Decreasing the risk of lost luggage

When I travel with my husband, Dave, there’s one thing I never have to worry about: luggage tags. These are the ones with the bar codes that are applied at the airport when we check our bags. As soon as Dave lifts the bags off the carousel, he tears the tags off and drops them in the nearest wastebasket, sometimes while we’re on the move to get to the shuttle.

            But many times I travel solo, or with friends or colleagues, so I have to handle my own tags. I almost always take just one bag, and I’m pretty good at removing the tag at the airport, but sometimes I’m focused on getting home to the point where I don’t notice the tag till I lift the bag out of my car, like the other night when I returned from Mexico. But Dave was right there to take care of that pesky tag for me.

            I’ve yet to go to the airport with an old luggage tag still in place, but it happens to other folks, perhaps more often than we’d think, and the old tags could cause a problem for your new trip, especially if you’re taking a different airline.

            Making it especially important is this: we’re not necessarily talking about the long tags that are wrapped around your bag’s handle. There’s that little bar code tag that is slapped onto your bag, and that can cause a problem. USA Today reports that a TikTok video, posted by someone who appears to be an airport employee at Ontario International in California, warning travelers to make sure that little sticker is not on your bag when you check in for your next flight. If it’s still there, the scanning computer could see the old one, rather than the new one, and send your bag to the wrong destination. (The video, posted August 22, had garnered nearly half a million views inside of a month.)

            The chances of a stray old tag causing such a problem are slim, but they’re not zero. Leaving old tags on your bag     is only going to increase the odds in favor of a problem. Most mix-ups involving luggage occur during connections. Checked bags are moved from one plane to the next very quickly, and most of the time it works well, but only if the system’s computer scanners pick up the bar code and send it to the right location for transport to the next plane.

            There is not a universally used luggage-handling system, but all of them use computers, scanners, conveyor belts and tilt-tables to get the job done. Think of an old-fashioned pinball machine, with various doors and levers routing the ball here and there. Now, think of the ball being encoded and sent on a deliberate route through the maze so that it drops into a pre-determined hole. All of this is happening very quickly, too. There’s not much margin for error, and if a bag winds up somewhere it’s not supposed to be, it’s almost always the fault of the bar code. Not that the code itself is corrupted, but it’s simply the wrong code, and that’s usually because it’s the old sticker.

            But bags to get lost, in spite of the best efforts of travelers to make sure old bar codes are long gone and airport personnel doing their best to route the bags properly. Staffing shortages and high travel demand have caused some issues since the pandemic. The problems are said to be significantly worse in Europe, for unknown reasons.

            What to do if your bag is lost? Some travelers keep detailed lists of what they pack in a checked bag, especially if there’s anything of real value. We always recommend to our clients that they keep really valuable items, like jewelry, on their person or at least in their carry-on bags. But these days, making a list on your phone isn’t that hard, and you can also add photos of particular items. It’s also a good idea to have a photo of your bag, and a description.

            If your bag doesn’t show up at your destination, don’t leave the airport. Go directly to the luggage counter and give them a detailed description of the bag, including the photo. By law, airlines must compensate passengers for “reasonable, verifiable and actual incidental expenses that may incur” due to a delay in getting one’s bags. The maximum liability limit for domestic flights is $3800. If the airline can’t find your bag, they must compensate you for its contents within liability limits. Airlines provide their lost-luggage policy in advance of a trip, too.

            How often does this happen? The Department of Transportation issues a monthly Air Travel Consumer Report, and the most recent says that in July 2023, only ¾ of one percent of bags were mishandled by U.S. airlines. That doesn’t sound like much, but it translates into 339,618 bags (out of over 45 million). The airline with the best record is Allegiant Air, with 0.16%, and at the bottom of the list is United (1.07%). Delta, the carrier used most often by our clients, was sixth overall at 0.63%. Compared to July 22, for virtually the same number of total bags handled, the mishandled rate increased by about 60,000 bags.

