Flew from NY to Lusaka, via London with American Airlines on Dec 12, Business Class. 5 pieces of checked baggage (for work - equipment and documentation), paid excess fee. Stop over in London and prior to boarding in London, checked for luggage and discovered one piece was not on board: had been seen in terminal 4 at 16:29pm but had not made it onto the plane (2 pieces got on the plane 5 minutes later).
There was little help from the jaded BA staff who are obviously beyond bored with this situation.
Arrive in Lusaka, file a complaint, am guaranteed it is on the next flight.
One month later, the bag is still not in my possession and NONE can give a coherent answer. British Airways in Zambia is a glitzified colonial outfit where the eager staff actually have NO power of say - all is determined by BA London and they too cannot reach a pulsing human being to get any information.
Compensation is GBP 35 for the entire time without my business clothes and documents. Filing on internet is pathetic - my contents listed as: 2 pairs sunglasses and documents... Yeah! let's forget about the close to $10, 000 worth of business wear and accessories and electronic miscellanea in there - claim refund amount - disgusting... Not even $800.
The British Airways executives need to get off their high horses - gone are the days of colonial arrogance and welcome are the days of accountability. Your operation is a shamble. The state of the planes you use to African countries a pure reflection of what you still harbour and think. Can you spell accountability? Has Customer Service become such a thing of the past? How about competence?
Cutting costs?? Lusaka has one BA office which has now been closed and if one needs to make a reservation, one is obliged to rely on 26, 000bps internet connections which make it impossible to securely purchase a ticket. If one is lucky one gets to speak to a BA staff over a courtesy phone on the other side of the wall that safely hides the staff who are obviously under threat by disgruntled passengers.
People. it is time to claim our right as consumers. Band together. Boycott, sue, do whatever is necessary to make these megalithic opportunists accountable.
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