A 23 per cent drop in baggage mishandling

In what could bring a sense of relief to many air passengers,for the first time in four years,airlines have reported a 23 per cent drop...

In what could bring a sense of relief to many air passengers,for the first time in four years,airlines have reported a 23 per cent drop in baggage mishandling in 2008. The significant drop has resulted in an annual savings of $ 800 million for airlines globally.

The number of checked bags delayed,damaged,sent to wrong place or pilfered fell from 1,16,164 bags per day in 2007 to around 89,617 bags per day in 2008,according to a Baggage Report 2009 by SITA,global provider of airline computer applications. For a single baggage item mishandled,airlines stand to lose $83 in form of damages. In 2007,airlines lost $ 3.7 million on account of 42.4 million mishandled baggage items,which fell to $ 2.9 billion losses in 2008 as 32.8 million cases were mishandled.

Air travellers assign top priority to baggage,SITA said. Over 60 per cent of passengers surveyed globally associated a pleasant trip with having their check-in baggage arrive promptly and safely; a score second only to flights being on time and well ahead of short queues,friendly ground staff or well-equipped modern terminals,it added.

The reasons cited for fall in mishandled baggage are fewer checked-in baggage per passenger and improvement in baggage handling processes. The checked-in baggage has seen reduction due to the policy of charging for checked bags that has gathered pace since 2006. Many airlines require passengers to pay for more than one item. Low-cost carriers like Europes largest Ryanair Holdings Plc,impose fees for all stowed cases,buoying revenue even as the recession hurts ticket sales.

There is a clear trend across the industry toward encouraging passengers to lighten the load,with fewer and lighter bags,or at the very least ensuring that passengers pay the costs associated with checking-in baggage, SITA said.

Airlines reduced mishandled luggage to 14.28 items per 1,000 in 2008 from 18.86 per 1,000 the year before. The number of pieces that failed to be recovered declined to 0.32 bags per 1,000 passengers from 0.57. The number of airline passengers rose 1.4 per cent in 2008,so the decline in mishandled luggage didnt occur because of less business,SITA said. Even so,airlines have cut capacity in a bid to fill planes and many have increased time available between connecting flights,helping luggage get to the right place on time.

The findings of this survey by SITA have significant implications for India’s domestic and international airlines,many of which have code share arrangements with international airlines or are members of global alliances (eg. Star Alliance,One World,etc.), said Maneesh Jaikrishna,director,Sales and Relationship Management South Asia & India,SITA.