US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - check luggage through PHL

Hi all,

I have purchased a tix on US airways on US80 (SAN-PHL) then on US3914 (PHL-BUF). I am wondering whether I should check luggage or not. (read enough bad story about mis-connect & lost luggage).

While my final destination is YYZ, if my luggage is misconnected, will US redeliver my luggage to YYZ?

Would it make a difference since my connnecting flight is early in the morning?

Thanks.

Unfortunately the best advice I can offer is don't check any bags. If you can fit your belongings into a rollaboard, do so at all costs.

There is better than a 80% chance your bags won't make it through PHL with you, and with bad weather etc. I am probably being optimistic.

Sorry but that's just the way PHL is these days.

Best of luck,

There is better than a 80% chance your bags won't make it through PHL with you, and with bad weather etc. I am probably being optimistic.

Sorry but that's just the way PHL is these days.

Best of luck,

You got to love all the statisticians on board here!!? 80%?? Your intelligent, informed analysis says that 8 out of 10 times a checked bag will not make its connection with a 1h45min connection time @ 5am in PHL?! C’mon. Things are brutal in PHL but opinions like that are ignorant and exaggerated.

Sometimes it seems like 80%... especially after reading FlyerTalk, where complaints abound, but few people log in to tell us their luggage arrived ok. And there might have been special days (e.g., last December's meltdown) where I'd believe that 80% of the bags failed to reach their destination.

However, system-wide, about 1% of USAirways passengers had mishandled baggage, accoding to DOT (http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/atcr05.htm) figures over the last few months. Of course, 1% is terrible (the only airline with worse recent performance is Delta's ASA). And not all passengers check bags, so the actual rate of bag loss is probably in the 2-3% range. Plus, you can figure that PHL probably received a large majority of US's complaints, raising your odds of losing checked baggage some more.

I don't check luggage if it's small enough to qualify as a carry-on. If it's too big though, there's no choice. If possible, I choose early morning flights because of the chaos caused by the cascading effects of delays throughout the day. However, I wonder if, peversely, delayed flights might be better for luggage because they give your bag more time to make a connection? Hmm...

You got to love all the statisticians on board here!!? 80%?? Your intelligent, informed analysis says that 8 out of 10 times a checked bag will not make its connection with a 1h45min connection time @ 5am in PHL?! C’mon. Things are brutal in PHL but opinions like that are ignorant and exaggerated.


Clouds,

I am in no way ignorant. The true odds may not be 80% but it is close to a 50-50 bet that bags will be misconnected. They have mechanical problems, they have labor problems, and they have incompetent management, who knows there's a problem but can't or won't fix it.

It is more important that a flight push off a gate on time than it is to have every customer's bag on board. This is fact.

While you have the right to disagree, you crossed the line with an insult. My information is very well informed.

I stand by my opinion, and MOST people around here and other boards who travel through PHL regularly (or used to), will unfortunately back me up.

Although I think everyone would agree that US's operation in PHL is piss-poor, it's certainly not losing half of its checked luggage. Yet.

Although I think everyone would agree that US's operation in PHL is piss-poor, it's certainly not losing half of its checked luggage. Yet.

My friend, you'd be surprised. It is an alarmingly high percentage, from what I have heard from the inside. Between the equipment failures, staff shortages, and a mandate from management that aircraft push on time with or without bags, it is a recipe for disaster.

Statistics or percentages can be figured a number of different ways too--if you measure the percentage of ALL passengers passing through PHL, it is a lower percentage. If you measure the percentage of CONNECTING passengers with CHECKED bags, it is a much higher percentage--and it is UGLY.

They spend millions a year delivering misconnected bags--some flights leave with NO connecting bags, in order to push on schedule.

I am not going to play the numbers game any more, as admittedly that might have been a bit misleading, but it is many times worse than it should be, and no one seems to know how or have the desire to fix it.

I stand by the original recommendation-if you connect through PHL, your best bet is to not check bags....period.....

