that TH was inconvenienced at no fault of his own.

Here's an image of the counterfoil for my luggage label issued at LGW for my hold luggage (and attached to same) with my surname and the last couple of baggage reference digits masked out. Clearly shows both BA and CI legs. Like I say, BA booking ref also clearly showed all legs. I also checked before I left that BA have an interline (baggage) agreement in place with CI. They do. you can see why i was a tad miffed to say the least when my baggage hadn't even left London by the time I got to Sydney. Footnote: never trusted BA on the way back, via Amsterdam this time. Got CI in Sydney to only check my bag through as far as Amsterdam. Won't get fooled again...

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

How was China Airlines? Nearly booked with them but seemed too cheap so went elsewhere.

I'd recommend them thoroughly. They don't currently do First Class, so their Business Class is their top of the range. Seat transformed into near enough 180 degree bed, got use of Sky Team lounges and priority boarding etc. everywhere. Had to do a 17 hour stopover in Taipei in Taiwan on the way back, but that was quite fun as UK citizens are visa exempt and its cheap and easy to get a bus/train into town for a look around. I'd use them again.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Here's an image of the counterfoil for my luggage label issued at LGW for my hold luggage (and attached to same) with my surname and the last couple of baggage reference digits masked out. Clearly shows both BA and CI legs. Like I say, BA booking ref also clearly showed all legs. I also checked before I left that BA have an interline (baggage) agreement in place with CI. They do. you can see why i was a tad miffed to say the least when my baggage hadn't even left London by the time I got to Sydney. Footnote: never trusted BA on the way back, via Amsterdam this time. Got CI in Sydney to only check my bag through as far as Amsterdam. Won't get fooled again...

View attachment 70293

You may have grounds for a complaint with BA as your baggage appears it might be incorrectly labelled. Maybe a baggage expert might know if it's possible to enter flights which are not on their alliance network. Your bag tag shows that it is possible at least to print the other flights on it. So personally I think you can take this up further with Trailfinders, then BA. Ask Trailfinders which airline would have taken responsibility for rebooking you and getting your hotel accommodation and spending vouchers if you had missed the next flight in Rome to Taipei? Would be interesting what they think the answer is. It could have been much much worse instead of just losing your bag for a couple of days. I understand your frustration. I'd carry on pursuing answers on both fronts. Goodluck.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Here's an image of the counterfoil for my luggage label issued at LGW for my hold luggage (and attached to same) with my surname and the last couple of baggage reference digits masked out. Clearly shows both BA and CI legs. Like I say, BA booking ref also clearly showed all legs. I also checked before I left that BA have an interline (baggage) agreement in place with CI. They do. you can see why i was a tad miffed to say the least when my baggage hadn't even left London by the time I got to Sydney. Footnote: never trusted BA on the way back, via Amsterdam this time. Got CI in Sydney to only check my bag through as far as Amsterdam. Won't get fooled again...

View attachment 70293
You may have grounds for a complaint with BA as your baggage appears it might be incorrectly labelled. Maybe a baggage expert might know if it's possible to enter flights which are not on the alliance network. Your bag tag shows that it is possible. So personally I think you can take this up further with Trailfinders, then BA. Ask Trailfinders which airline would have taken responsibility for rebooking you and getting your hotel accommodation and spending vouchers if you had missed the next flight in Rome to Taipei? Would be interesting what they think the answer is. It could have been much much worse instead of just losing your bag for a couple of days. I understand your frustration. I'd carry on pursuing answers on both fronts. Goodluck.

Cheers mate, and thanks to yourself and others for some great advice. Further proof, should any be needed, that NSC can be a force for good as well as evil.

Will follow it up with both Trailfinders and BA and let you know what happens. The money's not important, happy to write that off, but don't really like being fobbed off when there's clearly been some kind of snarl-up(s) along the way. might help Trailfinders improve their procedures so that others don't suffer in the same way.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Shit happens.
Suck it up and move on.

Battling for £50 in China Air vouchers will probably do you more mental harm than good.

Having spent nigh on 30 years of my working life in the aviation and travel industry I can confirm that you have been short changed, and can understand why this experience has left a sour taste in your mouth.

However, as the above post says, shit happens, and what exactly were you intending to claim for anyway? At the end of the day you were only without your luggage for two days, it could have been far far worse.

Best to put the experience behind you and move on

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Generic advice.

In contract law the contract is between the payer and receiver of the money to buy the product or service.
ALWAYS revert to this thought when asking who is to blame / compo.

It matters not that the receiver of your money [aka the organisation you contracted with] has sub-contracted your business - e.g. another company does the baggage handling.

If you paid by credit card and it was more than £100 the BEST place to start your claim is with your credit card company.
This is because they paid for the services on your behalf so the real contract is between then and whoever they paid.

Case law precedent on this was set with the famous "snail in the ginger beer" which defined contracts between sellers and consumers.

 

[sydney]

have a 48 hour picket of your local chinky.....when yo finally get to court you can have your grievance heard...

