 Poster: A snowHead
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I called BA three times today and spoke with three different agents. None of them were able to help me (they didn't even understand the issue) and one just hung up on me! I'm fuming. Will try to tweet them.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We just turned up at the airport with double ski tube, and 2 cases for a trans Atlantic flight. We tried to book in with the evening before but the app wouldn't work, so we just booked in at the airport.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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We are flying tomorrow with BA, via Heathrow to Denver. We will be checking in only 1 (double) skibag but both travelling with hand luggage.
Given the shenanigans mentioned above we won't be tipping off BA about the ski bag but will just turn up and see what happens. We've never had a problem in the past. Fingers crossed!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I flew BA Heathrow to Innsbruck return having notified BA that I was travelling with double ski bag as one of my included hold baggage items. BA ground staff asked me to check in at one of the check-ins just by the "Oversize Baggage" drop-off, then load my double wheelie bag there. No problems there. I got email/text confirmation that my luggage was ready for pick up on arrival at INN (very quick, ski bag already in baggage claim) and at LHR once in the arrivals hall. Very quick and easy at INN, rather slow, 55 minutes after landing at LHR. Overall a decent service. Thank you BA! 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| euanovsky wrote: |
| I called BA three times today and spoke with three different agents. None of them were able to help me (they didn't even understand the issue) and one just hung up on me! I'm fuming. Will try to tweet them. |
I did resort to tweeting them and that seems to have worked. Thanks everyone for the info.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Bergmeister wrote: |
We are flying tomorrow with BA, via Heathrow to Denver. We will be checking in only 1 (double) skibag but both travelling with hand luggage.
Given the shenanigans mentioned above we won't be tipping off BA about the ski bag but will just turn up and see what happens. We've never had a problem in the past. Fingers crossed! |
How do you travel so lightly? Seriously, only thing held us back for JP was the 23kg x2 each limit for internal flight. International was 32kg x 2 each + all the hand luggage I could carry.
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It took an hour and three quarters to succeed this morning. I failed with the phone call to which the website had directed me - the first time I explained the purpose of my call so it sent me a text message about special items and ended the call. The second time I mumbled incoherently until it said it would put me through to an agent, and then it told me they were too busy and again ended the call. I then opened a BA chat window and we went through a cycle of it repeatedly telling me to wait a few minutes and then type "speak to agent" which got nowhere, so I opened a Twitter chat window which said it is connecting me to an agent but they are busy and it might take a while. Eventually there was a response requesting weight and size of bag - they want width x depth x length.
I wonder what they are doing with that information? 
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@motyl, The BA app was throwing wobblies this morning so I imaging the phones were inundated.
Mind you. BA have always been mobbed unless you have status with them and can use the "special numbers"
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I'm on the online chat. I was 28 in the queue then 24 now 25!
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@skimastaaah,
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BA ground staff asked me to check in at one of the check-ins just by the "Oversize Baggage" drop-off, then load my double wheelie bag there
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Having checked in online the day before travelling, I've taken my 23kg ski bag (absolutely no problem getting everything I need into a combination of that and a cabin bag) through T5 three times since December, without prior notification, and that's exactly what has happened on each occasion, no problem.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
@skimastaaah,
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BA ground staff asked me to check in at one of the check-ins just by the "Oversize Baggage" drop-off, then load my double wheelie bag there
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Having checked in online the day before travelling, I've taken my 23kg ski bag (absolutely no problem getting everything I need into a combination of that and a cabin bag) through T5 three times since December, without prior notification, and that's exactly what has happened on each occasion, no problem. |
^ this.
Same with us; we very rarely don't use BA and have never advised them in advance regarding our ski bags, and have never had any issues.
..Nick
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Did this on Saturday. Bot chat became live chat; took about 30 min in total. I wasn't going to do it--never have before--but the website says it increases the chance of skis actually getting there. Since those chances have proven to be 50/50 in my experience, I chose to give it a go. March 11 can't come soon enough!
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So where in the airport process is the check against a pre booked list meant to be taking place?
Do we really think that the airport oversized baggage handlers are checking ski and board bags against a pre booked list?
Or is it the checkin staff?
I tend to think no one is checking a list.
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You know it makes sense.
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@ste_B, no idea, but my guess is that check-in people may check this if they know the flight is full? (Let's try and ask at check-in and report findings).
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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We traveled MAN - LHR - Vancouver with BA a couple of weeks ago and return with ski bags without notification and no issues or mention of it either way.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've never had a problem before (but I may have been lucky once when the belt hadn't been working and some bags got left behind) but I wonder if it comes into play should your ski bag not arrive at the same time as you do, and you haven't told them you have one. This feels to me like some sort of work in progress.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've never let BA know before but thought I would this time just in case also I'm pretty OCD with planning!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Just got though check in at LGW. Had to pay for ski carriage and no record of me notifying them of bringing skis on my booking. Also it was carnage!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@melbouch,
had to pay? Was it not part of your allowance? You can take skis or snowboard instead of a suitcase.
I would keep receipts, fight it when you get back.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I’ve always flown with a separate suitcase to my skis and have never been charged. But that seems to have changed. I checked with BA customer services and it seems that you can only check in one piece of luggage now. Anyhow got to go just about to take off!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Tried phone number in the page, and selecting 3 as it requested. It didn't then offer me what I expected so I took the "something else" after 3, I verbally said what I wanted to do and it texted the link to the baggage page which had sent me to the phone number I had called in first place.
I have now waiting in the chat, thanks to looking back at this thread. At least that recognised I needed more than a link to the page I had come from! I started at 24 in the queue for a life agent..... sigh
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My experience is that it's better to tweet them. Calling to call centre is a hit or miss as it depends who you speak to. Some of them don't seem to be aware BA website asks us to notify them...
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| melbouch wrote: |
| I’ve always flown with a separate suitcase to my skis and have never been charged. But that seems to have changed. I checked with BA customer services and it seems that you can only check in one piece of luggage now. Anyhow got to go just about to take off! |
This has been the case for as long as I can remember unless you are on Business tickets, although there may a be status from what I am hearing which also gives it, could you have previously held a higher status?
Conversely Swiss, Lufthansa and Austrian let you take skis in addition to your hold allowance (won't take them for free, if on a lite fair without hold bags ). Lufthansa you have to phone up to add them on, and had problems with them falling of a booking once due to a flight cancellation and being rebooked to a different flight the same day and failing to move it across. That caused me a LOT of panic at the airport.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| freethemind wrote: |
| My experience is that it's better to tweet them. Calling to call centre is a hit or miss as it depends who you speak to. Some of them don't seem to be aware BA website asks us to notify them... |
Oh - more and more companies this appears to be best way to use them, I guess I may have to finally sign up to twitter 
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FAQ
Tbh I only really signed up for it for situations like this. Customer service (not just BA but other firms too) seems to be better and more responsive if you tweet/send them a DM these days. Save waiting on the phone for however long!