Article: Are Ground Handlers Gaming Baggage Delivery KPIs?

[1022]

I observed this pattern on my two most recent QF flights. Arriving on QF102 from NAN at a relatively quiet time in SYD - 6:30pm, 15 or 20 bags arrived within minutes of the first pax getting to the belt. There was I’d say a random distribution of priority vs non priority tags. The remainder started to appears a good 20 minutes later. Same thing next day on my morning SYD-MEL, though with a higher proportion of priority bags in the first tranche…mine not included unfortunately.

 

[OZDUCK]

Singapore is not always fast. On our last arrival at Changi, on QF71 ex Perth, the luggage took close to 30 minutes to appear. But the airport sent someone out with bottles of water and a little bag of nibbles because of the wait.

 

[moa999]

all priority and connecters loaded in back hold (737 with Carpets) for speedy unloading .

And I believe for ULD aircraft a dedicated container (or multiple ones) are used in a similar way in most systems.

So I guess if a lot of connecting baggage it's possible the first container might contain only a few actual priority bags.

But it all depends on the baggage handlers at both ends following the correct procedures.

 

[Rich]

I feel I have seen this pattern every now and then, for years.

 

[DnM]

I noticed a very unusual time lag between the first run of bags and subsequent bags just last week at Qantas Sydney domestic. I have never experienced this before, either in Australia or at other worldwide destinations. This would explain last week’s unusual wait after the first bags arrived.

 

[tikitourer]

I don't think they are gaming the KPIs; this has been going on for 30 years or more on international flights. And long before baggage handling was outsourced.
A dozen bags will arrive; crew and a few others then nothing for 10 15 20 minutes.
The only exception among the 96 international destinations I've arrived at is SIN where baggage is normally on the carousel by the time you have walked to the carousel.
Everywhere else is hit and miss; AKL is bad especially, especially off QF147, and WLG is worse off both the NZ and QF flights arriving near midnight. USA the same , but the earlier in the morning you arrive on the West Coast the better. SFO was excellent back in October at 0630..all bags arrived very quickly. LHR is a joke, especially T5.
I think much of it is staffing issues; the bare minimum of staff are rosters on. If a flight is late and then several flights arrive at once there isn't time to roster on additional staff. It definitely teaches you the virtues of patience!

 

[Kerrodt]

Writing this article without any direct knowledge or evidence of what the KPI's are (and they will vary from place to place) and then making some meaningful assessment based on analysis rather than conjecture is just stirring the pot in a fact-free vacuum.

 

[tikitourer]

Writing this article without any direct knowledge or evidence of what the KPI's are (and they will vary from place to place) and then making some meaningful assessment based on analysis rather than conjecture is just stirring the pot in a fact-free vacuum.

That's true, I don't know whether there are KPIs or not. And I sincerely apologise for reporting my experience over many years of baggage arriving at random intervals for no apparent reason.

 

[equus]

So I guess if a lot of connecting baggage it's possible the first container might contain only a few actual priority bags.

Is this a possible explanation for the phenonium of a few bags only arriving early, then a long wait for the rest?

Presuming that priority is being given to connecting / transit bags, a first set of bags are unloaded - either a trolly load, or however many containers have connecting luggage. This is immediately taken from the aircraft to the terminal and dealt with. All the connecting bags are never seen by anyone at the carousel, but however many other bags happened to be in the same container as the connecting bags, or were unloaded onto that first trolley, appear.

Sometime later, all the rest of the luggage is unloaded and then appears.

 

[Townsend]

QF21 Mel to DFW last week was exactly as you have described. Crew bags arrives which we thought was reasonable, then a reasonable break. Oversized luggage was not delayed but priority labelled luggage was definitely delayed. However this may have been caused by the chaos at DFW caused by the east coast blizzards

 

[tikitourer]

Is this a possible explanation for the phenonium of a few bags only arriving early, then a long wait for the rest?

Presuming that priority is being given to connecting / transit bags, a first set of bags are unloaded - either a trolly load, or however many containers have connecting luggage. This is immediately taken from the aircraft to the terminal and dealt with. All the connecting bags are never seen by anyone at the carousel, but however many other bags happened to be in the same container as the connecting bags, or were unloaded onto that first trolley, appear.

Sometime later, all the rest of the luggage is unloaded and then appears.

Thanks, that is a good explanation.
Example, QF64 flight has a lot of pax transferring to AKL and a few years ago it was a very tight transfer time. Those bags will end up being stowed last, so off first. And interconnect baggage would also be given priority over arrival baggage. It's no big problem, but I've often wondered why it occurs at random. but that will no doubt be one of the main reasons.