

Airlines' Expert on Missing Bags Loses Bags 7 Times - cwan
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125002419177123735.html

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themenace
The article creates the impression of information rather than actually
providing any. Just look at the bar chart they give:

49% Failed to make connection... but WHY?

21% Loading or off-loading error... but HOW?

16% Ticketing, tagging error... but WHAT error and HOW was it made?

8% Arrival airport mishandling... but HOW and WHY was it mishandled?

6% Restrictions placed by airport... but WHAT restrictions and WHY wasn't it
noticed at check-in?

What we need to know the how's and why's.

I'll give my own example of how my airline lost--by my estimate--about 60 bags
on a recent flight out of Toronto. I was inside the plane watching the bags
being loaded into the hold when a cargo vehicle pulled up with about 100
plastic bins of mail (Canada Post). After those were loaded, the baggage
handlers loaded a few more bags and then I could hear one of them yelling and
signaling to the other "no more" and "too heavy". To lighten the load, they
even took out a couple bags (but not any of the mail).

The vehicle with the remaining 60 bags simply returned to the terminal and our
flight left. I got my bag at the destination but a lot of people didn't, and--
not surprisingly--they didn't get a true explanation of why their bags didn't
arrive.

If we knew the genuine reasons why luggage gets lost, I think we'd find that
this is not so much a technology problem.

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timcederman
"That's why he advises fliers to buy a generous travel-insurance policy, which
can actually make baggage problems financially rewarding. He has one himself."
- isn't this just a form of gambling?

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mynameishere
They could give passengers an option to use UPS (for free) instead.

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lnguyen
United actually has an option that uses FedEx for "door-to-door" service
([https://store.united.com/traveloptions/control/product?produ...](https://store.united.com/traveloptions/control/product?product_id=UM_DTD&category_id=UM_DRTODRBGG)).
Granted it's not free. But then again very little is these days when it comes
to airlines.

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jgrahamc
So it's not just me then: <http://www.jgc.org/blog/2009/08/whats-on-baggage-
tag.html>

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pkrumins
That sounds like a good reason to travel without bags!

~~~
tome
<http://www.onebag.com/>

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onreact-com
Jut take the most important things with you on board. At least enough
underwear for 3 days is the rule of thumb.

