Travelling to Beirut ? - Top Tips if your bags are delayed
25 August 2016 - RPS Partnership
We offer travel awareness training for those travelling to difficult, remote and challenging locations. Contact us for more information on [email protected]
Travelling to Lebanon? Read on news from our consultant on the ground in Beirut
Things were looking good for my trip to Beirut. Bags packed and lots of time in hand for the extra security at Manchester and the long queues, which would no doubt, be at Heathrow. I could not have been more pleased with myself. This was going to be a great trip.
Sunny, warm and good food with nice people....
Everything was going well until I stood a few hours later at the carousel in Beirut airport, looking longingly for my new black suitcase with the stripy strap to distinguish it from all the other black bags!
After the next flight had arrived and still no bag, it was time to wise up to the fact that my bag was not coming. So next came the learning experience.
No one spoke much English at the baggage desk and as a foreigner I kept getting shoved to the back of the line. A few smiles and lots of “merci mixed with Shukran” later, I got to the front.
Top tip:
Keep your luggage tag, as you will need that to get out of the airport with your bag. If you lose your bags and don’t have it don’t worry just give them your name and they can find it on the computer system. You must get a print out of the tag number and the fact that you have registered.
Ensure you give the man your email address and your telephone number (with the +44 code and leave out the zero), if you have a local mobile number then give them that as well. Being a member of the BA loyalty rewards system helped, as they will send update emails as well.
Top Tip:
Don’t bother calling your airline in you home country as they were not much use as they said it was a local issue and to sort it with the desk in Beirut.
Don’t expect anyone to deliver the bag to you (as they may do in your country), be prepared to go and pick it up yourself. Do wait until they contact you by email and phone (which they did and it was super efficient) and then do what they say.
The office in Beirut opens between 0900 and 1800, so trying to run to the airport outside these times is a waste of your time as they will not be open and the airport is not run 24 hrs a day. If your bag arrives in Beirut at 2100, your temptation is to go to pick it up then. But wait as they have to process it and this takes ages. So save your energy.
When you arrive at the airport, you will need to go airside to pick up your bag so take your passport with you and the slip of paper. Get this stamped at the baggage handling office near arrivals. With the piece of paper and your passport, you will be allowed airside to go and find your bag.
Top Tip:
Not too many people speak good English, so keep calm and have some patience. If you speak French this may help now and again. Once airside you will need to find your way back to the desk where you reported the bag missing. No one will accompany you, so you will just have to wander there yourself.
Hopefully you will all travel without losing a bag to this wonderful country. Worth having a plan B just in case...
Top Tip:
Take a change of clothes and ensure all your valuables are with you in your hand luggage. Ensure you have enough toiletries to keep you going for at least two days. Put a lock on your cases as it deters thieves when your luggage is left lying around an empty airport.
Contact us for advice and training for travel to the Middle East and Lebanon on i[email protected]
Photos: RPS Partnership at Beirut airport