Bag delays worsen for AEA carriers
20 February 2008The Air Transport Users Council (AUC) has published research on the baggage handling performance of carriers belonging to the Association of European Airlines, showing that more bags were delayed last year than in 2006.
According to airlines' own data, an average of 16.6 bags per thousand passengers were delayed last year, compared to 15.7 bags in 2006.
People travelling with TAP Air Portugal appear to be among the most in need of travel insurance to cover baggage-related problems, with 27.8 bags delayed per 1,000 passengers.
Some 26.5 items were delayed for every 1,000 passengers on British Airways flights in 2007, compared to 23 in the previous year.
Tina Tietjen, chairman of the AUC, said: "It is notable that those AEA airlines that tend to operate connecting flights through 'hub' airports come out worst.
"For example, Air France, KLM and British Airways all take up places in the top five poorest performers for 2007. This is borne out by industry research, which, according to the AEA, shows that 61 per cent of baggage incidences are related to connecting passengers."
Gareth Kirkwood, British Airways' director of operations, issued an apology to customers who have been affected by delayed baggage and said that the airline had experienced "a wide variety of difficulties" at its Heathrow base in the past year.