 

[sydney]

I'd recommend them thoroughly. They don't currently do First Class, so their Business Class is their top of the range. Seat transformed into near enough 180 degree bed, got use of Sky Team lounges and priority boarding etc. everywhere. Had to do a 17 hour stopover in Taipei in Taiwan on the way back, but that was quite fun as UK citizens are visa exempt and its cheap and easy to get a bus/train into town for a look around. I'd use them again.

and still moaning....ffs....
so you had a right result with the china airways flight but you want compo out of BA.....i think you are letting yourself down here mate.

 

[The Spanish]

This is true, but his legs showed on BA.com with China airlines. That's the part I don't understand. In order to have another airlines leg on a BA booking reference, it needs a BA flight number. eg an American Airlines leg will also have a BA flight number and visa versa. Also the Check in Agent should not have tried to label the bag all the way to SYD as it would not connect. I agree with you that Trailfinders seem to be the initial problem. The way in which they book the ticket in the first place was shoddy. To add different flights on different airlines with no connecting rights and sell it as a connection, is misleading at the very least. All they did was bunch seperate flights together. There would have been no missed connection compensation either. Say TH missed the connection in Rome. BA would not have had to rebook him or get him accommodation and compensation as they would with a normal connection. As far as they are concerned they did their job getting TH to Rome in this case with no connection rights also sending the bag all the way to Sydney for him when he only booked to Rome. China Airlines didn't have to transport his bags, they got off Scott free. Trailfinders should make it clear the bookings are separate. Still I do understand that TH was inconvenienced at no fault of his own.

ba.com shows other sectors/tickets booked in an agents GDS, if linked in a PNR, regularly, even if they are separate tickets. if he had booked direct with BA it would be weird, but not through an agent. Doesnt have to be on the same paper or ticket number to show up on their site, just has to be sectors/tickets linked in the agents system (different from a ticketing agreement between carriers). its not unusual.

Agree with your post though.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

and still moaning....ffs....
so you had a right result with the china airways flight but you want compo out of BA.....i think you are letting yourself down here mate.

So it's OK for an airline to just mess you around with your checked-in luggage then? You live in Sydney? Try flying to London sometime to be told when you land that your luggage is in Melbourne. It's not a lot of fun. About as much fun as shopping for clothes in Bulli, NSW...

 

[The Spanish]

Cheers mate, and thanks to yourself and others for some great advice. Further proof, should any be needed, that NSC can be a force for good as well as evil.

Will follow it up with both Trailfinders and BA and let you know what happens. The money's not important, happy to write that off, but don't really like being fobbed off when there's clearly been some kind of snarl-up(s) along the way. might help Trailfinders improve their procedures so that others don't suffer in the same way.

I would also try the BA forum on flyertalk mate - that would give you the definitive answer if anywhere does. This tag does imply its checked all the way through....confusing.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

This is what travel insurance is for. Should claim off that, and even better have claimed a load of new threads in Sydney when you were missing your bag.

Airlines don't tend to have what is known as 'interline' agreements outside of their own programs / alliances.

BA probably doesn't have any relationship with Air China, so they would have no way to check your bag through. What should have happened is you collected your bags at Rome and re-checked in.

I'd probably take it up with the travel agent if they did not tell you this or at least make you aware of the risks of separate airlines and tickets.

The OP travelled on China Airlines, NOT Air China, two completely different airlines, although admittedly, neither are members of One World Alliance, which BA are founder members of.

 

[Springal]

The OP travelled on China Airlines, NOT Air China, two completely different airlines, although admittedly, neither are members of One World Alliance, which BA are founder members of.

Yes apologies my bad, but as you say the reasoning remains.

 

[seagull_in_malaysia]

I stopped flying BA a while ago - still glad I did.

 

[sydney]

So it's OK for an airline to just mess you around with your checked-in luggage then? You live in Sydney? Try flying to London sometime to be told when you land that your luggage is in Melbourne. It's not a lot of fun. About as much fun as shopping for clothes in Bulli, NSW...

i live in Perth hen.......i might look for marijuana in Bulli , not clothes, that would be stupid.....i would have thought you would be running up and down the sea front in a kilt and a head band ,brandishing a tennis raquet...not on here looking for baggage advice...!! what d'ya expect..?? condolences like....

 

[Captain Sensible]

ba.com shows other sectors/tickets booked in an agents GDS, if linked in a PNR, regularly, even if they are separate tickets. if he had booked direct with BA it would be weird, but not through an agent. Doesnt have to be on the same paper or ticket number to show up on their site, just has to be sectors/tickets linked in the agents system (different from a ticketing agreement between carriers). its not unusual.

Agree with your post though.

Thanks for this post. I wasn't aware that an agents booking could add other airlines onto a BA booking. That explains a lot. Maybe this practice should be stopped as its clearly confusing the issue over what is a connection, and what isn't.

 

[Captain Sensible]

I stopped flying BA a while ago - still glad I did.

Good for you, but it appears here TH paid for a ticket to Rome, yet BA sent the bag all the way to Sydney for him. Trailfinders seem to have caused this one.