Baggage handler reveals the truth about lost luggage on popular airlines like Jetstar, Qantas, and Air New Zealand
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We've all been there – anxiously waiting at the airport's conveyor belt after an exhausting flight, praying that our luggage would appear in front of us sooner rather than later. But what about those times when it simply never shows up?
If you're a Senior Discount Club member who loves to travel, you might know how stressful lost luggage can be. And now, an airport insider has spilled the beans on exactly why bags go missing in the first place.
Peter Taylor (not his real name), a baggage handler at Brisbane International Airport, recently came forward in an interview with Daily Mail Australia to detail why airlines lose track of our precious luggage.
The revelations point to a combination of poor management, undertrained and 'lazy' staff, and even dishonest passengers trying to game the system as the culprits for the suitcase-sized headaches travellers often experience.
According to Taylor, airlines like Jetstar, Qantas, and Air New Zealand experience higher passenger disturbance rates, contributing to more lost luggage incidents. He also noted that a management change during the COVID pandemic, which saw the reduction of baggage handlers, greatly contributed to the spike in lost luggage.
Companies like Dnata, Menzies, and Swissport have since taken on the task of handling luggage, but Taylor claims these new employees aren't receiving proper training.
'These people are not being trained correctly... and there are so many people they are employing that shouldn't be employed, they're not smart enough... It's not getting better, in fact, it's getting worse,' Taylor said.
Baggage handlers need to be able to read tags, know the abbreviations for destinations, and have the ability to handle various baggage handling processes – something that Taylor says newer hires are sorely lacking. And when systems like Wi-Fi go down, which affects the scanners used to sort and load luggage, the situation becomes more chaotic.
'Training is paramount to understand what goes on,' Taylor explained.
Others attempt to dodge excess baggage fees at self-check-ins, further complicating the process for the employees loading the planes.
Taylor, who takes pride in his work, is aware of how frustrating lost luggage can be for travellers. 'It's happened to me on numerous flights over the years, and it spoils the start to a holiday,' he said.
Jetstar has, however, responded to Taylor's claims, stating that they are working hard to improve punctuality and reliability. Qantas is also taking action to combat lost luggage, promising to add baggage tracking to their app in a major overhaul set to be available by the end of 2023.
Understanding these behind-the-scenes challenges can provide valuable insights. As always, we encourage everyone to remain vigilant while travelling and ensure that bag tags are securely fastened. Wishing you all safe and hassle-free travels!
We're curious to hear from our Senior Discount Club members about their personal experiences with lost baggage. If you have ever encountered this issue, we would appreciate hearing how you resolved it.
If you're a Senior Discount Club member who loves to travel, you might know how stressful lost luggage can be. And now, an airport insider has spilled the beans on exactly why bags go missing in the first place.
Peter Taylor (not his real name), a baggage handler at Brisbane International Airport, recently came forward in an interview with Daily Mail Australia to detail why airlines lose track of our precious luggage.
According to a baggage handler at Brisbane International Airport, the issue of lost baggage is due to a combination of factors. Photo by veerasak Piyawatanakul
The revelations point to a combination of poor management, undertrained and 'lazy' staff, and even dishonest passengers trying to game the system as the culprits for the suitcase-sized headaches travellers often experience.
According to Taylor, airlines like Jetstar, Qantas, and Air New Zealand experience higher passenger disturbance rates, contributing to more lost luggage incidents. He also noted that a management change during the COVID pandemic, which saw the reduction of baggage handlers, greatly contributed to the spike in lost luggage.
Concerns Raised Over Lack of Proper Training for Luggage Handlers
In September of last year, the situation regarding lost baggage reached comical levels. Photo by Tanathip Rattanatum
Companies like Dnata, Menzies, and Swissport have since taken on the task of handling luggage, but Taylor claims these new employees aren't receiving proper training.
'These people are not being trained correctly... and there are so many people they are employing that shouldn't be employed, they're not smart enough... It's not getting better, in fact, it's getting worse,' Taylor said.
Baggage handlers need to be able to read tags, know the abbreviations for destinations, and have the ability to handle various baggage handling processes – something that Taylor says newer hires are sorely lacking. And when systems like Wi-Fi go down, which affects the scanners used to sort and load luggage, the situation becomes more chaotic.
'Training is paramount to understand what goes on,' Taylor explained.
Passenger Responsibility and Self-Check-In Challenges
In some cases, the passengers themselves are also to blame for the lost luggage debacle. Travellers who use self-check-in machines can sometimes mislabel their bags by not correctly attaching bag tags or leaving previous flight tags on their suitcases, confusing the scanners.Others attempt to dodge excess baggage fees at self-check-ins, further complicating the process for the employees loading the planes.
Taylor, who takes pride in his work, is aware of how frustrating lost luggage can be for travellers. 'It's happened to me on numerous flights over the years, and it spoils the start to a holiday,' he said.
Jetstar has, however, responded to Taylor's claims, stating that they are working hard to improve punctuality and reliability. Qantas is also taking action to combat lost luggage, promising to add baggage tracking to their app in a major overhaul set to be available by the end of 2023.
Understanding these behind-the-scenes challenges can provide valuable insights. As always, we encourage everyone to remain vigilant while travelling and ensure that bag tags are securely fastened. Wishing you all safe and hassle-free travels!
We're curious to hear from our Senior Discount Club members about their personal experiences with lost baggage. If you have ever encountered this issue, we would appreciate hearing how you resolved it.
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