            The odds of our bags arriving with our flight are heavily in our favor, but there are things we can do to increase the odds, like removing that pesky barcode when we bring our bag home. We’ll help you with little tips like this, and lots more. Give us a call! 

A travel summer like none other

 Our July newsletters. 

One segment of the travel industry that’s been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic is the airlines, for both domestic and foreign travel. The planes never stopped flying for long, and they’ve been back in the air for a while now, but with reduced numbers of passengers and increased restrictions. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that different airlines are doing things in different ways now. It can be confusing for the average traveler, so one of them decided to find out.

            Business Insider reporter Thomas Pallini flew seven different flights with four airlines in June, and his experience, in his words, “unlike anything I’ve seen before in a lifetime of flying, with each airline having its own, unique way of handling the pandemic.” No two trips were exactly alike, he said, and ever-changing policies created confusion for passengers. Here’s what Pannini had to say about each airline:

·       American Airlines now is filling flights to capacity, if possible, without automatically enforcing social distancing by leaving middle seats empty. Passengers can change flights for free to one less crowded if they choose. American boards its planes just like before, with first-class passengers going first and economy last, regardless of seat location. Masks are required. Flights under 2200 miles have no beverage or snack service in economy class; longer flights get beverages, but no snacks. When deplaning, passengers must remain seated until their row is called.

·       Delta Airlines is blocking middle seats and certain aisle seats until at least September 30. Passengers still nervous about flying on a flight filled to that limited capacity can get a free rebooking to a later, emptier flight. When boarding, Delta passengers now go in back to front, but elite-status and first-class passengers still get on first. Masks are required on board, and there are plenty of signs in the terminals about social distancing. At some hubs, employees were distributing hand sanitizer once the passengers cleared security. In flight, snack and beverage service now consists of a sealed bag containing snacks, a water bottle and sanitizer products. Getting off the plane was business as usual.

·       United Airlines isn’t blocking middle seats, but won’t assign them until all window and aisle seats are filled. If your flight is at 70% capacity or higher and you want to change to an emptier flight, you can do so, but availability is limited. Boarding policies at United are similar to Delta’s. Passengers are asked to scan their own boarding passes rather than giving them to gate agents first. Masks are required on United, too, but its terminal signage was more confusing than its rivals’. For flights lasting under 2 hours 20 minutes, snack and beverage service is suspended, although passengers can request beverages from flight attendants. A snack bag is provided for longer flights. When deplaning, passengers must remain seated until their row is called.

·       Finally, Southwest Airlines is limiting capacity by about a third, so there are no more than two people in each row, with exceptions for families. No seats are pre-assigned. Boarding procedures are similar to what Southwest utilized before, boarding in groups, although now it’s 10 per group instead of 30. But some airports weren’t following that procedure, and passengers boarding first sat in the front of the plane, meaning later boarders had to walk past them toward the rear. Terminal signage about sanitary policies is intermittent. Flights under 250 miles have no food or beverage service; longer flights provide a cup of ice water and a snack bag. Upon arrival, deplaning passengers don’t have to remain seated.

Summing up, Pallini declared Delta his “winner” due to its comprehensive revision of nearly all aspects of the flight for its passengers. At the other end is American, where it’s “business as usual,” as if no pandemic was happening. Pallini did say that every plane he was on was spotlessly clean.

So, the airlines are flying, and while some destinations still have restrictions for incoming arrivals—and some countries are still not allowing Americans in at all—it’s still very possible to get pretty much wherever you want to go, and we’re here to help you. We’ll assist in navigating the path from the airport to your destination and back again, and if your preferred destination isn’t fully open yet, we’ll let you know when it is, or better yet, find an alternative. You’re ready to travel…and so are we!

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We all know the coronavirus pandemic has had a massive, negative impact on travel worldwide, both international and domestic. As regions and countries have started re-opening, travel is starting to increase, although it will be awhile before it's back to the "good old days." Many Americans, though, are getting back to the good old days right now, whether the "days" are ready or not.

