An anonymous worker for Swissport (the baggage partner for quite a few international Airlines) has spilt some scalding hot tea in regards to why the funk so many bags are going missing lately. Surprise surprise, the sheer number of people taking off on European holidays right now is not helping.
If you’ve had the pleasure of not having to catch a flight recently, you may have not realised that most of our airports are grade-A chock-a-block with people jetting off. Full to the brim. Packed to the rafters, without
Rebecca Gibney
Sydney airport is crazy this morning. Check in is completely packed and bag drop line is out the door and spilling into an undercover area next to the terminal. pic.twitter.com/nJGp0z207r
Adelaide Airport: Lengthy wait times for passengers with lines snaking through the terminal. More than 30,000 people are expected to pass through the airport today, the busiest day since the pandemic began. @7NewsAdelaidepic.twitter.com/v5TzEnksdu
the subtle charms and nuances of .
All this hustle and/or bustle is causing quite a bit of chaos. One such chaotic occurrence is airport luggage not getting back to the passengers who checked them in.
An anonymous Swissport staffer in Brisbane (the company that deals with baggage for Jetstar, Air NZ, Singapore Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines) revealed to what the hell is going on with our airport luggage.
“Swissport operates the baggage handling in Australia, and as such, once bags arrive here it becomes our responsibility to reconnect them with the customer,” they said.
“If they [bags] haven’t been cleared by security in time for the team to load them onto the plane, then they will be left behind.
“The ramp team need to have the aircraft loaded by a certain time, so if the bags aren’t there to be loaded then they are on the next flight.”
According to the staffer, there is a small window of time between when check-in opens and 15 minutes before departure that baggage handlers have to load your goodies onto the plane.
It’s a task that’s made quite difficult with staff shortages hitting airports across the country.
“Security was packed today [at Brisbane airport] and they only had six staff with four flights departing within an hour of each other,” they said.
“People getting COVID and the flu hasn’t helped with staffing numbers either.
“When COVID hit, so many people got stood down that they haven’t been able to fill the jobs as quickly as they like or train people up as quickly either.”
Meanwhile, people are reporting absolute madness at airports across the country. Melbourne airport reported 99,000 people moving through it .
These numbers aren’t helped by the fact that it’s the school holidays, for sure.
Can everyone just stop taking a ? I’m working, thank you.
Stay safe in the skies, my friends. May your travels be well and your bags be by your side at all times. If you’re thinking about posting your Euro trip all over the ‘gram, maybe think again. The people (me) do want to see it.
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