to be devastated re: hold baggage gone missing

[molka]

It's my sister's wedding at the end of the month. She and our parents went back to Thailand to visit family and do a lot of wedding shopping. They've just flown back to the UK but their baggage has mostly not come with them. I am beyond devastated and don't know how to help. The baggage mostly consisted of traditional attire for the wedding (for the bride, groom, close family and friends who'd requested traditional outfits - all custom tailored) as well as other Thai decorations and items for the wedding. Things we can't buy here. Things that took a lot of time and effort to source and then tailored for each person.

Usually they can be traced fairly quickly and if everything is missing then chances are they're all together somewhere.

The bar codes are great as the luggage is scanned wherever they are so the airport can sort it out. We've lost bags all over the world but never permanently.

Get onto the baggage people at the airport, they should be able to track them down.

Oh FFS, sorry, no one else can have any feelings because someone has cancer

This happened to me when I was coming back from holiday on Xmas eve. I went up to the desk of the airline in the airport and logged it as missing and they gave me a contact number and tracking number, neither of which did anything helpful and didn't give me any tracking information. I was going on holiday again on 27th December and needed items from my suitcase. Low and behold the next day (Xmas day) somebody was at my doorstop returning my suitcase for me, it was the best Xmas present! It had missed the original connecting flight and they flew it out on the next available flight and then straight to me.

Hope you get it back soon, especially as there are unique and sentimental items in it.

In Bangkok it got delivered to my hotel, in my home country I picked it up from the airport.

The time when I was in the middle of nowhere in Africa, I'd left my 1st hotel number with the "handlers" in J'burg and got the hotel to liaise with the handlers and fax over my trip itinerary (with contact numbers) once we got there*. BA hired a taxi to get it to me from wherever it arrived in the country.

When we were coming back to UK from Maldives (around Xmas) the handlers/couriers phoned to check we'd actually be at home to sign for the case.

Internet access was patchy in those days and roaming cost a bomb.

That's very worrying op when they've gone to all that trouble to get the things that would mean a lot to them. I really hope it all turns up. Please update if it does

Day 3, still no luggage.

Have you done what I advised and given notice of an intention to make a claim?

I had two cases checked in on a flight in April-one made it onto the plane, the other didn’t. I arrived home on Wednesday evening and my case was delivered the following Monday morning as it was going to my home address-apparently if I’d been staying somewhere for just a few days, they’d have expedited it.

I think the bank holiday will had held things up, OP, but the luggage will arrive this week. Good luck. 🤞

Update: One of them has just been located! It was found in the transit airport and they say they will fly it to London today. No idea which one it is.

(Feel a huge sense of relief but won't truly feel relieved until we actually see it! I'm also really hoping it is the one with my sister (the bride)/groom/most important stuff in)

I knew it!!! Without doubt the delay's down to the chaos around airports ATM, and if they've found one it's a fair bet the other will be along shortly

So pleased for you that it's starting to work out though

This happened to us once. We had flown to Spain but the airline (Ryanair!) had managed to leave our case behind at Stansted Airport.

We logged it as a missing bag with them. The staff there at the Spanish airport actually phoned their colleagues back at Stansted and we were told that they had it. They apologised for the error and put it on the next flight out. They paid for it to be couriered to our hotel and we had it three days later. We had to buy a few things to tide us over, but were able to claim costs back.

It happened to my Dad once too on returning home after a long haul holiday. The case was located fairly easily, flown to Heathrow Airport and then couriered to his house (a long way from Heathrow). He had his things back within a few days.

Well that's progress. I hope it's the "right" suitcase OP.

Ime it turns up in a few days.
Don't despair.

Pretty much always arrives in the end, normally 4/5 days. Don’t panic yet. It’s bloody annoying and a bit stressful, but on only day 3 and it having been a holiday weekend, I think I’d just sit tight for now.

I think you are very kind (and sensible) @itsgettingweird.

Sorry for your loss.

Of course it matters. Surely we can empathise with a wedding dress going missing. It’s not a suitcase with bikinis and sundresses from Primark.

People are being mean. The person whose friend has terminal cancer - my deepest sympathy, but I surely hope you’re never ever going to complain about something again in your life?

Hope it all turns up eventually! We had BA lose luggage on a very short flight to Europe. Were told it could take up to 3 days but had no other communication or any way to contact an actual person. Did turn up at our hotel about 35 hr after the initial flight, just before we left for the next destination.

Day 6, still no info for the 2nd bag. For those who have gone through this - did your bags come together? If not, did they forget about the 2nd one/ not update any info on tracking?

It matters to the OP

I've never had an update. They always just randomly show up. Sorry I can't say anything more comforting.

I've had a run of devastating events, a death, a child's serious illness, a cancer diagnosis. I'd still be devastated if everything I'd spent time to source for wedding had disappeared, especially if it wasn't easily replacable.

Update: the first bag has been received. The second has been flown back to London by the airline shortly after the first but no sign or update re: delivery. We’re almost a week on and this is getting increasingly uncomfortable.