European airlines losing lots and lots of checked luggage
Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY, 8/20/2007
Beware if you're checking luggage on your next trip to Europe. That's the word from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which says "it's the summer of lost luggage for anyone traveling in Europe." The problem has gotten so bad that the Association of European Airlines (AEA) is warning customers to avoid checking bags altogether. According to the AEA, airlines averaged losing the bags of 10 fliers per flight between April and June. "British Airways was cited as the worst among Europe's major airlines, and is on track to lose a record 1.3 million bags this year," the Journal-Constitution says.
What's the problem? At BA's London hub, the Journal-Constitution says a shortage of baggage handlers is being compounded by "dozens of workers... being taken off duty each day to be trained on a new baggage system at a terminal set to open next year." In Rome, labor issues are contributing to problems at the city's Fiumicino Airport.
Josh Holm, director of the New York-based Coalition for Luggage Security, tells the Journal-Constitution that "statistics like these that should make all airlines look at their current procedures and determine their own adequacy. All airlines should look for alternate means of luggage transportation to ease the congestion in airports and the daily loss rate.'' As for the problem in Europe, experts warn that no significant improvement appear likely.