To answer the unanswered, yes they will deliver to YYZ (or anywhere else- if you happened to take a flight from YYZ to, say, Istanbul, they'd get it there too) if the bags happen to misconnect; I often check baggage through PHL and although on occassion have had bags delayed (usually due to a very short connection), it is nowhere near 50% for me.

If you are concerned about your bags being delayed but need to check, be sure to keep some essential items in your carryon as a preventative measure. That's what I do, and then look forward to purchasing new clothes on US' dime and receiving a $25 voucher (for both, bags need to be delayed at least 24 hours). Luckily US has one of the strongest policies among the american carriers when it comes to delayed baggage.

Thanks Cedric. I am the type of person that I almost always check my luggage (so I don't need to take care of it while waiting for planes and transfer, btw, isn't it a type of service that is provided?).

I will take your suggestion and bet my luck.

thanks again.

Clouds,

I am in no way ignorant. The true odds may not be 80% but it is close to a 50-50 bet that bags will be misconnected. They have mechanical problems, they have labor problems, and they have incompetent management, who knows there's a problem but can't or won't fix it.

It is more important that a flight push off a gate on time than it is to have every customer's bag on board. This is fact.

While you have the right to disagree, you crossed the line with an insult. My information is very well informed.

I stand by my opinion, and MOST people around here and other boards who travel through PHL regularly (or used to), will unfortunately back me up.


Ummm, OK.
Ignorant: (adj) lacking knowledge.
So you say 80% fail rate. I say your analysis is ignorant (lacks knowlege, fact supporting). You say I crossed the line but then reduce your analysis to 50%. Your underlying support is the sentiment arouond here with all the gripes of lost baggage (like a lot of people start threads, "My bags showed up as expected today"). I agree the situation in PHL is pathetic, just think we should collectively temper our opinions with a little fact once in a while. BTW, I've got 6 flights connecting through PHL in the next 3 months. I'll let you know how it goes.

See my most recent post on the subject--no percentages, but many ways to calculate them.....

My basic information is based on fact.

I wish you luck with your bags...I do hope they fix the problem, but I have been hoping that for years and years.




Ummm, OK.
Ignorant: (adj) lacking knowledge.
So you say 80% fail rate. I say your analysis is ignorant (lacks knowlege, fact supporting). You say I crossed the line but then reduce your analysis to 50%. Your underlying support is the sentiment arouond here with all the gripes of lost baggage (like a lot of people start threads, "My bags showed up as expected today"). I agree the situation in PHL is pathetic, just think we should collectively temper our opinions with a little fact once in a while. BTW, I've got 6 flights connecting through PHL in the next 3 months. I'll let you know how it goes.

Although the rate for baggage problems from/through PHL is probably not 80%, it is still IMO much higher the 1% noted in the DOT reports.

My own record for the year is 0/4. On one occasion, my baggage arrived the day before my return trip home from a one week vacation. Of course, the baggage arrived two days late on the return.

Some things to remember about the numbers being thrown about:
-the 1% in the DOT reports is skewed because it only refers to people who actually complained to DOT about their bags. How many people actually take the time to complain to DOT? 1 in 10; 1 in 20?
-the 1% in the DOT reports is skewed because it refers to US systemwide baggage complaints, not just PHL. What percentage of systemwide checked baggage is handled in PHL (or percentage of flights that actually touch PHL)? Although CLT & DCA have had some baggage problems this year, all the continuing major problems seem to exist in PHL(based on anecdotal reports).
-the 1% (actually an average of 1.22% over the last five months) represents a THREE FOLD increase in complaints over the same time period last year.
-the 1% is skewed because it doesn't reflect the 15-20% of passengers who don't check baggage.
-the 1% is skewed because often 2-3 passengers on the same PNR will typically check all their bags under one name.

Overall, I think the misdirected bags in PHL run somewhere in the 10-20% range and that they are very slowly getting better (or people have given up complaining)

-the 1% in the DOT reports is skewed because it only refers to people who actually complained to DOT about their bags. How many people actually take the time to complain to DOT? 1 in 10; 1 in 20?

The number in the report "is based on the total number of reports each carrier received from passengers," and not the number complaints by passengers to the DOT.

Completely agree with all your other points, though.

