Article: Are Ground Handlers Gaming Baggage Delivery KPIs?

[AFF Editor]

Are Ground Handlers Gaming Baggage Delivery KPIs? is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

Are Ground Handlers Gaming Baggage Delivery KPIs?

Airlines often use the time it takes to get the first bag onto the carousel as a key performance metric for baggage handlers. Are ground handling companies gaming this to inflate their KPIs?

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[Scarlett]

I have not seen this.

I have seen maybe a full containers worth or (from a B737 flight) maybe a tow motor and carriage worth of bags, so say between 30-50 bags, before a break in delivery.
As an aside what is the correct name for those things that smaller aircraft and 737s get loaded from / unloaded onto?
These:

 

[RooFlyer]

Has anyone else noticed this trend of one or two bags arriving on the carousel quickly, then the rest taking an age?

As it happens, I noticed this on a couple of flights in my recent RTW; they were large airports (one from memory was DFW) . Just 2-4 bags come out, then nothing. Maybe another couple a minute later. I wondered - how does that happen, thinking of delivery by carriages, per photo above? Only thing I could think of was if there was sort of large baggage-handling system behind the scenes, with conveyors etc, there was some priority given to other bags, just after the delivery of my flights occurred.

 

[henrus]

One of the biggest delays at a hub is transit bags often get higher treatment as it’s much easier to delay bags for passengers ending at that airport but if bags transiting elsewhere are delayed then they may miss the flight.

Some airports/countries like Indonesia (as just one example) X-ray all luggage prior to it arriving on the luggage carrousel which in itself can slow things down as bags with restricted/ prohibited items need to be pulled aside and are then tagged with things like zip ties, tape or in some airports a security tag (same sort of thing you’d find in shops) so it can be pulled aside at customs.

I think EVA Air is a notable one as business class luggage is tagged as F1 (noting this is business class only - no *G or other status except EVAs own very top tier members) and it’s to be available within 15 minutes of the door being opened. I guess this is much easier for EVA to deliver as all their aircraft A321 and bigger use containers for luggage whereas something like a 737 makes it more difficult to seperate.

Alaska airlines and Delta also have a 20 minute guarantee (with a discount code or free miles if they fail) for all bags noting that it has to be a domestic flight plus a bunch of other restrictions.

https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/baggage/baggage-claim/20-minute-guarantee

 

[serfty]

As an aside what is the correct name for those things that smaller aircraft and 737s get loaded from / unloaded onto?

For containerised operation the containers are carried on "Dollies".

I am not sure of any special name for the carts luggage is carried on for manual loading.

Inside the 737 aircraft they can have "Magic Carpets". These are conveyer belts with a \__/ cross section. They are installed inside the cargo sections of aeroplanes and are used to move luggage to the other end of the hold, rather than the handlers "frog march" it down.

(Generally Airbus aircraft in the region do not need these as even the smaller craft are containerised.)

 

[jb747]

Ah, KPIs. What a load of the proverbial. I can see the handlers doing all they can to worsen the KPIs, as any benefit derived from them would go to 'management' and not the workers.

 

[Hvr]

What's measured is what gets done.

If only one piece of luggage is required to meet the KPIs then that's all that needs to be delivered.

 

[drron]

It is exactly what I experience when flying into Australia from OS. The last trip was the first time I haven't seen it because we were HLO and were through customs before any bags delivered.

 

[p--and--t]

What's measured is what gets done.

If only one piece of luggage is required to meet the KPIs then that's all that needs to be delivered.

I recall management introducing a KPI that 80% of all repair requests needed to be resolved by the end of next working day.

Very soon the KPI was regularly met without exception but customer complaints went through the roof.

Took the blink of an eyelid for staff to work only the easy ones first and if one of the harder ones missed to the target, don’t bother doing the repair at all and leave it in the too hard basket because you wouldn’t get credit for it anyway.

This resulted in a tail of hundreds of jobs that were weeks old but middle managers all getting their bonus.

 

[Berlin]

Of course! It all makes sense now but I’m with you Matt, those badly paid overworked third party luggage handlers are not the once to blame. It’s rather one of those many negative outcomes of penny pinching and offloading everything possible to dirt cheap third parties.

