Flight Report: LGW-EDI-LHR

Hi all,

I touched down back at Heathrow Airport just a few hours ago after a short flight from Edinburgh, Scotland. Here’s my report:

Monday 22nd December – BA2934 – Gatwick to Edinburgh

Flight 2934 to Edinburgh was scheduled for a departure of approximately 7.10am and we arrived at the airport at about 5.20am to ensure we had seats together. I was issued seat 17E on the Boeing 737-400 aircraft (G-DOCD) – http://www.airliners.net/open.file/470674/M/ – but eventually took up seat 17F, next to the window.

Check-in was very slow and took about 30 minutes from the moment we joined the queue to the moment we were issued our boarding cards. Our suitcases were on their way to the aircraft and we proceeded through the empty security area and into departures. On our travels, we came across a bar where we spent most of our time, eating breakfast. Shortly after leaving the bar, we were ready for boarding and the information monitors told us to go to gate 57. Gate 57 is actually two or three gates which seem to handle domestic flights for British Airways. We occupied gate A and a flight to Manchester which occupied gate B.

Boarding started almost straight away and it looked as though we would get an on-time departure and be in Edinburgh way before the scheduled 8.45am. Once everyone was loaded, the Captain told us that we would push back on time but would expect to wait up to 40 minutes to depart due to lots of traffic at that time of the morning. The slow taxi was interesting and there was lots to be seen; EAL 747-200s, easyJet A319, First Choice A320, lots of Thomas Cook 757s and one of the Thomas Cook A330-200s to name a few. The queue for the runway was quite long and we waited quite a while. The scheduled departure time of this aircraft should have been 7.10am, we actually pushed back at 7.06am. It was not until after 7.45am that we took off.

After takeoff, we made a right turn, 180 degrees so that we were climbining, but flying parallel to Gatwick’s runway.

Almost straight after taking off, the cabin service commenced and we were served a hot breakfast consisting of scrambled egg, two rashers of bacon, a tomato, mushrooms, beans and a sausage. I barely touched it as it didn’t look too good. This was served with a hard bread roll and a carton of pure orange juice.

Next thing I realise is the captain saying “10 minutes to landing”, how quick was that? This was the first time I have flown domestically and I was impressed. Previous trips to Edinburgh have been by car and have taken several hours.

We descended from our cruising altitude of 36,000ft and prepared to land in Scotland. Our descent revealed some stunning scenery; snow-capped hills and mountains and rivers and lakes etc. Very picturesque.

We arrived 6 minutes behind schedule at 8.51am (STA 8.45am) but were able to disembark quickly and make the very quick walk to the baggage claim area. Very few people had checked in baggage and so, there was no rush to get bags for the 10 or so people who waited. The bags appeared quickly and everyone around collected their belongings and disappeared. The now empty baggage belt was going round and round with nothing on it – but where is my suitcase?

After about 20 minutes of waiting, the belt had been assigned to another arriving flight and I got the impression that my bag was not likely to turn up. I made a trip to the British Airways baggage office and they told me that my bag was showing up as having been loaded onto the aircraft. They didn’t tell me which aircraft though. It was actually bound for Manchester!

British Airways said they would take a description and a phone number from me and should it turn up, they would call me and have it sent to the hotel. If your luggage does not arrive on the flight it should do, the airline is apparently happy to pay out £35 per day for essential items such as toiletries and clothing. I started to fork out on washbag items as well as socks and boxer shorts.

As instructed, I rang up at 3pm (6 hours after arriving) to check the status of my lost bag. After holding for ages, they told me it had not turned up on the 10.30am or the 1.30pm flights from Gatwick, but they knew where it was (failing to mention where) and that it would be with me by 5pm.

5pm passed and there was no sign, so I rang again. “We have your bag and it will be with you by 7.53pm” – such precise timing, they had to be right this time. But no, it never turned up!! Again, I rang asking where my bag was and they said it was in transit to me and would be with me shortly. Finally, at 8.45pm, some 12 hours after arriving in Scotland, my bag turned up covered in a variety of new luggage labels; “EXPEDITE BAGGAGE: RUSH” and “UNACCOMPANIED BAGGAGE MANIFEST” which had the flight number BA1868 on it. I looked this up on my mobile and noticed it was a Manchester to Edinburgh flight. Nobody told me it was in Edinburgh and I am still waiting for an apology for the inconvenience and real lack of communication between British Airways and myself.

Attached is a rather boring photo I took out of the window, somewhere above Manchester. Little did I know, my suitcase was down there somewhere!

EDI – LHR to follow…