If you want to know badly enough, call 1-800-USDAILY and listen in on the Daily Operations news report. I think numbers for misdirected bags this month are averaging ~8 per thousand enplaments for Mainline and ~17 for Express... (I think industry average is ~2)

If you want to know badly enough, call 1-800-USDAILY and listen in on the Daily Operations news report. I think numbers for misdirected bags this month are averaging ~8 per thousand enplaments for Mainline and ~17 for Express... (I think industry average is ~2)

So that translates to 0.8% for mainline and 1.7% for Express (per segment, of all passengers), right? Assuming the average passenger has 1.5 flights (eg, half connect) that would translate to 1.2% per mainline trip and 2.6% for express.

If we go further and assume that systemwide, 65% of passengers check baggage, that means your chance of having a misdirected bag if you check baggage is 1.8% on mainline and 4% on Express.

According to http://www.usairways.com/about/corporate/profile/factsheets/index.htm , 2178/3437 (64%) of flights are Express. Therefore, blending the two percentages results in a 3.2% chance of having your bag misdirected. Note that this analysis does not account for the fewer enplanements per flight on Express, so this is a slightly higher number than what actually would be the case - so lets say 3.0%.

Let's now say that all stations except Philly have an industry average rate of 2 per thousand. Since there are 3437-495 departures from everywhere BUT Philly, and one would assume the same number of arrivals to Philly, that means there are 2447 flights which go from (not Philly) to (not Philly), or 71% of flights. We can then setup an equation to determine the percentage of redirected bags which go through philly [3.0 = 0.2(.71) + x(.29)].

In this case x = 9.86% - that is to say, if you check a bag through Philly, there's about a 10% chance that it could be delayed. That's quite high but nowhere near 50% alluded to in an earlier post.... And of course this analysis is dependant on a few assumptions and doesn't get into the nitty gritty of Express vs mainline departures at Philly, so it's not statiscally accurate, but probably a good indication.

The point is, however, that if you fly US your chances at getting your bags misdirected are upwards of four times higher than if you flew the competition...

My friend, you'd be surprised. It is an alarmingly high percentage, from what I have heard from the inside. Between the equipment failures, staff shortages, and a mandate from management that aircraft push on time with or without bags, it is a recipe for disaster........

......I stand by the original recommendation-if you connect through PHL, your best bet is to not check bags....period.....

Personal experience and discussions with several people who work for US indicate the majority of baggage problems occur with connections between mainline and express (in either direction). Baggage has a much greater chance of making it on Express to Express connections and Mainline to Mainline connections. Some the many reasons have been topics over at US Aviation; they include the issues mentioned by Art.

So we've gone from 80% to 50% to about 10%. Good to know that your initial facts were well informed and that no insulting comments were appropriate.

Regardless of reason, insults and personal attacks are unacceptable and against the rules.

The bottom line is that baggage service at PHL, for whatever reason and for whatever percentage is unacceptable.

I have just spent part of my weekend working in PHL in the express bagroom. So I would like to shed a little light on what goes on in the Express bagroom.

It was a complete nightmare. The belt is too small, bags can't all fit and fall off the belt in droves. Even worse are the constant jams. The belt is not wide enough, there is enough room for one 24 inch sidways. Try and put it longways-it will get stuck, often. Since bag jams are quite frequent, you have to clear the belt, so you can't put the bags where they belong because you have to get the belt moving again. Each station has about 24 inches alloted on the wall. You start to sort through the pile you have just made on the floor to clear the belt, when it jams again. Then you have to just shut the belt off for a few minutes to try and and get the bags off the floor either back on the belt if that city isn't on your side, or place those that you can. There were at the least 4 people, at the most 5 people trying to do this. It is impossible to ever get caught up. That room is a losing battle.

Believe me when I say, the people in there are doing what they can with the little they are given. Supposedly the folks from CCY were there this past week and were in shock at the size of the bagroom. My question is, where were they when the F Terminal opened? There is about 8 feet from the wall to stack each cities bags. Then there is just enough room for the tugs and the carts to get in. It's just crazy. They need a bigger belt.

