Baggage wrapping – an expensive solution to pilfering?

SAA will soon implement
a baggage wrapping
service as a permanent
feature after having
conducted what it says was a
“successful trial period”. But
is this the best solution?
Pilfering remains a rampant
issue in South Africa,
especially at OR Tambo
International Airport. Iata
recently recorded an average
mishandled bag rate of 8,85
per 1 000 bags, and Acsa
reported a 9,5 average per
1000 bags. Bob Gurr, sales
and marketing director of
BIDAir Services, says while
pilfering at OR Tambo is not
at the levels they were prior
to the new licensing regime,
it is an issue that requires
constant attention and close
co-operation between various
role players.
SAA says the baggage
wrapping service has
considerably reduced the
amount of pilfered bags. Tlali
Tlali, SAA’s spokesperson,
says: “For quite some time
now, claims and complaints
relating to baggage pilferage
and damage presented
a major challenge to us.
Several initiatives were
implemented but could
hardly bring any significant
improvements for the
customers and the airline.
In an effort to provide the
best possible solution, we
decided to implement a
baggage wrapping service
to significantly reduce, if not
eliminate, baggage-handling
irregularities.”
But cling wrapping is
expensive and there are
other methods available
that are more cost-effective,
says Steve Chart, author
of ’89 Bags and Counting’.
“For cling wrapping to be
successful, there has to be a
procedure in place to check
that every wrapped bag
remains wrapped until it is
collected by the passenger at
his/her destination. If a bag
is found unwrapped between
check-in and the aircraft
or the aircraft and arrivals
hall, the procedures must
include details as to how to
investigate the interference.”
Iain Meaker, Comair’s
executive manager of
commercial distribution, says
the airline has managed to
reduce baggage pilfering
to 0,45 mishandled bags
per 1 000 bags carried.
The carrier has stringent
baggage management
processes in place that don’t
include baggage wrapping.
Security officers have been
appointed at parking bays
when baggage is loaded
and offloaded. All damaged
or open bags are reported.
Once offloading is completed,
all baggage handlers are
thoroughly searched before
leaving the parking bay.
Risk control officers also do
random stops and searches
at the passenger area
around the aircraft, in the
parking bay, on the arrival
belt, and in the departure
area, Iain says.
Although Acsa was
opposed to SAA’s initial
trial period because of a
lack of consultation, Unathi
Batyashe-Fillis, Acsa
spokesperson, told TNW that
airlines at any one of its
nine airports were entitled to
wrap bags belonging to its
passengers. “The company’s
initial stance was that when
airlines take this route they
should ensure that proper
consultations with relevant
role players are held before
such decisions are taken.”
She added: “Month-onmonth,
baggage pilferage
numbers have been reduced
over the past several
years. Because one bag
pilfered is one too many,
we will continue to work
with our stakeholders who
handle passenger bags to
consistently bring these
numbers down.”
Refunds
The cost of SAA’s baggage
wrapping service has been
a contentious issue from
the beginning of the trial
period, when it transpired
that SAA was charging
passengers a hidden cost of
between R50 and R100 for
a baggage wrapping service
even if passengers didn’t
make use of the service. To
address this, SAA released
a statement saying it would
reimburse customers who
purchased tickets on SAA
flights departing from ORTIA
between October 28 and
May 22 and travelled before
January 22 or after May 22.
They are able to apply for a
refund of R30 and R50 for
domestic and international
flights respectively.