Passengers wait almost a week for bags after THIRD breakdown at Heathrow
Some holidaymakers who flew out of Heathrow on British Airways’ flights on August 8 were still waiting for their luggage to arrive over the weekend following the third breakdown of the baggage sorting system this summer.
BA admitted that despite ‘working around the clock’ it was still trying to reunite some customers with their bags.
However, the airline has not said what is causing the repeated problems to the baggage system at Heathrow.
Thousands of passengers were forced to fly without their bags in early August when a power failure knocked out the baggage sorting system in Terminal 5. In late June, an ‘intermittent’ problem with Heathrow’s baggage system also meant passengers had to fly without their luggage.
BA said today: "We have already reunited many customers with their delayed bags and will continue to work around the clock.
"Due to complexities in certain countries surrounding the way in which delayed bags are processed, regrettably it may take a number of days for some customers to be reunited with their bags."
Passengers who flew out of Heathrow T3 and T5 are believed to have been affected. TravelMole spoke to one teenager who had travelled to Hungary with friends for a week’s holiday last Saturday who waited four days for his rucksack to arrive in Budapest, and a family who flew to the US told TravelMole they had missed a connecting flight while waiting for their suitcases to be flown out to them on separate flights.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026