Would I check my bag? Only if I were going home.

I have just spent part of my weekend working in PHL in the express bagroom. So I would like to shed a little light on what goes on in the Express bagroom..........

It was a complete nightmare. The belt is too small, bags can't all fit and fall off the belt in droves. Supposedly the folks from CCY were there this past week and were in shock at the size of the bagroom. My question is, where were they when the F Terminal opened?........


Would I check my bag? Only if I were going home.


Well, back when the F concourse was built, noone in CCY could have seen how quickly the Express operation would grow....oh wait a minute...that was only a few years ago.....err...maybe it's all the fault of PHL based F/As calling in sick in record numbers. :)


How on earth could the CCY people be shocked at the size of the bagroom? Didn't they look at the blueprints when F-con was built (to their specifications)?

EV, thanks for the background info! I know that the PHL express operation has a bad reputation, but I also know that most of the people there are doing their best. The frontline people can't be blamed for bad facilities (Sidebar - Whatever happened to the "new and improved" bag belt system over at the mainline terminal?) or poor management, such as the inability of mainline and express to coordinate the operation.

As has been pointed out in other threads over at US Aviation, the airline could be greatly improved if it were ONE airline. Not mainline, MDA, Mainline Express, and two wholly owned express carriers. (Not to mention a gaggle of contract express carriers). Yes, it is nature of the beast that express employees are paid less for the same work (sidebar II: even though express no longer means just 19 seaters). But after round trois of concession, the differences in pay - at least for gound staff - are no longer that great.

Sorry if the idead of these points- if not their tone - might seem more suited for US Aviation, but I know that a great many employees at US are truly distressed at seeing the impact of the "Philly Phactor" on the customers.

Grace to irresponsible actions of one of the moderators with the long name I do not want to be here.

On 10 flights through PHL I experienced 7 baggage problems. 3 were delays of more than 2 days; 3 were fully and totally lost (stolen in PHL); 1 took 7 days)

Maybe I'm just lucky, but PHL is my home airport. Over the past 20 years I can honestly say US has lost my luggage 1 time and it was delivered the next day. That isn't to say that the time it takes to get from the plane to the carousel is acceptable or the communication about belt swaps. But my luggage experience with US in PHL is far better than my experience with AC. On my last 3 trips on AC they lost at least 1 bag. On one trip they lost the same bag in both directions.....

Flight arrived before schedule too! Great service.

thx.

It must seem odd to many on this site - but i fly about 12 times per year, almost always Usairways and at least 4-5 times through PHL. I have missed bags perhaps 4 times in the last 5 years - but not once in the last 2. I don't know - perhaps I'm just lucky. I would guess that posters who state even 10% of luggage get mishandled are clearly exagerating.

In the last 5 years of either O&Ding or connecting through PHL, US has lost my luggage once and it was in Jan of this year. My inbound connection from SEA was running really late and I sprinted from B to F and just made the connection to ABE.

Since I had less then 15 minutes from when I got off the plane to the scheduled departure of my connection, I was surprised I actually made the flight and had no expectation that my luggage would also actually make that flight.

It must seem odd to many on this site - but i fly about 12 times per year, almost always Usairways and at least 4-5 times through PHL. I have missed bags perhaps 4 times in the last 5 years - but not once in the last 2. I don't know - perhaps I'm just lucky. I would guess that posters who state even 10% of luggage get mishandled are clearly exagerating.

If you have had 20 flights through PHL in the last 5 years, and your luggage was lost 4 times, your luggage was mishandled 20% of the time (1 in 5 times).

If you have had 20 flights through PHL in the last 5 years, and your luggage was lost 4 times, your luggage was mishandled 20% of the time (1 in 5 times).
I did not lose all luggage through PHL - the last time was United into Chicago (direct flight no less - how did that happen??)- another was through DCA to FLL - I can't recall the other times as they were coming home - much less important to me - not to minimize the problem. Although I do see your point - it seems that 4 out of 50-60 trips (which is 100-120 one way trips) still approaches 5% per one way trip - it just never occurred to me that way as I only noticed it when traveling away from home - not coming back.