Airline Baggage losses grow and grow

[Jennifer Kirley]

From CNN.com:

Baggage problems on airlines growing worse

Thursday, May 4, 2006; Posted: 11:32 a.m. EDT (15:32 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Add this to the nightmare scenario for summer air travelers: the growing chance that their baggage is on another flight, possibly to a different destination.

A congressional panel on Wednesday seemed sympathetic, but left the clear impression help is not on the way.

"I'm afraid more baggage turmoil is almost an inevitability," said Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation.

Mica, R-Florida, noted that the number of mishandled bags was 23 percent higher in 2005 than in 2004. For every 1,000 passengers, there were 6.04 reports of bags that were delayed, lost, stolen or damaged last year, according to the Transportation Department.

The likelihood that bags will be lost or late increases with air travel volume, and this summer is expected to be the busiest ever.

Not only does the Federation Aviation Administration predict record numbers of passengers this year, but airplanes will be more crowded than ever.

The airlines are ready for it, said David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, which represents large airlines.

"We do not expect a meltdown," he said.

John Meanen, the group's executive vice president, told lawmakers that there are not any systematic solutions to the problem of mishandled bags.

Some people have suggested, for example, using tags for wireless tracking of luggage.

But most of the time, said Meanen, "We know where it is, but it isn't where it's supposed to be."

When the number of mishandled bags jumps, it usually is because an airline is having a specific problem, Meanen said. Often the problem is staffing, he said.

Too few workers was the reason for massive problems with US Airways passengers' bags over the 2004 Christmas holiday season, according to a report by the Transportation Department's inspector general.

That December, 42 percent of consumer complaints about baggage had to do with US Airways, said Samuel Podberesky, an assistant general counsel at the department. Those problems continued into 2005 and may account for much of the increase in the number of mishandled bags that year, Podberesky said.

I once read that baggage handling was running at about 4 sigma. Does worsening by 23% drop it to 3 sigma? I'll freely admit I'm not a math whiz, but anyway I'm thinking it would be better to mail my clothes if I go somewhere.

[Marc]

By reducing flights and getting rid of people to lower overhead, you get.....

This correlates with companies that downsize. Often there simply aren't enough people and resources to get the job done right.

[Bill Ryan]

Originally Posted by Marc

By reducing flights and getting rid of people to lower overhead, you get......

And we get to pay more to have them "lose" our luggage

[Wes Bucey]

Back in the 60's and 70's, when I was a "semi-road warrior" (not as many days away as Randy, but at least 100,000 air miles per year), I ran into a subset of road warriors who were "couriers." These were frequent travelers who had their business and recreational travel subsidized by using their baggage allowance to carry packages for others. These were not "dope mules" - they simply turned over their baggage claim checks to the shipper's agent as they left the plane. Some of these travelers were retired airline personnel who also got heavily subsidized travel on their own and competing airlines by virtue of their retired status, thus actually making a profit on their travel.

The primary reason for using such couriers was the immediacy of moving baggage across the world, often on the same day, when competing air freight was still taking 24 to 48 hours and lots of red tape.

There was a special subset of these couriers who carried valuables (jewelry, documents) as carry-on baggage.

FedEx seems to have put many of these couriers out of business. Many more would have been severely curtailed by post 9-11 security measures. Any remaining ones would be absolutely stymied by lost baggage as in Jennifer's post.

[tomvehoski]

What is never identified in these media reports is the split between what is the airlines fault and the travelers fault. The only time I have ever had a bag "lost" was when I checked in for a standby flight 15 minutes before departure. I knew my bag would never make it from the ticket counter to the plane, but I wanted to get home on the earlier flight - and did not really care when my dirty laundry made it home. I ran to the gate and made it. My bag took the next flight and was delivered to my house.

It is the fliers responsibility to check in early enough to get the bag to the plane. Also to make sure you have an ID tag in case the bar code label gets torn off. Also put ID inside the bag in case the outside one gets lost. I even include a copy of my itinerary, with a note on the ID tag where it is located (front top external pocket of roll-a-board). This way my bag can "find me" if it is a complex itinerary. I also make sure I see the bar code tag applied and the destination is correct (DTW, not DFW). Outbound I make sure I have a days worth of clothing in my carry on, so I am not in trouble if something does happen.

If you plan properly your chance of getting hit by this is incredibly small.

[little__cee]

So what happens to "lost" luggage - unclaimed bags? Where does it go?

[tomvehoski]

Originally Posted by little__cee

So what happens to "lost" luggage - unclaimed bags? Where does it go?

Alabama: http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/

[Craig H.]

Originally Posted by little__cee

So what happens to "lost" luggage - unclaimed bags? Where does it go?

There was a place in Alabama that was the clearinghouse for lost luggage, and the contents thereof. A huge store, you could find almost anything, and at bargain prices. I saw a TV documentary about it a few years back (60 Minutes, maybe?).