Thanks for your responses so far.
Have we had ANYONE who has said on this thread that checked baggage damage likelihood on a flight involving SYD is less than other airports yet? Unless I missed it, I have not seen anyone who had 'better baggage experience' so to speak at SYD than elsewhere.
VH-RMD, I remember that camel suit thing!
I have had my suitcases treated very roughly at various airports (actually witnessed them through the windows at the gate), yet they have not suffered any damage, so SYD must be particularly rough for me to have had them damaged so often.
Originally Posted by
Dave Noble
I would doubt that the number of times that damage for 1 person has occurred is enough to make any statistical analysis showing Sydney to be particularly bad
perhaps need to find actual figures for total reports across major airports
Number of checked baggage I have carried this year (counting each sector the bag is carried as checked baggage as 1): Probably around 250.
Number of checked baggage that I have carried to/from/via SYD this year: Probably around 100.
Total number of instances of damaged baggage/contents this year on a flight involving SYD: Approx 30 (I stopped counting)
Total number of instances of damaged baggage/contents this year on a flight NOT involving SYD: 0
Total number of instances of damaged baggage/contents in the last 10 years I incurred on a flight NOT involving SYD: 1 as far as I can remember (it was in Australia and not at SYD but cannot remember where, probably MEL or BNE)
Approx number of checked baggage I have carried in the last 10 years: Probably over 1,500.
- If two items are damaged in one suitcase, I count it as one.
- For the incidents this year, identical items have been carried many times to/from all sorts of other airports within and outside Australia with no damage. Therefore, I strongly doubt it is the 'inappropriately packed contents' issue, or variability in contents and their 'impact tolerance'.
- Similarly, the same suitcases have been used repeated on different routes, whether they involve SYD or not, so it is not due to variability in suitcase strengths. (Having said that, I feel I should probably get a titanium one for SYD!)
The sample is of sufficient size to at least cast a substantial suspicion on SYD in my opinion.
I no longer file the PIR through Qantas Baggage Handling at the airport as it wastes my time. If I had an hour to waste each time and would like to be treated like it was me who inflicted damage on my suitcases, then I would, but I do not have that kind of time or inclination.
Besides, with the bag damage (not substantial enough to render it unusable) they tell me to drive my bag down a long distance to have it fixed or pay for the courier myself. Again, no time or inclination.
I email the photos and other details to the airlines in question (therefore no PIR ref so I suspect they might not be added to the stats). I suspect a lot of regular passengers do not bother reporting the damage to Qantas Baggage Handling desk at SYD either, so even the reported figures may not necessarily be reliable.