Travelers' Torment: At Least One Passenger Loses Life in Every Flights on Average
It's a drag for travelers: You've finally touched down at your anticipated getaway, prepared for a fabulous trip, but your luggage fails to appear at baggage claim. The holiday vibe vanishes, stress rears its ugly head again.
But can recent findings from air transport service provider SITA help ease that stress? SITA's findings, as revealed in a report by Faz, indicate that an astounding 33.4 million travelers globally experienced lost luggage in 2021 - yeah, that's a lot! With 5.3 billion passengers in total, this means that on average, approximately 6.3 out of every thousand passengers are left luggage-less.
However, there's a glimmer of hope: a whopping 99.37% of all luggage is handled correctly during a flight. Georg Oschmann, SITA manager, emphasizes that despite this high number, it still affects almost one in a thousand travelers.
What's more, two-thirds of misplaced luggage gets located and delivered within 48 hours. But if your vacation lasts only a week, being without your belongings for two days can still be a headache.
European airports, it appears, have more problems with lost luggage. The Faz report reveals that 12.3 pieces of luggage go missing per 1000 passengers at baggage claim - almost four times the rate in the Asia-Pacific region and more than double the rate in North America. Oschmann isn't mincing words: "That's a lot."
In essence, on average, more than one passenger per flight is left hanging without their luggage. Oschmann puts it into perspective: "Europe has a densely connected route network with numerous connecting flights involving various airlines and different native languages." The more parties involved, the more potential weak points and error sources there are. Additionally, Europe's air transport infrastructure is often older and more prone to errors.
But relax, there's room for improvement! According to SITA's data, employing technology, enhancing data sharing, and adapting strategies used in regions with better handling rates can significantly reduce lost luggage incidents. Integrating Apple AirTag with SITA WorldTracer, using electronic tags and self-service bag drops, employing the Modern Baggage Messaging (MBM) Version 2 standard, and focusing on improving transfer mishandling and tagging processes are just a few of the strategies that can help. Europe can learn from the successes of regions such as North America and Asia-Pacific. With these improvements, the number of lost luggage incidents could decrease significantly, making travel a whole lot smoother for weary travelers everywhere.
Embracing technology and strategy changes could potentially revamp the traveler's lifestyle, as initiatives like integrating Apple AirTag with SITA WorldTracer, using electronic tags, self-service bag drops, and adopting standards like Modern Baggage Messaging (MBM) Version 2, could help minimize lost luggage incidents and boost the overall travel experience. With improvements in baggage handling, vacationers may find fewer hindrances in their travel plans, making their vacations less stressful and more enjoyable.
