Luggage losses increase
Australian insurer Travel Insurance Direct has found that more luggage is being lost or damaged at airports around the world as natural disasters overshadow advances in baggage handling technology. The company claims that 30 million bags were mishandled last year, a rise of 17 per cent on 2009, and the majority of cases were due to the weather – snow around the world shut down some airports for days on end, while the volcanic ash cloud from April 2010 also had a significant impact on baggage handling rates. Ian Jackson, general manager at Travel Insurance Direct, said: “Unfortunately for travellers, growing traffic levels at airports worldwide has combined with extraordinary weather events to increase the chances of your luggage going missing. Until recently, airports had been making excellent improvements in their baggage handling processes and technology, but luggage loss is now on the increase again.” A recent report from SITA, a specialist in air transport communications and IT solutions, has corroborated Travel Insurance Direct’s figures, showing that 12.07 bags per 1,000 passengers were lost or damaged in 2010, up from 11.38 bags per thousand travellers in 2009. Meanwhile, research from Flight Centre has shown that there has been an 18-per-cent rise in the number of items of luggage that were delayed, damaged or lost at the world’s airports between 2009 and 2010. The Flight Centre 2011 Air Transport Industry Baggage Report found that more than 29 million items of luggage were mishandled last year around the world. On average, the figures showed that 1.2 items were mishandled for every 100 passengers, a six-per-cent increase on 2009. The report also shows that in total, misplaced baggage cost the aviation industry around US$3.7 billion during 2010; that more than half the luggage items went missing between transfers; and more than half of lost bags were returned to their owners with 42 hours.
Australian insurer Travel Insurance Direct has found that more luggage is being lost or damaged at airports around the world as natural disasters overshadow advances in baggage handling technology. The company claims that 30 million bags were mishandled last year, a rise of 17 per cent on 2009, and the majority of cases were due to the weather – snow around the world shut down some airports for days on end, while the volcanic ash cloud from April 2010 also had a significant impact on baggage handling rates.
Ian Jackson, general manager at Travel Insurance Direct, said: “Unfortunately for travellers, growing traffic levels at airports worldwide has combined with extraordinary weather events to increase the chances of your luggage going missing. Until recently, airports had been making excellent improvements in their baggage handling processes and technology, but luggage loss is now on the increase again.”
A recent report from SITA, a specialist in air transport communications and IT solutions, has corroborated Travel Insurance Direct’s figures, showing that 12.07 bags per 1,000 passengers were lost or damaged in 2010, up from 11.38 bags per thousand travellers in 2009. Meanwhile, research from Flight Centre has shown that there has been an 18-per-cent rise in the number of items of luggage that were delayed, damaged or lost at the world’s airports between 2009 and 2010. The Flight Centre 2011 Air Transport Industry Baggage Report found that more than 29 million items of luggage were mishandled last year around the world. On average, the figures showed that 1.2 items were mishandled for every 100 passengers, a six-per-cent increase on 2009. The report also shows that in total, misplaced baggage cost the aviation industry around US$3.7 billion during 2010; that more than half the luggage items went missing between transfers; and more than half of lost bags were returned to their owners with 42 hours.