    USA Today travel writer Christopher Elliott reports a survey by LuggageHero shows half of all Americans plan to stay home this summer, but 31% have taken a domestic trip since restrictions began to ease, and 19% have gone overseas. Many of those say they went to see loved ones and other family members, and others, according to Elliott, are traveling because they want to travel, and if they are aware of restrictions at their destination, why not?

    The European Union recently extended its ban on allowing Americans to enter, keeping us out until the end of the month, at least. The ban does not include travel to Great Britain, which left the EU in January. The US State Department is negotiating with the Europeans about what criteria would have to be met before they would allow Americans to visit. 

    A few countries, like Croatia, are allowing Americans in, but visitors must present evidence of a recent negative COVID-19 test before they're allowed entry.

    Other Americans going abroad are doing so to visit their foreign-born spouses. Austria, Denmark and Norway have all loosened some of their restrictions to allow couples and family members to reunite. In fact, two trending hashtags on Twitter are #LoveIsNotTourism and #LoveIsEssential.

    If you decide to go, be aware that whatever restrictions that are currently in place vary in terms of enforcement, and could change at a moment's notice, leaving you trapped over there. At our office, we have the latest information and can provide our clients with the best possible advice, but as is always the case for international travel, when you're over there, you're not in the United States anymore, and things could change. So, if you want to go, we'll help you in any way we can, but if you can put your trip off for another month or so, it will be a lot easier for us to help you plan for that one. 

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The coronavirus pandemic has affected virtually everything involving travel, and now it’s even affected a word. The word is “bubble.” Sports fans know that professional teams are now practicing and playing games in “bubbles” that could be their home stadiums, as in Major League Baseball, or an entire complex at Disney World in Florida, as in NBA basketball. And now, the “bubble” concept has come to resorts, who are seeking to lure back visitors but keep them extra-safe during their stay.

          Our 50^th state, Hawaii, has long been a favorite destination for many of our clients. For many travelers, Hawaii’s biggest attraction is that it offers the great weather and exotic locale of the tropics without the hassle of having to leave the United States. Everybody speaks English and uses the Yankee dollar. What’s not to like? But even as remote as they are, the islands have not been immune to the virus, and now some of its resorts are exploring ways to mitigate against it while still offering their guests an enjoyable experience.

          The biggest of the Hawaiian Islands is the “Big Island” of Hawaii itself, and several resorts there are experimenting with a concept called the “geofence,” which would allow the resorts to literally track the movements of their guests, ensuring that they remain inside the “resort bubble” while still being able to enjoy the resort’s amenities, according to West Hawaii Today. Currently, visitors arriving in the islands must quarantine for 14 days, but under the bubble concept, visitors could stay at selected resorts, and the resorts “would control where the visitors would be allowed to range,” according to Hawaii County officials.

          Local governments and resorts on the islands of Maui and Kauai have started looking into the bubble concept, but there are concerns. How, exactly, would guests be tracked? Inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble, everyone must wear an ID card on a lanyard, and the card’s chip actually chirps at the wearer when it approaches within six feet of another person. The devices are manufactured by a German company and will also be used by NFL teams as they open training camps. The NBA has assured its people that they will not use the tags to track their actual locations, but certainly the technology allows for that. The Hawaii resorts aren’t yet saying how they’ll track their guests’ movements, but surely they’re looking at this concept. And what happens when someone leaves the bubble?

          Hawaii is also considering a plan that will require visitors to take a coronavirus test 72 hours before they arrive, with the policy to be in place by September 1. This is a practice that’s already been adopted by some countries, and constitutes yet another aspect of what is becoming the “new normal” for travel, at least outside the continental U.S. It could be that very soon, when you arrive at your destination you’ll show your ID, as usual, but then also your virus-test verification, and be given your special tag.

          It’s a lot to take in, we know, but we’re committed to making sure that our clients have the best travel experience possible, regardless of what restrictions might be in place. We’ll help you navigate through this “new normal” world of travel.