Luggage loss rates increase 80 percent after liquid bomb plot
Restrictions on carry-on luggage caused a 20 percent increase in checked bags; high loss rates suggest infrastructure problems; no data available for post-25 September time period
Although disrupted at an early stage, it would not be correct to say that this summer’s liquid bomb plot had no effect. First and foremost, of course, are the new restrictions on carry-on luggage, restrictions that have upset fliers at a time when the travel industry is already under financial strain. In addition, checked baggage rates jumped by more than 20 percent after the new rules were implemented, meaning that airlines had less lucrative cargo space to sell. New data from the Department of Transportation, moreover, suggests that many passengers would have been better off taking nothing with them but the shirts o their backs. According to DoT, lost baggage complaints increased 80 percent in September to 8.25 per 1,000 passengers.
This is bad news for the struggling airline industry, but we should point out that the new restrictions were eased somewhat on 25 September — just at the end of the period in question. We eagerly await fresher data to see how these statistics have held up. Until then we can just point out the obvious: the airline infrastructure is just not well set-up to accomodate larger numbers of bags. It seems to us that, unless TSA intends to bankrupt the airline industry, carry-on luggage is here to stay — for economic, not security reasons.
-read more in Eric Torbenson’s Chicago Tribune report
