Much fun on stand 105 and "Bagfax" (the place you go to if you have lost your luggage or missed your plane etc.) today. 176 cheery souls had booked a flight to Geneva. Nothing unusual there. However, when the inbound plane turned up it was an A319, which can only seat 156, not an A320 which can seat 180.
This has never happened before, to my knowledge.
The problem was soon realised and "they" decided that the "fairest" way to solve the problem was to simply tell the last 20 who checked-in that sorry - you'll have to get on the next one (which had enough spare seats). I wasn't at the boarding gate when this was announced, however, I believe there was a bit of uproar. Understandably. Somehow though, they managed to persuade 20 to hold on for the next flight, 90 minutes later.
Stage 2 of he process was to then get their bags off the plane as by this time we had already loaded about 100 bags. We eventually found all the required bags and they were offed onto a luggage trailer, ready to be taken back to "Bagfax" to be reunited with those passengers getting on the next flight. At this point, something else went awry and the bags stayed put...
About an hour later "Bagfax" rang up to say they had 20 passengers screaming blue murder demanding their bags as they only had 30 minutes to check them back in for the next flight. The forgotten luggage trailer was found as as the chap in question was taking them back to Bagfax his electric buggy broke down
Another was sent but by the time he arrived at Bagfax there was only 15 minutes until the plane was due to depart. The poor sod carried the first 2 bags in and apparently, was "set upon" by some angry passengers.
He managed to escape but refused to take any more in until security turned up - which was 10 minutes later...check-in had closed the flight.
By now there are near riots in the Bagfax area
I understand that check-in was re-opened quick smart and they eventually all flew - albeit extremely late!
