Garfield1966
Veteran
I thought we should have some facts added to this discussion. I know, they get in the way of a good rant but ya'know. I have to try.
Plz see this link for bag reports. I took this info from the Jan-Sep report
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/atcr05.htm
US Air, enplaned a little over 29 million passengers between Jan-Sept of 2005. Out of those 29 million they had a little over 290 thousand bag reports filed. Now I have never worked baggage services but I am guessing a fair number of those complaints were not valid but for arguments sakes, lets say that every single one was a lost bag and not a bag that was abused, broken to begin with packed improperly, had bottles in it ... etc. That ends up being (by my math at least) 1%. Out of the major airlines, they are the worst and that, and in my eyes is still very good. American Airlines enplaned over 60 million people and our bag reports only amount to 6/10 of 1%. That is less than 6 bags for every 1000. SWA, the best of the majors only messed up on 4/10 th of 1%. The difference between them and US Air was barely more than 1/2 a percent.
I did a walk a mile once with baggage services and it amazes me that 50% of bags get to the same place and at the same time as their owners much less that 99% of them do. You have a huge airport with who knows how many departures every hour. You have about 140 people per plane give or take with maybe 100 bags plus cargo and mail. it has to go all the way from the curb to an air plane in about 1-2 hours.
So, FWAAA, please get your facts straight before you go spouting off.
I’ll take those odds any day. Hell, the US military can’t keep track of it’s nuclear material and you are complaining about at most 1% of the bags having problems.
Now please keep in mind that all the bag reports are not “lost†bags. And I am guessing that not all are legit so when all that is taken into account, the odds of your bags getting to the same place and at the same time as you, are better than 99% in the worst case scenario.
Plz see this link for bag reports. I took this info from the Jan-Sep report
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/atcr05.htm
US Air, enplaned a little over 29 million passengers between Jan-Sept of 2005. Out of those 29 million they had a little over 290 thousand bag reports filed. Now I have never worked baggage services but I am guessing a fair number of those complaints were not valid but for arguments sakes, lets say that every single one was a lost bag and not a bag that was abused, broken to begin with packed improperly, had bottles in it ... etc. That ends up being (by my math at least) 1%. Out of the major airlines, they are the worst and that, and in my eyes is still very good. American Airlines enplaned over 60 million people and our bag reports only amount to 6/10 of 1%. That is less than 6 bags for every 1000. SWA, the best of the majors only messed up on 4/10 th of 1%. The difference between them and US Air was barely more than 1/2 a percent.
I did a walk a mile once with baggage services and it amazes me that 50% of bags get to the same place and at the same time as their owners much less that 99% of them do. You have a huge airport with who knows how many departures every hour. You have about 140 people per plane give or take with maybe 100 bags plus cargo and mail. it has to go all the way from the curb to an air plane in about 1-2 hours.
So, FWAAA, please get your facts straight before you go spouting off.
I’ll take those odds any day. Hell, the US military can’t keep track of it’s nuclear material and you are complaining about at most 1% of the bags having problems.
Now please keep in mind that all the bag reports are not “lost†bags. And I am guessing that not all are legit so when all that is taken into account, the odds of your bags getting to the same place and at the same time as you, are better than 99% in the worst case scenario.
