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

Passengers, Packages: The Paradox of Air Transport

Cookie Monster,

“People want to be pampered.”

Yes, that’s my point. Let the box specialists move the boxes and the passenger specialists pamper the passengers!

“While there are many air freight companies, there are really two powerhouses: FedEx and UPS.”

Actually there are three: you forgot the biggest one of all DHL.

“… anytime there seems to be a real chance of consolidating the airline industry down to 3 or four powerhouse carriers who might have a chance to become stable and profitable, there is a hue and cry from Washington about loss of service to remote areas and rising costs.”

The package carriers did not consolidate down to 3 or four. They created the business to diminish the government monopoly and expanded up from 1 to 3 or 4 companies.

“Passengers can't expect to pay air freight rates for their own transportation and then demand hot towels, lay-flat seats and hot fudge sundaes. Do you any idea of what air freight rates might be if the package carriers managed all the “free” checked baggage?”

Well, that’s really good question! I try to shed a little light on the it in my latest post: Charting a Demand Curve Without Any Data." If you have some additional data to add that would be great!

Thanks for your comments.

~V

Passengers, Packages: The Paradox of Air Transport

Airline Pilot,

Excellent points! Especially the requirement that passengers must plan ahead for what they'd be carrying with them and what would be shipped. I travel a lot too and you’re right, many travelers are unprepared.

Planning ahead is a lot to ask of the ones who are unprepared. But there’s an upside that even the most careless traveler will notice: they don’t have to carry their bags to the airport, lug them into the check in line, then wait for them by the carrousel at their destination, lug them out to a vehicle, into their hotel and go through the whole thing on the return trip. Maybe the relief from these chores and knowing their bags would be picked up and returned to their home would be enough to it motivate careless travelers to plan ahead.

Here’s another possibility. What about providing passengers with standardized, re-usable “air valise” containers in small, medium and large sizes to pack their belongings? This would remind travelers that they had to plan ahead. It would also make it a lot easier for package shippers to handle the cargo.

Thanks for your comments.

~V

Passengers, Packages: The Paradox of Air Transport

Frequent Traveler,

I wasn’t aware the Southwest Airlines used FEDEX to deliver late/delayed bags. You also make a good case for some of the advantages of express delivery of passenger luggage. Thanks for your comments.

~V

Passengers, Packages: The Paradox of Air Transport

JMike49,

Actually you’re way off on the UPS average person shipping cost.

I just priced a 30 lb. package on UPS. If I shipped it by regular Next Day Air from New Orleans to Dallas in a Large UPS box with a declared value of $300 it would cost me $142.50. Shipped by Next Day Super Saver with no declared value it would be $134.16.

Can the difference between the single shipper UPS retail fares and the Amazon Prime cost of $3.99 be driven by volume discounts? Maybe. See my latest post.

Passengers, Packages: The Paradox of Air Transport

Sckarolek,

Thanks for the reminder about the cost of Amazon Prime. I use the service so often it seems virtually free.

Rolling the dice is in the nature of membership clubs. My son's monther in law belongs to Costco. When we go shopping she rolls out two baskets full of so much stuff it probably pays for her membership in a single trip.