Airline Luggage Policies No Longer Fly
By Mike Botta
Since the airlines decided earlier this year to charge fees to carry your luggage, shouldn’t they now be fully liable for the protection of that luggage and its contents?
It was one thing when it was a “convenience” provided by the carrier. But, it seems that once they started to require payment for the service, their level of responsibility to satisfactorily deliver the service increased.
Strictly from a legal standpoint that may not be the case -- federal and international laws govern lost luggage liability -- but certainly one could make a common-sense case that charging a fee diminishes the effectiveness of the liability disclaimer in the typical “check bags at your own risk” policy.
Airline and Airport: It’s Not My Job
Up to this point luggage handling at destination seems to have been an airport, not necessarily airline, responsibility with both sides taking a lackadaisical attitude toward the process. But, now both sides appear to be taking a “who cares, it’s not my responsibility” approach even though the beleaguered traveler is at the mercy of both and must pay for the privilege.
Meanwhile, along comes news out of Phoenix last week that a suburban couple was arrested for stealing 1,000 suitcases from the luggage carousels at Sky Harbor Airport. Not one, two or 10 bags. A whopping 1,000 suitcases before anyone noticed. Now, that’s customer care and quality control, airline style, for you!
Authorities reported that rooms in the couple’s home were packed floor to ceiling with luggage. Luggage here, luggage there, luggage everywhere. Red bags, green bags, black bags, computer bags, all sort sorts of bags. Many of the bags were empty.
A Horse is a Horse of Course … Not
According to local press reports, some neighbors became suspicious when the horseless couple kept leaving home in the late evening towing a horse trailer and returning in the wee hours to unload suitcases. Duh, ya think somethin’ strange is goin’ on across the street, Elmer?
If that wasn’t enough, they also found it odd that the couple held lots of weekend garage sales hawking all sorts of new and interesting stuff. Thank God for that Neighborhood Watch Association!
Point is, the airlines make you go through the steps of weighing luggage, requiring you to place tags on luggage, pay for the service of transporting your luggage and even issue receipts tied to each individual piece of luggage on the front end, then throw caution to the wind on the back end. At most airports, little if any attention is paid on the back end at all to make certain that your black garment bag with your name attached actually ends up in your hands.
Pay the Valet, Find Your Coat Outside
Isn’t like going to a Broadway show, paying to check your coat, receiving a numbered ticket and returning after the performance to find a pile of coats on a sidewalk table at the corner of 47th St. and 7th Ave. accessible to any and all passersby.
Then, going to retrieve the car that you left with the valet attendant, throwing your claim check into an unattended bowl, and heading over to 52nd St. between 7th and 8th Aves. to locate your unlocked car, key in ignition.
And, if that’s not enough, stopping for a quick bite on the way home, placing your order, paying, receiving a numbered ticket and directed to the buffet table in the lobby to find your order.
It doesn’t make sense.
What About Using All the New Technology?
Surely, with all the technology today – barcoding, RFID, and the like – the air carriers and those who license the air carriers can find a better way to make sure your properly checked and paid-for luggage doesn’t end up in a horse trailer headed for the northwest valley area of Phoenix.
It used to be that many airlines and/or airports hired agents to verify that receipts matched the tags on the luggage. Perhaps a simpler solution would be to allow only ticketed passengers into the baggage carousel area. Not perfect, but it should keep out the horse trailer people and others who don’t belong near your belongings.
But, forget the agents. They’ve all but disappeared in favor of sharp-eyed trained professionals hired to find the souvenir Tobasco sauce tucked into your carry-on luggage.
Maybe the airlines got away with the “not my job” attitude when the luggage service was free, but now you’re paying. Sorry, airline folks, that policy just doesn’t fly anymore. Someone needs to take responsibility for watching the store.
No Fix Until the ‘Right’ People Lose Their Luggage
Unfortunately, it probably will take a politician, lawyer or combination of both to lose his/her luggage to thieves with a horse trailer, before the airlines will be forced to take responsibility for their actions and services.
Too bad, because the technology surely is there to solve the problem well before that happens.