Victor Cook

Passengers, Packages: The Paradox of Air Transport

Sallfham,

“… only about 60% of all air passengers check their bags.” This is very useful statistic. Please give me reference.

“… who is going to have to take responsibility for securing their luggage when it arrives?” You may be out of step with the times on this one. Here’s the latest information I could find on baggage security at airports:

“Do you remember some airports before 9/11 had those “security” people who checked your luggage claim checks against the bags you were taking with you? Where are they now? Who is watching out for your luggage until you claim it at the carousel? The answer is NOONE is watching out for your luggage”

“ … what makes you think that passenger airlines can easily fill their luggage compartments with profitable cargo?” A comment by a senior operations manager at a legacy carrier that I quoted in an earlier post in this series.

“Just because Heathrow had day one problems, it doesn't mean that managing airport luggage sorting is beyond the reach of modern technology.” The Heathrow reference was just a lead in to my post on the problems with checked baggage, not a condemnation of modern technology.

“The biggest obstacle to efficiency is the spot checking and scanning that Homeland Security now requires, not the coding and routing itself.” Exactly! That’s another reason to remove luggage from the passenger transport system.

“Face it -- people want their luggage to travel with them.” I believe that you want your luggage to travel with you, but I’m not sure that you represent the traveling population.

Thanks for your comments.

~V