Travel Tracks by Dave Heron

(Page 8)

Politics, Religion & Lost Luggage

Three arguments that will never see a win or an even draw of understanding.
Politics is an easy one to dodge - someone once said the biggest problem with the voting public was ignorance and apathy to which I responded I don't know and frankly didn't care.
The moment I mention I'm an agnostic dyslexic that doesn't believe in the existence of a dog as a Higher Power - the crowd distances themselves from me and I avoid getting drawn in.
Lost luggage on the other hand is an item that finds its way into my life on a daily basis.
I'm half way towards understanding some of the reasons a passenger's 'home away from home' goes AWOL:
-multi-million dollar software capable of reading Tolstoy's War and Peace that in a nanosecond displays an apparent inability to read a baggage tag marked Cancun and sends said bag to Cucamonga California.
-the implementation of a charge for a 2nd piece of checked baggage resulting in carry-on bags now weighing more than the passengers themselves which puts the aircraft at maximum takeoff weight before any checked bags are loaded.
-baggage handlers at some airports that earn less than the kid pouring coffee at the airport cafeteria.
And while I grudgingly accept that lost and/or misrouted luggage is a sad reality in today's mass transit environment, I'm not convinced there isn't a solution.
Airlines have been nickel and diming passengers for years - in fact it's gotten to the point where there are so many miscellaneous a-la-carte options offered at time of booking, most passengers are now hitting the "skip all options" button and just booking the basics.
How's this for a concept?
Limit the amount of carry on cabin baggage to 1 piece per passenger with a maximum weight of say, 15 lbs - and begin enforcing the restriction.
This now reduces the weight of the upstairs cargo by some 3800 lb on the average 150 seat aircraft over what appears to be getting hauled on board at present.
"But I need all this with me in case you once again lose my luggage".
Not necessarily.
Airlines have no problem charging and passengers no problem paying :
-$30 for advance seat selection
-$12 for a day old chicken wrap and dried biscuit
-$7 for a blanket
-$20 for a 2nd checked bag
-$5 for a 30 cent headset
The 1st airline to offer a LUGGAGE GUARANTEE will reap some hefty benefits.
Here's how it would work.
At time of booking, passengers are given an option for say $25 to purchase GUARANTEED BAGGAGE space for 1 bag.
Airlines take note - as per the calculations above when enforcing the carry on limit, you've now got some 3800 lb of unused weight space to work with.
That's 76 pieces of baggage.
At $25 each that generates close to $2000.
Now up the ante.
The GUARANTEE is that if for whatever reason your bag doesn't arrive, the airline refunds half the cost of your ticket.
People are gamblers.
On a 150 passenger aircraft, two thirds of the passengers will take the gamble and bet against the airline being able to live up to its guarantee and purchase the option.
That's an additional revenue stream of $2500 per flight.
Worst case scenario for the passenger is that their luggage will actually arrive when they do.
Worst case scenario for the airline is that if they screw up, they're forced to correct a situation which currently costs them more than refunding half the flight cost would anyhow.
On the other hand, knowing airlines as I do, I can just see the end result of this one.
150 bags arrive in Cancun.
149 passengers get off the flight.
"Where's Freddy?"
"Uh - I think we left him behind in Calgary - we were overweight in the baggage hold".

Adios until next time
Dave Heron

Dave Heron is the owner and operator of: Pace Setter Travel & Tours (1995) Inc; P.O. Box 612, 49 Elizabeth Street, Okotoks.
Tel: 403.938.5454
Toll Free: 1.800.206.7223.
Fax: 403.938.5568
Email:
pacesetter@nucleus.com