Between 2007 and 2016, baggage mishandling was reduced by 54%. However, according to surveys, baggage remains one of the main stressful aspects for passengers flying. Even if it were possible, traveling in the belly of an aircraft along with your luggage to ensure it is not mishandled does not sound like the most comfortable journey and definitely not one you would look forward to! Fortunately, Resolution 753 will come into effect June 1st 2018, placing an obligation on IATA and Airlines 4 America member airlines.
Great, but… what is this resolution and what does it mean for passengers?
For starters, airlines will have to track bags at four minimum points of the baggage journey as follows
Tracking the checked bag along these points will enable airlines to have a full record of where your personal belonging was last seen, and share the tracking data with interline carriers involved in the journey as needed.
You may be asking yourself why airlines have waited until now to implement this. So let’s talk facts and figures.
In 2017, 4.08 billion passengers flew around the globe…That’s right, that is the correct number… which is a lot, wouldn’t you agree?! Despite this extraordinary figure, the mishandling rate was only 0.55%, generating a $2.3 billion bill to airlines (without counting other hidden costs). That is big money for a relatively low percentage!
Resolution 753 and its new way of processing bags with the corresponding traceability is an airline initiative, yet it affects the airport community and personnel, including at check-in counters as well as ground handling behind the scenes. The impact is huge, but so are the benefits. Tracking bags - on top of the reassurance it provides - also helps reduce fraud, enable proactive reporting, speeds up aircraft readiness for departure, and facilitates the automation of baggage processes. In other words, the passenger experience as a whole will be very positively impacted at the same time that efficiency will increase, and the global mishandling rate will decline.
It is for all these reasons that in 2013, Resolution 753 was voted by all IATA member airlines during the Passenger Services Conference. Since then, IATA’s role in the regions has been to drive and facilitate its adoption by implementing guidelines, providing trainings, and organizing webinars and regional workshops around the globe.
The last workshop took place at IATA’s European regional office in Madrid where more than 80 representatives from airlines, airports and ground handlers from all over Europe came to listen, learn, share best practices, as well as take away enough information to efficiently implement baggage tracking in the most effective and cost efficient manner based on their local realities.
We now look forward to seeing this resolution contribute to reducing luggage mishandling further, and making the passenger experience as seamless and comfortable as possible.
