Heathrow baggage chaos ... before strikes start!
Cases piled behind screens and flights delayed as system breaks down
PASSENGERS missed flights or were forced to take off without their luggage at Heathrow yesterday when a check-in system went into meltdown.
The chaos, a day before schools break up and ahead of threatened strikes by pilots, caused queues of up to two hours and delayed British Airways flights from Terminal Five.
Hundreds of suitcases were seen being piled up behind screens after a fault with the bag-drop early in the morning.
With the system still not working well into the afternoon, some passengers faced an agonising wait to see if their baggage would turn up at their destination.
Ian and Julie Crayford, a British couple who have retired to the US, were due to fly home to California yesterday afternoon and had no idea if their bags would go with them.
Mrs Crayford, 62, said: ‘We were standing in line for 30 minutes just to put our bags away. There’s a real chance they will get lost now. No one knows if they will arrive on time. It’s just really annoying.’
Software that links a passenger’s destination with their luggage broke down. Travellers had to haul their suitcases to holding pens, where baggage handlers piled it up to be taken to planes by hand.
BA said those whose bags were left stranded will have them put on the next available flight, which could be up to 24 hours later, and then sent on to them in a taxi.
One passenger said when they asked if their bags would arrive on time, a staff member shrugged and said: ‘Fingers crossed.’
Abby Stern, who was flying to Toulouse in France with her two young children, berated BA for its poor management of the situation. She said: ‘It’s getting out of control. We had to wait in long queues and there were not many people helping out. It was a bit chaotic.’
A US couple who were flying home after coming to the UK for Wimbledon said: ‘They need to get their act together. Nobody here knows how to operate a queue.’
A spokesman for British Airways, which has exclusive use of Terminal Five, said: ‘We apologise to customers and our teams are working hard to minimise disruption after a baggage system issue slowed down customers dropping off their bags.
‘A small number of flights left without all customers’ baggage loaded. We’re in contact with those customers and their bags will be put on the next available flight to get them back to them as soon as possible.’
A Heathrow spokesman said: ‘Following a British Airways baggage issue that impacted passengers flying from Heathrow this morning, some bags didn’t make their flight.
‘We are working hard with British Airways to ensure those affected are reunited with their bags as quickly as possible. We apologise for this inconvenience.’
The Heathrow shambles comes as tens of thousands fear having their holiday plans thrown into chaos by striking pilots.
The Unite union is threatening to shut down Heathrow and cause ‘check-in chaos’ for EasyJet passengers at Stansted in the coming weeks, and Ryanair pilots are due to vote on a walk-out over pay and working conditions.
Gatwick Airport has been accused of launching a second runway by stealth after announcing plans to bring its emergency strip into routine use.
The UK’s second largest airport lost out to Heathrow for approval to expand. A spokesman said the runway will double its capacity of 46million passengers a year, and will be ready by the mid-2020s.
‘Getting out of control’