INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
Predictably, I received many responses to my column about the incidence of baggage pilferage at Joburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.
In a nutshell, the Airports Company SA had disagreed with SAA’s claim that baggage pilferage at our biggest airport was “out of control”, saying the average number of bags pilfered at the airport had reduced steadily from 36 incidents a day to 14.
But this figure is undoubtedly conservative, as the airlines are not legally required to disclose the number of pilferage incidents reported to them by their passengers.
And in many cases people who’ve had their bags pilfered don’t bother to report this to the airline concerned, regarding this to be a waste of time.
“I know of three incidents where it was never reported for the simple reason that it takes time and you get nowhere with the authorities,” said Ben Steyn of Ruimsig. “In my case it happened in February when we flew to Namibia with SAA. I booked in early but did not wrap my suitcase as this is expensive. On arrival in Windhoek I saw my lock was gone, and when I opened the case I found it inside, and I could see that someone had rifled through my bag, down to every compartment in my toiletry bag, but nothing was taken.”
Michael Grummitt, who works in Tanzania and returns to South Africa every six to eight weeks, said anecdotal evidence suggested that baggage on many SAA flights from OR Tambo to Dar Es Salaam was pilfered or lost.
“I count myself lucky that this has not happened to me so far, but it has happened to my colleagues,” he said.
“Locks are smashed, zips unpicked, baggage slashed and even ‘wrapped’ luggage has been opened… This pilfering can only occur at OR Tambo as there is no time to do it at Dar Es Salaam.”
Many of his colleagues either took only carry-on luggage as a result, or opted for cable ties and double locks on their check-in luggage.
My suggestion – other than never packing valuables in your check-in luggage – is to report any pilferage of your luggage not only to your airline, but to Acsa as well.
Comair, meanwhile, said it had the lowest pilferage rates on its Kulula and British Airways flights – less than one bag in 5 000.
“We take full responsibility for our customers’ bags and don’t just blame Acsa,” said joint CEO Gidon Novick. He listed the many measures the airline and its ramp handling service provider, Bidair, took in its “zero tolerance” approach to pilferage, including this novel one: “Baggage handlers are required to use thick gloves in the hold, so it is not easy to feel inside bags for small items. They face serious disciplinary action if found without them.”
lI’m not in the habit of featuring new products in this column, but I’m making an exception in this instance.
Among the many responses I received to that pilferage column was one from a company called Bbagzz, claiming to have a cost-effective solution.
It’s a form of bag wrapping – an apparently uniquely South African phenomenon.
R50 buys you get a one-size-fits-all durable plastic bag which you slip over your bag and seal. You then SMS the bag’s unique code with your name to a given number, activating insurance cover – with Ace Insurance Limited – both locally and abroad: a maximum of R1 000 per item stolen from your bag, totalling R5000, and R1 000 for suitcase damage, plus cover for delayed luggage and total loss of luggage. Terms and conditions apply, of course. - The Star
For more information: http://www.bbagzz.com/pdf/Bbagzzstockistlist.pdf
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