A dad returning from India after surgery on a tumour on his neck endured nine days without pain medication after BA lost his baggage.
Janisar Patel, 33, had flown into Manchester Airport from Mumbai via Heathrow on December 22 and was among hundreds of passengers over the Christmas period to find their baggage missing on arrival.
Janisar had been diagnosed with a Schwannoma tumour on his main carotid artery in August, however his symptoms became more severe while visiting family in Mumbai and surgeons carried out an emergency operation to remove the 5cm growth.
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Janisar, who still suffers with severe pain, said because the operation took place abroad he could not get a prescription for his medication in this country over Christmas.
The pharmacy technician, who had travelled to Mumbai to see his parents after a two-year gap due to Covid, told the Manchester Evening News: “It’s been so much stress and a lot of pain, it’s affected my sleep.
“All my medications and dressings were missing.
“We were ringing BA every day, I’d been to Manchester Airport myself and they told me the luggage was with a courier but nothing came for days.
“I was in a lot of pain, I needed the medication, I couldn’t change my dressings. The GP said they couldn’t help until they see my documents from India but they were in my baggage too.
“All BA kept telling me was the baggage was with a courier, all the courier told me was that ‘it was coming today’.”
He added: “They should have prioritised us, we were treated poorly.”
British Airways have since indicated that passengers are advised to pack essential medications in their hand luggage.
However, Janisar's hand luggage had been placed in the hold in Mumbai due to his vulnerable condition - and the fact they were travelling with a two-year-old.
Janisar says the journey with wife Femida, 26,and son Amaan, two, had been fraught with delays and disappointment.
Their first flight left Mumbai 90 minutes late, which had a knock-on effect on the connecting leg from Heathrow to Manchester.
The family were told they might be able to board a 10.50am flight as there were seats available, but, according to Janisar, despite arriving at the gate in good time and making themselves known to staff, the gate supervisor refused to let them board at the last minute as there ‘would not be time to load the luggage’.
In pain, and grappling with a tired two-year-old, Janisar and Femida were placed on standby for a 3.15pm flight and on a list for wheelchair assistance.
But by 2.50pm Janisar says assistance staff hadn’t come to collect them so they made their own way to the gate where they were told their names were not on the boarding list.
After a row in which Janisar made clear his pain and frustration, his family made the flight - but arrived in Manchester Airport to find all but one of their eight bags had not.
Janisar contacted BA and the airport twice daily in a bid to get his medicines back, but to no avail.
He said: “They just kept saying they were with a courier. They said they were high delivery and would be delivered by December 23.”
Janisar finally received his bags on New Year’s Eve.
British Airways has said that customers can be reimbursed for the cost of essential items when they are without their baggage and claim for any damaged or missing contents.
The airline recommends that customers carry essential medications in their hand luggage.
They said they are contacting customers who were without their baggage over the Christmas period.
A BA spokesman added: "We apologise unreservedly to customers who had their baggage delayed over the Christmas period after arriving in Manchester.
"It’s clear that our service and communications fell short on this occasion and we’re taking the necessary steps with our third party handlers and couriers to ensure we avoid a similar situation in future."
