Flew from NY to Lusaka, via London with American Airlines on Dec 12, 2006, Business Class. 5 pieces of checked baggage (for work - equipment and documentation), paid excess fee. Stop over in London and prior to boarding in London, checked for luggage and discovered one piece was not on board: had been seen in terminal 4 at 16:29pm but had not made it onto the plane (2 pieces got on the plane 5 minutes later).
There was little help from the jaded BA staff who are obviously beyond bored with this situation.

Arrive in Lusaka, file a complaint, am guaranteed it is on the next flight.

One month later, the bag is still not in my possession and NONE can give a coherent answer. British Airways in Zambia is a glitzified colonial outfit where the eager staff actually have NO power of say - all is determined by BA London and they too cannot reach a pulsing human being to get any information.

Compensation is GBP 35 for the entire time without my business clothes and documents. Filing on internet is pathetic - my contents listed as: 2 pairs sunglasses and documents... Yeah! let's forget about the close to $10,000 worth of business wear and accessories and electronic miscellanea in there - claim refund amount - disgusting... Not even $800.

The British Airways executives need to get off their high horses - gone are the days of colonial arrogance and welcome are the days of accountability. Your operation is a shamble. The state of the planes you use to African countries a pure reflection of what you still harbour and think. Can you spell accountability? Has Customer Service become such a thing of the past? How about competence?

Cutting costs?? Lusaka has one BA office which has now been closed and if one needs to make a reservation, one is obliged to rely on 26,000bps internet connections which make it impossible to securely purchase a ticket. If one is lucky one gets to speak to a BA staff over a courtesy phone on the other side of the wall that safely hides the staff who are obviously under threat by disgruntled passengers.

People. it is time to claim our right as consumers. Band together. Boycott, sue, do whatever is necessary to make these megalithic opportunists accountable.

Somewhere on a flight from Nairobi to London to Boston in July 2006, a camera was stolen from my luggage. British Airways claimed they had no responsibility. Subsequently my daughter also had items stolen from locked luggage also passing through London. How can BA claim no responsibility when items are in luggage when checked and gone when retrieved? And why aren't they doing more to find what appears to be systemic stealing?

Its been an exhausting week. Part of me honestly wants to forget it quietly, but that silence will allow the possibility of it happening again to somebody else, and that thought is hard to bear. Even though I have been planning a holiday to cape town since july, when I eventually made it all the way to heathrow, they refused me entry onto the plane, even though they have known my medical situation for months. BA are blaming aer lingus, and my travel agent for not fully notifying them of my medical needs,even though I had to send medical certs and undergo a phone check by a BA rep before the tickets were issued.
For the healthiest of specimens, enduring 2 airports in the same day would be taxing, but for me to push myself around the airports of 2 countries in the space of one day, and innumerable security checks, was an uphill struggle, which had a conclusion, which left me shell shocked and speechless.
It was the look of shock by the stewardess which lingered. The first thing she said to me was that “you’re not going to make this flight darlin” and I could see her worried look as she saw me balance on the airline wheelchair which had no armrests . Yes I did topple to my left, trying to turn around to answer a question from the man with my wheelchair, but I am very strong, and quickly salvaged the situation. It doesn’t look like homework was done by BA on the fact that I have friedreich’s ataxia (even though all certs were provided), and all that implies. It looks as if investigations were left at “wheelchair user”!
Issues of safety are paramount of course, but everything has its own context, and if again you put forward the legal reasons, then maybe it is an idea for passengers who need assistance to sign a liability waiver. I know I would have gladly signed one, rather than waiting outside the plane door on a cold evening, in a foreign country when I should have been in a plane bound for a long dreamed of, and planned for holiday!

