How is Heathrow’s new terminal like your girlfriend? It can’t deal with all your baggage.

What does $9 billion dollars get you these days? For British Airways shareholders, it’s a shiny, state-of-the-art new terminal at London’s Heathrow Airport. (Note: Price does not include your checked luggage.)

Terminal 5, British Airways’ new $9 billion dollar megastructure at Heathrow Airport, opened earlier today to passengers, but the airline is experiencing some “technical glitches” in the process of returning passengers’ checked luggage to them. Some had to wait for as much as four hours for their bags, and passengers are being asked not to bring checked luggage on their flights– or to call the airline and rebook.

BA has already cancelled 34 flights because of “technical problems” with the new terminal.

Gareth Kirkwood, BA’s delightfully British-named director of operations, said: “We sincerely apologise to those customers who have suffered disrupted journeys or baggage delays.” Wow, he even spoke using British spelling. That’s impressive.

[Hat tip to Moody75 for the link.]