[Olive]

There has to be some kind of internal theft ring , either in Vancouver or Calgary. How does luggage just simply disappear??? Its suppose to be tracked with a bar code.... obviously someone on the inside is checking what's inside the luggage and sending it off to another destination where someone else is waiting to pick it up. Its crazy to think that we just freely hand over our belongings to the airlines and they simply throw it out into the public where anybody can come along and pick it up. The airlines should be responsible to hand the luggage back or check bag tags......it's a joke and they get away with a fine that is nothing compared to what we lose. Luggage should not be allowed on a flight unless it goes through the bar code system, its frightening to think that security at Canadian airports are letting luggage onto flights without being tracked. If we had a tracking system that worked.. and someone checking bag tags, disappearing luggage would not be an issue.

[PHXFlyer]

What proof do you have of this "theft ring" you speak of? Please back up your statements with facts. All I see here is conjecture.

Originally Posted by Olive

The airlines should be responsible to hand the luggage back or check bag tags......it's a joke and they get away with a fine that is nothing compared to what we lose. Luggage should not be allowed on a flight unless it goes through the bar code system, its frightening to think that security at Canadian airports are letting luggage onto flights without being tracked. If we had a tracking system that worked.. and someone checking bag tags, disappearing luggage would not be an issue.

Do you realize what a mess baggage claim would be if each piece of luggage had to be hand delivered to each passenger? Do you really think that after a long flight people would tolerate standing in a queue so that their claim cheques could be verified against the bag tags by an agent before being allowed to leave with the bags? Think of how many more people the airline would need ot hire for this function. Passengers with checked bags would have to pay even more fees to ofset the added cost. What about people who lose the claim tags?

As for bags being allowed on aircraft without being tracked, that is just absurd. I'm sure if a handler loading a plane noticed a bag without a tag it would not be loaded. All bags are screened anyway so it shouldn't be a problem but if a bag isn't tagged to go on a specific flight it will stay where it is until a lost bag claim is filed.

[countrynewsman]

Olive brings up a very good point...one that I keep wondering about all the time. With bag tags having a bar code on them, how do airlines manage to lose them? It should be a no-brainer that your bags arrive at the airport, and on the flight, indicated by the bar code. Am I missing something here? Please help me understand.

[Jetliner]

Look at United and Northwest who do use scanning. Their bag numbers are not any better than anyone elses. There's also a lot more that goes on than you realize. Many larger airports have complex bag belt systems that automatically route bags. Sometimes they route them to the wrong airline. And that airline does not always take them back to where they belong, or at least not in time for the flight. The down side is that these systems are put in and controlled by the airport, not the airline.

When I worked bagage service I had a couple times where I would have a city call looking for a bag. Nowhere to be found. Suddenly we get a call from another airline in their hub (and at that an airport we didn't even fly into) wondering why they have this bag.

What people don't realize either, is that once the airline pays out on your bag, it will not be returned if it is found, unless you return the money. And yes, they do sometimes get found after payment.

[countrynewsman]

Sorry...had to edit this post and I don't know how to get rid of it. Just ignore it.

[countrynewsman]

Originally Posted by Jetliner

Many larger airports have complex bag belt systems that automatically route bags. Sometimes they route them to the wrong airline.

If memory serves, wasn't this a big problem that delayed the opening of the new Denver airport some years ago?

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by countrynewsman

If memory serves, wasn't this a big problem that delayed the opening of the new Denver airport some years ago?

Yes, indeed it was. Here's a New York Times article on that very subject.

Enjoy!