Baggage mishandling plunges to 81 per cent due to the pandemic, SITA’s 2021 Baggage IT Insights report indicates. So, how protected is your baggage when you travel on a flight? A essential concern of air travellers pertains to the security of their baggage anytime they travel. While the year 2020 turned out to be a nightmare for all travel-loving enthusiasts, it also meant decreased workforces at all airports and airlines across the world. SITA’s 2021 Baggage IT Insights report delves into the challenges and revolutionary methods by means of which airlines and airports have been addressing them.
Reason for mishandled bags
At most airports, delayed bags are the major explanation for mishandled bags. These accounted for about 69% of all mishandled bags in the year 2020 – a 6% reduction from 2019. At the identical time, the quantity of stolen and lost bags decreased to 4%, and these that have been pilfered and broken elevated to 27%.
We all know how badly the COVID-19 pandemic hit the travel sector worldwide in 2020, causing the passenger numbers for air travel to plunge to 1.8 billion, the lowest given that SITA started sharing insights associated to passenger trends way back in 2007.
Notably, the report cites that about 66% of airlines are rolling out plans to implement contactless methods for passengers to report their delayed baggage working with their mobile device, thereby avoiding lengthy queues at many baggage counters.
What is a mishandled bag?
To begin with, what specifically is a mishandled bag?
According to SITA’s 2021 Baggage IT Insights Report, the term refers to reporting a delayed/pilfered/broken bag which is recorded by an airline or its handling enterprise on the passenger’s behalf it is then treated as a claim.
Fewer transfer bags due to the pandemic
The report cites that reduction in lengthy-haul flights had a positive outcome. Simply place, there have been fewer transfer bags. Remember, these historically account for most mishandled bags throughout travel and more so, throughout transits. Given that there have been fewer passengers and flights, finding bags to the plane became an a lot easier activity.
Baggage mishandling price plunges to 81 per cent
In 2020, the baggage mishandling price per thousand passengers has witnessed a clear decreasing trend – which is great news for passengers.
Take a look at the information among 2007 and 2020. It is clear that the mishandling price plunged by 81%, from a whopping 18.88 bags to a mere 3.5 bags.
It is also pertinent to note that the air transport sector’s annual bill pertaining to mishandled bags was a whopping $600 million but in the year 2020, it witnessed an 85% lower from $4.2 billion in 2007.
However, the report raises a concern that the time that is now taken to resolve mishandled bag files has elevated and demands cautious monitoring as passenger volumes recover.
Lufthansa Group launches contactless service for passengers
A silver lining is that the Lufthansa Group has launched a completely contactless way for passengers to report delayed baggage from their mobile device, avoiding lengthy queues at busy baggage service counters or offices. These initial trials by SITA’sWorldTracer® Self Service indicate that this has grow to be well-known with travelers, with about two-thirds working with the service as an alternative of going to a baggage counter.
Notably, SITA’s 2021 Baggage IT Insights report states that IATA predicts that air travel will not revert to its pre-crisis levels till 2023. Still, there is a ray of optimism as airports and airlines are speeding up with contactless initiatives to make airport procedures and services more effective for passengers and employees.