BSpeaker

We knew this. Or at least we all thought we did. This confirms suspicions, but some is a surprise. I thought gate-checking was the safest if you had to hand over your bag. There needs to be a HUGE UPROAR over the info in this 5 minute video. We are paying billions more a year and theft is getting worse.
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/con...ndler-22829357

Loren Pechtel

And it's going to keep on getting worse so long as there are spots where the cameras don't look and the airlines aren't liable for the problem.

UpAt40k

As a ramp worker, they must understand that the passengers that fly 25k+ a year have these tags placed on their bags whether they like it or not and are predominantly the ones that keep their employers in business, so kind of an odd choice to treat those bags poorly. The number of people paying for first class who get these tags are obviously an exception. But this seems a bit "unfair," if we want to bring fairness into a very corrupt process already.

maarisk

Nothing surprising... Within 2 years I have damaged 8 suitcases (6 of them were "written off") and our little princess stroller that was left behind @FRA and sent only next day. It came dirty and severely damaged... Service that was repairing it was wondering what was done to it to get such a damage...

nwa330

I once saw a bag fall of a moving cart at phl. I sat there and waited to see how long before it would get spotted on the tarmac to be retrieved. The next train of cars traveling full speed comes by and swerved at the bad and ran over it with its wheels. You could see the driver laughing as he continued his journey to his next gate. At that point I knew they didnt care about our bags and it was just a big game.

matrixwalker2012

Well, you can pretty much guarantee that United won't be throwing around guitars anymore!

wiredboy10003

Do you think someone making $8.75 an hour really cares?

http://work.chron.com/average-yearly...dler-9525.html

Of course I'm not defending what they do, but let's get real. At $8.75, you probably aren't seeing it as your life's calling.

duniawala

Forget the baggage handlers. The TSA cut off the zipper tab (rendering it useless) because they couldn't be bothered to open a TSA lock.

Transpacificflyer

People are sloppy when there is no supervision and no one around to intercede and correct the improper behaviour. Thefts of baggage and their contents continue because there is inadequate supervision and screening of the baggage handlers.
Know what that tells me? A large portion of the billions of dollars spent on security and surveillance are wasted. The airlines have no incentive to improve because the costs of the poor behaviour are considered less than actually having adequate staffing and supervision. As for the make work project of all the airport security agencies around the world, they are not accountable to the public, and so they can do as they please.

divemistressofthedark

My own strategies:

* Get American Express baggage insurance - it's primary and they cover your lost stuff without question up to about $1000. They also give you $250 to replace your goods if your bags are more then 3 hours late. Also no questions asked. I don't leave home without it. It automatically charges to your card whenever you buy a plane ticket.

* Fisherman's vest with lots of big pockets. You can just take it off and run it through the X-ray. I also wear cargo pants on overseas trips - more hassle at security but worth it. Lots of room if you're told you must gate check - often I can get about half my carryon into mine. I have one of those stowable nylon shoulder bags for the rest, so it can cram in above or beside someone else's hard-sided bag. The airline is welcome to take my rollerboard at a gate check, as long as I get to hold on to what's inside it!

Come to think of it, you could probably get a tablet into an envelope that would strap up under your clothes, saving room in your cargo pants or vest…which you would then put on after security but before gate check…

* If I have something a little bulky that I think may not fit in my pockets, I have a 11" x 8" x 6" or so hard-sided plastic Pelican case with a spot on it for a big brass keyed non-TSA lock, which is also threaded through a bike cable that goes through the handle of my bag. Whatever I'm worried about goes into that case and is locked post-security, so even if some jerk gets into my bag they're not getting into that case. I can tell at a glance if the case is there and can make a stink on the spot if anything's happened to it, rather than getting to a hotel in another country only to discover something's been pilfered. (The Pelican case is also good for stopping stuff in your checked bag from getting broken - it comes lined with foam. They're a little heavy, but again IMO worth it. http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1400)

* I'm a scuba diver (thus the moniker) and I have a big heavy underwater camera housing that I usually have to check. I needed a bigger, less heavy option than the Pelican - I finally hit on an LP case, the kind used by concert DJ's. Knock on wood, but I haven't had the housing arrive broken yet. Guess I'm just saying - I agree you always have to assume they're going to throw and abuse your bags, but there are things you can do to limit the damage. I usually pack my stuff with the kind of cushioning I'd use if I were going to mail it somewhere.

UncleDude

Seems to conflict with these court papers and usually legacy airlines pay even more per hour.

The union represents about 10,000 Southwest ground workers who earn between $10 and $26 an hour, according to court papers.

N830MH

Yes, it could be tampered the bag. They will steal it. I have a bette idea.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/check...d-seconds.html

Please keep locked the bag. Don't try to break the locks. No one touch the valuable items. It won't open the bag. Must secure the bag.

H3A3H3

Do you really think the ramp workers understand anything other than how to punch in and out, how to throw a bag, and how to speak negatively of their customers and employer?

ORDnHKG

Seriously by now you should have heard so many stories, or read on each individual airlines facebook page about the complaints about gate check bags ?

Pax are still getting their bags lost, their items stolen (this is especially a polular one as pax always claimed they were forced gate check last minute and no time to take out their laptops or medicine)

If you fly enough, the safetest is still NEVER hand your bag to anyone, carryon only.

BSpeaker

I've flown 3 million miles and have never heard a complaint about gate checked bags. Then again, I'd rather be on FT than FB and never did join the latter. I also travel as light as possible and often ship things ahead. I also use the Scottevest and carry most everything on me that I know I will need. (to Diva: it's a cool way to carry all the stuff you have in your Fisherman's vest, and there's room in a zipper pocket on the back for my iPad) Now they have it in a hoodie, which I may also get...

Of course it's the safest to never hand your bag to anyone. Sometimes, as your bolded sentence above states, you are forced to hand it over. Regional flights are notorious for that. We have become cattle for the airlines and most really just don't care.

The bottom line of my OP was that we need to make noise to the airlines. It's the only way they do anything. We need to send them the video clip and demand that if they are going to charge high fees for baggage handling then they need to handle them better. If enough of us just on FT alone sent that video to the Marketing depts, something would happen. Marketing cares about their brand image and might actually do something... Well, a girl can dream.