http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23380359-details/BA%20profits%20from%20lost%20luggage%20debacle/article.do

<<
As thousands of passengers continue to be affected by the great lost luggage crisis, British Airways makes money from their misery.

It is forcing them to use a premium-rate helpline to seek their missing bags, and pocketing the profits.

[...]

Many passengers have not seen their possessions since mid-December following the chaos sparked by heavy fog and faulty baggage equipment.

They are urged to use the Internet to track lost bags, but many claim the official website is useless - and are phoning an 0845 number given by the airline for those seeking information.

BA gets up to half of the 3p-a-minute cost of calls to the number, and some desperate callers say they have been on the phone for up to ten fruitless hours, trying and failing to recover bags which in many cases are filled with long-overdue Christmas presents.

The International Airline Passengers' Association, which has some 400,000 members worldwide, accused BA of cashing in.

Spokesman Jonathan French said: 'BA seems to be making the most of this baggage situation rather than simply helping its customers. It could just as easily set up an 0800 freephone number for this kind of eventuality.

'Free calls wouldn't remove the pain of losing your possessions, but would at least take away the cost of trying to find out where they are.'

BA admitted it did make money from calls to its baggage number, but insisted the charges were necessary to offset the cost of running a call centre in Newcastle. [...]
>>

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=426333&in_page_id=1770&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=NEWS&ct=5

Also in the Daily Mail.

Every member of this web site should add a 'Reader Comment', drawing attention to the rip-off scam. The message might slowly sink in!

Quote:

The International Airline Passengers' Association, which has some 400,000 members worldwide, accused BA of cashing in. Spokesman Jonathan French said: 'BA seems to be making the most of this baggage situation rather than simply helping its customers. It could just as easily set up an 0800 freephone number for this kind of eventuality. 'Free calls wouldn't remove the pain of losing your possessions, but would at least take away the cost of trying to find out where they are.' BA admitted it did make money from calls to its baggage number, but insisted the charges were necessary to offset the cost of running a call centre in Newcastle. [...] >>

Having just recovered my bags from a 19Dec flight (one completely smashed up) I sympathise but I offer a solution for those still waiting.

I used 18185 (1/2p min) to call the BA USA number +1 800-828-8144. Depending on the time of day it either directs you back to UK or it's dealt with in the USA. Not any faster but at least it costs next to nothing and pushes BA's phone bill up!

idb wrote on Jan 4^th, 2007 at 2:28am:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23380359-details/BA%20profits%20from%20lost%20luggage%20debacle/article.do <<BA admitted it did make money from calls to its baggage number, but insisted the charges were necessary to offset the cost of running a call centre in Newcastle. [...] >>

And the reason that BA did not previously use a visible PRS number...

I saw this on the front of the Daily Mail today. I was amazed to find that bags are not being kept securely and that tags with names, addresses (why do people put addresses on luggage tags as this is an open invitation to burglars?  ::)) and phone numbers were clearly visible to passers by. There is also a suggestion that it may be cheaper to pay out for lost luggage than to sort and return it to rightful owners!

Is there a geographical alternative for international callers? Or is this a rip-off +44 870 number?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/05/nbags05.xml

<<
BA did move to address some criticism yesterday by creating a freephone helpline (0800 727 800) for passengers whose baggage had gone missing, replacing the local rate 0845 number it had been using previously.
>>

idb wrote on Jan 5^th, 2007 at 2:31am:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/05/nbags05.xml << BA did move to address some criticism yesterday by creating a freephone helpline (0800 727 800) for passengers whose baggage had gone missing, replacing the local rate 0845 number it had been using previously. >>

Its NOT LOCAL RATE - AGGHHHH!!!! >:( >:( >:( :'(

When will these dumb ass journalists ever learn or when will OfcoN stop 08 and 087 being called Local Rate and National rate numbers by the unscrupulous and the incompetent.

Slowly then the message is getting out about 08 being premium rate albeit stealth and smaller compared to 09x numbers.

In the past, BA would have just used 0870 without thinking but obviously in this case knew it would attract attention so decided on 0845 but as this attracted attention anyhow was forced to use 0800.

I do like the excuse that's it to offset the cost of the call centre which whilst this is obviously true does that mean for those in the states that get a freephone number don't call a call centre at all?!?!

This 'offset the cost' thing is the only excuse they can use but what they really mean is that we can get away with using stealth premium rate numbers in the UK so lets do it!

BA does appear to have learned one lesson, and that it is that it has issued a 0800 number following the farce that is Terminal 5.

However, the general contact numbers have changed from 0870 to 0844 charged at 5 p/min at all times from a BT landline.

Dave wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2008 at 8:22am:

BA does appear to have learned one lesson, and that it is that it has issued a 0800 number following the farce that is Terminal 5.

Given that people have been left without their luggage for their entire week or two's ovreseas trip (for those going on holiday rather than business) surely anything else would be outrageous.  But is there an international geographic number for the many passengers now stranded in mainland Europe without their luggage?


Quote:

However, the general contact numbers have changed from 0870 to 0844 charged at 5 p/min at all times from a BT landline.

Obviously done prematurely on the basis that Ofcon would honour its 0870 price change commitments.

Dave wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2008 at 8:22am:

However, the general contact numbers have changed from 0870 to 0844 charged at 5 p/min at all times from a BT landline.

I noticed that they dont even bother informing anyone that the cost is 5p/min from BT landlines, other networks may vary.

A decade later, BA has been pressured into getting rid of the 0844 numbers.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3677218/british-airways-faces-fresh-fury-over-travel-chaos-for-telling-customers-to-ring-premium-rate-helpline/

http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/radio.html?219

Ian01 wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2017 at 11:21am:

A decade later, BA has been pressured into getting rid of the 0844 numbers. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3677218/british-airways-faces-fresh-fury-over-travel-chaos-for-telling-customers-to-ring-premium-rate-helpline/ http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/radio.html?219

Interesting "offer" from BA with an 034 contact number to dial (great BA) but with incorrect call information - BA First Upgrade


Quote:

Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company's access charge

One day they will get it right .....

It is unfortunately an all too common occurrence that when a company changes their phone number, they forget to amend any associated call cost statements.

This is seen time and time again.

We have seen throughout this current BA crisis that swift and poor steps have been taken to address the issues. Erroneous promotion of the 084 version of the contact number is perhaps one of the less significant examples of how BA has caused damage by the way in which it has reacted.

I am delighted that a long-overdue decision to abandon (at least one of) its 084 numbers has come from this.

We must not miss the point that the telcos profit far more from the use of 084 numbers than do the users. In the case of calls from mobiles, the Treasury actually gains more in VAT! See - The ‘insanity’ of using 084 or 087 numbers - even when it is permitted.

Once some much more serious issues have been dealt with, the time will be right to address the failure to remove a, now unnecessary (indeed incorrect), call cost statement and also to address the other 084 numbers.