Priority tagging indeed is a while additional topic and one of my bug bears. As it happens, in my experience Qantas is particularly bad at this. Oh, right, what was that I was saying about penny pinching and third party contractors…

 

[Flying Fox]

Wouldn't the more important metric be time take for the last bag to arrive?

 

[SeatBackForward]

Are those early bags by chance the ones that are gate checked? or even at the aircraft door itself?

I've noted before how quick crew bags arrive - and was shot to bits on here expressing that I don't think thats a good look while "priority" bags are not treated in the same way.

 

[Palyadoc]

I wish they measured the % of times the priority bags came off first. I have started to time and record how long it takes my supposed business tagged bag (not just a Q Tag) to come off and whether it is in the first 20 bags or not. Will report back later this year. As a FF, this should be one of the main benefits and, for me, trumps many other supposed perks.

 

[itchy feet]

Yep, totally agree with you Matt. Priority tags can be meaningless. Recent VA into SYD and Priority-tagged bags were the last to arrive on the carousel. Baggage delivery at MCY is hopeless. Passengers deplane using stairs, so that's slow. I've been among the last to leave the aircraft and the noticed baggage handlers have yet to start unloading the plane. On one occasion I timed the baggage delivery from a QF flight. From the final passenger arriving at the carousel to the first bag appearing was 25 mins. If first bag is a KPI, big fail on that one. Having to wait for bags is one of the reasons I try, whenever possible, to travel with carry-on only.

 

[Rod James]

QF Melbourne used to be particularly slow in getting bags out but in recent times have become great.

 

[Coathanger]

The data that AirTags and equivalent will provide when paired with a passenger profile might be rather interesting.

You should theoretically be able to track priority, first, median and final bags and their timings. Previously that was limited to manual observation / data collection.

 

[dvb2000]

Very annoying, especially when your business class "priority" luggage comes out stone cold LAST!

Maybe I just haven't been paying attention, but I've never seen those first bag/last bag messages on the carousel boards.

 

[bronze2platinumin6months]

Im currently employed as a Baggage Handler (Ramp Services) for VA here in Melbourne.
We are the only airline at Melbourne Airport apart from Rex that employ their own Ramp Services teams of which we have over 280 team members.

Our loading and unloading systems are pretty straight forward , all priority and connecters loaded in back hold (737 with Carpets) for speedy unloading . Until the barrow is full with normally 40-50 pieces unloaded will the tug driver take back to the Bagroom to load into the arrival carousel.

This is when the bags are normally scanned sending SMS to customer that their bag has arrived.

No KPIs just get all priority and non urgent connecters in to guests hands asap. I think we do a pretty good job not faultless or perfect by all means

 

[RB001]

Im currently employed as a Baggage Handler (Ramp Services) for VA here in Melbourne.
We are the only airline at Melbourne Airport apart from Rex that employ their own Ramp Services teams of which we have over 280 team members.

Thanks for the inside look, @bronze2platinumin6months and welcome to posting on AFF!

 

[Poobah_47]

I have realised that this problem is very airport and airline dependent.

Delta for example report to you through their app where your bag is at all times - loaded on the plane, offloaded, etc. Even when the bag misses the flight for whatever reason. This way you always know where your checked luggage is.

Jetblue never know where your bag is and if you happen to have a terminal change at JFK from an international flight to domestic flight then you've got a very high chance that the bag just will not make it as luggage falls off the high speed belt running between terminals. I have needed to wait 5 days for luggage to arrive on a couple of occasions now.

Singapore is one place where luggage always arrives quickly regardless of airline.

I agree with previous comment that Melbourne airport has become much better. Last year due to freight problems I needed to fly SIN-MEL-SYD-MEL-SIN in one day to collect a large box of urgent equipment from Sydney. This was on a holiday weekend and there were no flights direct to Sydney due to aircraft technical issues. Needless to say the flight timings were very tight and success hinged on the timely arrival of the box in Melbourne from the Sydney domestic flight. It was very quick and I had it all checked in to Singapore with sufficient time to have a meal in the lounge before boarding back to Singapore.

In the US however it is hit and miss and leaving aside the generally poor delivery times, US is the only place where my luggage has been consistently destroyed, with locks ripped off or wheel assemblies completely shorn off the case. This has happened several times and the airlines have so much paperwork to complete to claim the damaged bag, its just not worth going through the process. Sorry for going off-topic.