Monday, December 24, 2007

The Comedy of Lost Luggage

We were so relieved to see our luggage arrive at our hotel on Friday morning, the day before we left to head back home. I thought, for sure, it will be smooth sailing from here. After all, the universe would not conspire against an emotional mess of a mom who is leaving a country to go home halfway around the world without her baby. Not so...

As we checked our bags at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, the lady at the BMI counter asked us where we would like to retrieve our bags. We told her we would like to get them at Heathrow because we have an overnight layover. She confirmed that this is what she is putting into the system. So would you believe me if I told you that when we got to Heathrow, our bags never came down the carousel? Then, what if I told you that the BMI employee looked it up and said it was tagged to go to San Francisco... on tomorrow's flight? And what if I told you that in order for us to get our bags for the night, we would have to wait 4 hours while they track down our bags at the storage/holding area and they don't recommend we do that? And what if I told you they offered us another couple of bloody overnight kits and had nothing but apologies? And what if I told you we got into Heathrow the next day and were told we could only carry one bag onto the plane per person and had to check in another bag that we fully intended to have with us on the flight? And what if I told you that when we finally got to SFO, they didn't send one of the bags on the plane and now we still have one lost bag? Oh yes, it's no joke. This really happened.

And now I am telling you that we are NOT flying British Airways or BMI through Heathrow again on the second trip, or maybe EVER.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Technically I've never lost luggage while flying BA... but one of my friends did and it was a fiasco! I refuse to fly through London period because of a BA fiasco that left me unjustly locked in a holding room with a serial murderer... I wish that were a joke... it's not. So I'm not a big BA fan. We flew from ATL to Moscow on Delta and then Moscow to Bishkek on Aeroflot. I know a lot of people pan Aeroflot, but that was one of the best flights we had (incredible flight attendants).
Hopefully your luggage will turn up soonish ;)

Ivy Lee said...

I think we may look into flying Lufthansa on the next trip. Perhaps to Frankfurt and then to Almaty, and then taking a short flight or driving down to Bishkek. I wonder if that is easier.

janiece said...

Oh we had that with both adoptions--and had to go to court in borrowed clothes!! Today (5 years and 3 years later) we laugh about it. But it really sucked at the time! I remember yelling at the poor gentleman at KLM "I've been in the same bra for 5 days!!!" We're trying Turkish air this time.