I am not a litigious person, but have to speak up, in order to stop this happening to someone else. Why was my money taken so readily? Doctor’s certs not examined, and questions asked at the front of a departing plane which I had answered ad nauseum before? Indeed I was so shocked to be asked these questions again, with fresh faced inquisitiveness, in combination with my speech impediment, that no words would form, and I knew that they had made up their minds. They told me that my luggage was being taken off. I truly was beaten down, and was torn between what had just happened, and the fact that I hadn’t eaten since 3.
We finished talking at 11.30, after which I had to wait outside for half an hour, with my bus and hotel voucher. At midnight the dinner voucher is pretty redundant. I thought the hotel was a nice touch, but what was the alternative? Have me sleep in my chair? I listend in shock, as the BA duty manager suggested sending me back to Ireland to have a colostomy bag fitted, after which time my flights would be rescheduled, was a non runner. Invasive surgery doesn’t happen overnight, and I only have 2 weeks leave. It didn’t seem like a great holiday to me to spend half the time (at best) in hospital, and a short revised week in cape town.
I am aware of the reluctance and hesitance which lawsuits have brought, but again I needed assistance only getting to, and not using the toilet.
It is impossible to manually push the onboard chair, so even if the person can briefly stand, they still need help getting from a to b, but any sort of assistance seemed to be out of the question for the crew of this particular flight.
My bowels were empty. I have no bowel problems, and was certainly not going to overeat during a long flight, so that was not going to be an issue. 3 years ago, during my BA flight to Johannesburg, the guy merely wheeled me to the loo, put a blanket up behind me (as I could not fit in totally), and ….. Was I really that blessed with the extraordinary helping efforts of that particular crew? Compared to Sunday’s crew maybe…………..
Which leads me to ask if it was known since july that a passenger using a wheelchair because of friedreich’s ataxia, was going to be onboard, could there not have been one or two strong helpful guys on the rosta? The crew seemed to be mostly female. I feel very let down by BA. I don’t know if I will physically be able to make a trip like this in the future, and now I feel so mentally battered, that I sincerely don’t know if all the preparation and effort would be worth it.
[email protected]
BA59. Sept 17/9/06
Wednsday 20/9/06
I just said to my boss in work today (went back in, otherwise I’d just be at home mulling over all that has happened). I said “isn’t it ironic that in this age of hyper caution and extreme safety measures, that I am refused entry on safety threats. He bluntly said “You weren’t a concern just an inconvenience” I thought that was a perfect word. My dignity was of no concern as I was at the airplane door cold and isolated, and having to talk about toilet issues and colostomy bags with complete strangers.
I was never personally addressed by the captain, he just gave me an indifferent look, at this person before him with inward facing feet and a floppy posture who was clinging onto this onboard chair with no armrests. I wonder just on face value, did the captain think I was on drugs or drunk?
My safety was of no concern as I was put on a bus at midnight alone and shocked, trying to find a bed for a few hours with no toiletries or change of clothes That is no way to treat people!
I told the BA rep in july, that the help I needed was for someone to hold the chair steady to allow for a safe transfer. They refused to do even this. I know they don’t have to, but people come with different needs, and as the men pushing me off told me “that it all comes down to the attitudes of the crew and captain on the day. We have seen many cases worse than you, and sometimes even other passengers are more than happy to help” I know hindsight is 20/20 but I should have asked one of the hundreds of fellow passengers if they’d mind helping me down toward the loo. I’m sure they would have had a better attitude. I don’t need, and can’t justify somebody to hold my hand on the plane, much to BA’s incomprehension.
So all the planning has been for nothing and I fear this disaster will have lasting effects. I am still missing luggage, need a break, but now know even holidays can drain you;. I hope this episode has a redeeming conclusion. This was a major holiday, with a lot of time and planning invested in it.
Update Thursday 21/9/06: You will not believe it ( I had to phone up twice to make sure. Apparently my luggage was taken off, but they were put onto a cape town bound flight the next morning. It seems outrageous to me that I was refused entry out of safety concerns, but my luggage ( a suitcase, one big and one small sportsbag) was overlooked! Someone has their priorities mixed up! My insulin and everything bar the kitchen sink are in those bags, so I hope they get returned soon.
Update:24/9/06 2 bag arrived last night and the smaller bag was back on Sunday 24/9/06 minus my digital camera and broken shaver. This bag had all my insulin, an was firmly attached to my lap all day. I thought I would be swiftly reunited with it, but apparently my bags were put on 2 separate cape town bound flights the next day. I am loathe to keep going over this nightmare, but BA are digging their heels in, and even though its very much david v goliath, I have to try and get my story out. I should be relishing all the sights and marvels of this unique country after my months of saving, planning and preparation. Instead I am back, sooner than expected in rainy Ireland, with the batteries on low and uncertain about future travel plans. If all this hassle comes from a “holiday”…………I was in Egypt this may, and this was meant to be the year that I would travel, but events have conspired against me.
What should I do next? I am alone and voiceless and at the moment, nearly a grand down.