This should probably come as no surprise (Hattip consumerist):

The rate of lost or mishandled baggage spiked by nearly 25 percent in August as airlines struggled to handle a surge in checked luggage after authorities banned most liquids and gels from passenger cabins, according to a government report released yesterday.

The airlines had some trouble keeping up before, now with the layoffs and the increased load it can only get worse. I’m thinking they could learn something from UPS and FedEx, they seem to handle a few more packages a day and don’t have an issue losing them. For some reason lost luggage is accepted in the airline industry. Maybe standardizing luggage so that it’s more modular would work out better, or when you check your luggage it’s immediately put inside a container that makes it easier to load and track? I don’t know what the answer is, but they’ve been doing it the same way since Tony Jannus piloted the first commercial airline from Saint Petersburg to Tampa in 1914, I’m thinking they could improve upon it slightly more than putting a barcode on the luggage.

Frankly I’m to the point that I’d rather just buy my clothes when I get to where I’m going. I check everything but my laptop now because it’s such a pain to get through the screening any more. I actually feel like a mental patient when I go through because I usually take off my belt and anything else metal and put it in my laptop bag. So while I’m in the screening line I’m walking around holding up my pants like George Costansa in the mental hospital. I actually made a funny suggestion when I was in Atlanta a few months ago:

In order to improve customer satisfaction, and improve security when you check in they should divide up the passengers between first/business class and coach. The first/business class passengers will be greeted by their personal valet and escorted to a changing room decorated with rich Honduran mahogany stalls, plush carpet, and Coach leather furnishings. They will be given complimentary spa terrycloth robes and sandals to change into for their personal security screening by their security liaison. While they wait to board the plane, they will be offered champagne, caviar, and various delicacies. Several flat-screen TVs will show the latest financial news all while being serenaded by a string quartet.

The coach passengers will be hearded into a large cold room that is much like a high-school shower. They will have to rent (cash only please) paper hospital gowns that are 1 size too small (just enough not to close in the back) and paper shoes. They will be forced to change into these gowns in front of everyone. The coach passengers will then stand in line as they are hearded into the cow pen like screening area for their mandatory body cavity search. Once the screening search is complete they will be allowed one drink from the water fountain and then sit on their assigned steel bench. And to lift their spirits during this time, Christina Aguilera Muzak will be blaring from a blown out PA speaker above.

Oh, and while on the subject, a very cool place to check out is The Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Al. They are sort of a clearing house for unclaimed baggage and freight (I imagine the buy it at auction). Some good deals can be found there. And it’s also just interesting to see what they have an any given time. You can also shop online. Great deals like this Brett Favre autographed CHI Ceramic Hairstyling Iron for $75.00… huh? Yeah, so some Target picture mismatch going on there, but funny anyway. Actually, that’s a good price for that thing, wife’s was like $100, but someone else’s hair was on it though…

No related posts.