V-Flyer

Hi

well after spending time in New York, NY, Williamsburg, VA and Hilton Head, SC, we found ourselves in Savannah, GA, for our connecting flight back to London via Washington.

Our flight from Savannah with United was delayed about 1 hour, which worried me as firstly they hadn't checked us onto our VS flight and also was worried about not having time to drink champagne in Clubhouse before departure, a girl's got to get her priorities right!

We made it with time to spare and checked in at Clubhouse, got settled with a glass of bubbly and some snacks. Didn't have time for a meal. Clubhouse at IAD is nice enough, quite small but modern and clean, great service from staff, and friendly people. Loved looking out of window at strange mode of transport which carry people from one terminal to another, looked like something out of Star Wars to me.

We were called to Gate 32, which is basically right opposite entrance to Clubhouse so very handy. Took note of plane this time, she was Varga Girl, although after post on here other day, I prefer Viagra Girl! We were in seats 11, 12 and 14 a. Very quickly given champagne, sleep suits and meal order taken. Our FA was the best I have ever encountered on VS, she was great, chatty, funny, down to earth, and very quickly aware of our needs. Wished I taken her name so I could mention it on here. IFBT came round, gave her my priority card and asked for the manicure, was assured I'd get one of the first treatments. In the end got treatment well into flight, but at least got one this time.

Food was ok, I had a couscous dish, boys had lamb which they said was delicious. Flight was quiet, and over with all too quickly. Had a quick breakfast of orange juice and croissants. Woke youngest son with great difficulty, he was so fast asleep and looked so comfy in the bed.

Cleared immigration very quickly and went to baggage carousel, and guess what, no luggage, all 3 cases hadn't made it. Now it was lucky for me that I recognised someone at the carousel who was on my Savannah flight and she told me that they had been told on VS flight that bags hadn't made the connection. Why hadn't I been told? Went to baggage reclaim and was told straight away that bags were still in Washington, again seems everyone knew cept me! So this was Sunday morning at 6.30, bags finally arrived at my house at 12.40am on Weds morning. Not really that great service in my opinion, emailed VS Customer Services to complain and guess what, no reply as yet, so will put pen to paper tomorrow. I realise that there's been baggage problems this Summer, but to arrive at that time of morning/night is unacceptable.

Well apart from baggage problem, which was a benefit in end as didn't have to start washing clothes for few days, we had another good flight. Best flight crew to date, and all in all a great trip.

That is an odd time of night to deliver the luggage, but I suppose at least it did arrive in the end!

Originally posted by billybob

So this was Sunday morning at 6.30, bags finally arrived at my house at 12.40am on Weds morning. Not really that great service in my opinion, emailed VS Customer Services to complain and guess what, no reply as yet, so will put pen to paper tomorrow. I realise that there's been baggage problems this Summer, but to arrive at that time of morning/night is unacceptable.

Thanks for another good report. Will be interested to hear what response you get from CS. I, too, would be annoyed if someone arrived with luggage at that time of night/morning.

I'm amazed it took that long for the bags to arrive.

Did you check your report number (that you should get from the baggage desk) on http://www.mylostbag.com? That should tell you where the bag was believed to be.

I guess the questions are:

* Did your bags go on the VS56 (the later IAD-LHR flight) that same evening? If the misconnect was known about by the IAD station - and it will have been, as your bags won't have been in the pax-bag reconciliation - your bag should be put on the next available flight. I guess the question here is 'If not, why not?' It's unlikely that UA would hang on to the bags, they would punt them straight to VS, unless there had been a handling error which caused UA to send your bags to reclaim at IAD rather than be interlined.

* Assuming your bags did make the same day's VS56, then that's three days delay in just getting the bags from LHR to your home. That needs accounting for by VS.

My lost bag story (well, one of them)... I remember KLM misplacing my bag on my way to Italy, and I had to go to a formal dinner. It transpired that the bag, containing my dinner suit had come on the next flight same day, and had been sat in Turin airport for over 24 hours. Calls to the Turin luggage desk were met with a 'no speaka da English'-attitude, and being told it was 'not possible' to come and collect the bag in person (ridiculous).

I eventually called KLM HQ in Amsterdam directly, and told them that as their handlers in Turin seemed incompetent, I'd be buying a new dinner suit from the very nice, and very expensive, gents tailor across the road, and recovering the costs from KLM, unless my case was at the hotel within 3 hours.

Rather than be put on hold, the KLM employee did a 3-way call with the handler's baggage office in Turin, where she said some (not very nice sounding) things to them in Italian, followed by 'Your bag is being put in a taxi immediately, and will be driven straight to your hotel', to me. I had the bag within 60 minutes of making the phonecall to KLM HQ!

The ironic thing is that I was staying in the same hotel as the KLM crew!

Thanks for the report, and a real shame that the missing bags took the sparkle of what would have otherwise been a good flight - you sound like you got a great flight attendant looking after you, and it makes so much difference when that happens.

Mike

Mike

no the bags did not make the VS56 later that evening, nor did they make next VS22 but actually were sent on Sunday 12th VS56, 3 flights after ours! So they got to Heathrow at 11ish Monday am, but for some reason then went to Bristol, which I think is further away from where I live than Heathrow, then after many phone calls on my part found out they would be delivered by 11pm Tuesday. Wasn't best pleased at that time, but beggars can't be choosers, as they say. At 11pm gave up and went to bed, to receive phone call just after 12.30, guy with bags is lost in village, can we give directions! Luckily for him and us, we were all still jet lagged, so still wide awake at that time. But it can't be right to deliver at that time, surely? Delivery man was also in terrible mood, he had 3 more drops to do that evening, guess I was a lucky one.

Anyway have sent a real Mrs Angry letter now to Customer Relations, my 2nd one actuallly so will let you know outcome, if any!

3 more drops after you.... that is what I would class as totally unacceptable to be delivering items to people after midnight (apart from if people are in hotels, where the reception staff can accept the bags). I probably wouldn't be opening my door in London at 1am to anyone!