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| Airline tackles luggage mountain | Airline tackles luggage mountain |
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| Thousands of items of unclaimed luggage are piled up at Heathrow Airport because of faulty equipment and poor weather, British Airways (BA) has said. | Thousands of items of unclaimed luggage are piled up at Heathrow Airport because of faulty equipment and poor weather, British Airways (BA) has said. |
| Problems began before Christmas when a faulty baggage belt at Terminal Four and cancellations caused by fog stopped 10,000 bags from being delivered. | |
| BA said many were still stacked up at Terminals One and Four and it was using freighter planes to clear the backlog. | |
| The airline said about half of the bags belonged to its passengers. | |
| Second belt problem | Second belt problem |
| A spokesman said: "The problem began before Christmas when there was a fault with a baggage belt at Heathrow Terminal Four. | |
| "That caused the initial backlog and about 8,000 bags were not delivered." | |
| He said a second problem with the baggage belt and the fog led to about 10,000 bags not being delivered. | He said a second problem with the baggage belt and the fog led to about 10,000 bags not being delivered. |
| "We have put on air freighter planes to get the bags to their owners, and we have drafted in a number of volunteers to help," he said. | "We have put on air freighter planes to get the bags to their owners, and we have drafted in a number of volunteers to help," he said. |
| The spokesman added that the problems coincided with the introduction of new working practices for baggage handlers at Terminal One and Four. | |
| It comes as the airline prepares to move its entire Heathrow operation to the new Terminal Five in March 2008. | |
| Awaiting collection | Awaiting collection |
| Hundreds of Heathrow flights were cancelled and delayed in the week before Christmas due to the fog. | Hundreds of Heathrow flights were cancelled and delayed in the week before Christmas due to the fog. |
| At the height of the chaos, thousands of passengers were forced to wait for news of flights in temporary marquees outside Heathrow in freezing temperatures. | At the height of the chaos, thousands of passengers were forced to wait for news of flights in temporary marquees outside Heathrow in freezing temperatures. |
| BA said the bags, which belonged to passengers from a number of airlines, were awaiting collection by customers or courier companies. | BA said the bags, which belonged to passengers from a number of airlines, were awaiting collection by customers or courier companies. |
| Luggage belonging to BA passengers is due to be sent out to homes in the next three days. | |
| Have you lost your baggage? You can send us your experiences using the form below: | Have you lost your baggage? You can send us your experiences using the form below: |
| If you have any story ideas - send them to the BBC using the link below and have your say! | If you have any story ideas - send them to the BBC using the link below and have your say! |
| Click here to send us your stories | Click here to send us your stories |