Author: yousuccess
To understand the new politics stance and other pro nationals of recent times, we should look to Silicon Valley and the quantified movement of the latest generation. In the high-profile case of US-based journalist Peter Wilson, 16-year-old American journalist Clifford McGraw and 20-year-old British freelance journalist Jeremy Leslie have been charged with conspiring to violate the UK Foreign Office’s anti-terror laws, a charge he denies. On Monday, UK attorney Andy McDonald revealed that he had spoken. “Few worry about catching Covid anymore, as it’s just a matter of time before they do,” says Tea, a teacher at a school for…
Every year, millions of bags go astray, and governments and airlines wrestle over compensation. International air law (the Montreal Convention) sets a global minimum: carriers are liable for up to 1,288 Special Drawing Rights (about US$1,700) per passenger for baggage loss or damage (transportation.gov). This treaty (ratified by over 140 countries (condonlaw.com) thus provides a baseline. For EU flights, regulators have effectively harmonized this to about €1,800 per bag (eccnet.eu). Notably, these limits apply per passenger, not per piece of luggage – a family of four collectively has four times the protection. Countries may set higher local caps: Canada’s air…
Every checked bag goes on a complex journey from check-in to claim. In fact, of the 4 billion bags flown each year worldwide, 99.57% arrive on time (iata.org). When you hand your suitcase over at the desk or kiosk, agents weigh it, apply a baggage tag (a barcode with your flight and destination), and enter it into the airline’s system (alternativeairlines.com). The tag is crucial – it links the bag to your flight and lets automated conveyors and scanners route it correctly (alternativeairlines.com). Next, the bag moves on conveyor belts to a sorting area, where it is scanned and diverted toward…
Industry-wide baggage rules are set by IATA resolutions, which are binding agreements among member airlines. These resolutions cover everything from tag formats to mishandling, ensuring common standards. For example: These are just a few key examples. In total, the IATA resolutions manual lists dozens of baggage rules (see the IATA Baggage Standards page for details (iata.org). Airlines must follow these rules in their interline (multi-carrier) agreements, so that an American carrier’s bag tag or claim process works correctly when another airline handles the luggage. The result is a global “common language” for bags – from tag design to claims procedures…
Alongside hard resolutions, IATA publishes Recommended Practices (RPs) – guidelines that describe best ways to handle baggage operations. These are not binding, but many airlines and airports adopt them as industry standards. Some notable RPs include: In all, there are dozens of baggage RPs covering tag quality, conveyor speeds, lost baggage notice letters, even catch-all policies like RP 1744 (“Local Baggage Committee Bylaws”) (iata.org). By following these recommendations, airports and airlines can use compatible technology and processes – reducing errors and smoothing passengers’ experience.
Airlines and airports often set formal targets in Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that specify baggage performance. An SLA (as IATA explains) is “a negotiated agreement between two parties where the level of service is formally defined” (iata.org). In practice, an airport SLA might commit to: how quickly bags are delivered, how often belts must operate, or how quickly lost baggage is located. Key baggage-related metrics commonly included in SLAs include: SLAs can also include passenger-impact metrics (e.g. maximum wait time for baggage claim). IATA’s best-practice guidance notes that airlines and airports should set these measures jointly, with penalties or rebates…
Travelers carrying sports gear encounter special baggage rules. Most airlines treat sports items (golf clubs, bicycles, skis, surfboards, etc.) as checked baggage but impose size, weight, and packaging requirements. For example, Delta Air Lines states that sports equipment is accepted as checked baggage, subject to normal size/weight limits. Overweight fees apply to bags over 50 lbs (23 kg), and any bag exceeding 115 linear inches (292 cm) is not accepted (delta.com)(britishairways.com). Passengers are advised to pack equipment in sturdy, protective cases (e.g. golf bags, ski bags, bike boxes) to prevent damage (delta.com)(britishairways.com). British Airways, for instance, requires notifying the airline of large sports…
At a large airport, baggage handling is a high-tech, high-stakes operation. Major hubs process thousands of bags daily for dozens of airlines. The system uses advanced automation: long networks of conveyors, high-speed sorters (“spiders”) and carousels in multiple terminals. Barcodes and RFID tags are read constantly, and bags zip through the system at high speed. In-system scanning points (mandated by IATA 753) record each bag’s progress. Unusual items (oversize, wheelchairs) get diverted to special lanes. People in this environment have very specific roles: centralized control rooms monitor the flow, remote scanners watch for jams, and baggage operations centers coordinate planes,…
A medium-sized airport (e.g. a busy regional hub or small international airport) has more structure. It might have multiple airlines and several flights each hour. Typically, there is a small automated baggage system: conveyors connect check-in zones to a sorting area and to the gate loading area. Bags might enter a make-up area where they are manually or semi-automatically sorted into tubs for each flight. The airport may still rely on ground staff to load/unload planes, but there might be conveyor belt loaders and a dedicated sort office. Process-wise, medium airports balance automation and handwork. For instance, an arriving bag…
At a small airport, baggage handling is typically simple and manual. Imagine a regional airport with one or two flights per hour and a single low baggage conveyor. The “chain” might look like this: you check in your bag, an agent scans your tag, and the suitcase is placed on a belt that leads almost directly to the aircraft or to a single sorting table. Baggage handlers then load it by hand. There might be no complex sortation – often bags for one flight just go on one cart. On arrival, bags come off the plane and go to one…
