Status: 06/21/2023 5:39 p.m
In the suitcase chaos at German airports, tens of thousands of suitcases were misdirected last year. In Hamburg, an entire terminal served as a baggage “parking lot”. Some passengers waited weeks for their suitcase. How it will go this summer is uncertain. But there are a few things you can do to ensure your luggage gets there.
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At the top, vacationers put their suitcases on the conveyor belt and one floor below, in the so-called luggage cellar, the luggage travels, slides and tips over long conveyor belts hundreds of meters away. “The system across both terminals is about five kilometers long. The conveyor belt connects different levels with each other, so that we can flexibly control the capacities between Terminals 1 and 2,” explains airport employee Waldemar Raabe. He is the boss “in the basement”, but prefers to speak of the “transshipment point”.
On average, a piece of luggage travels through the facility for three to five minutes. It goes past scanners and cameras trying to read the barcode stuck on the suitcase – not always with success, as Raabe emphasizes: “For example, the piece of luggage is sometimes with the barcode on the belt, so it can’t be read. Sometimes the label wasn’t applied properly or it’s wrinkled.”
Old barcodes cause problems
It also happens that old barcodes from previous flights are still stuck to suitcases. Such luggage is sorted out – and an employee then searches for the barcode. It’s really bad when the barcode is no longer on the piece of luggage and no tag reveals anything about the owner, says Raabe: “In the worst case, it can take up to six weeks. If the colleagues then actually have to give up the search without success , the bag is then sent back to the central airports, where either an auction takes place – or the bag is disposed of.”
Further information
When traveling by plane, there are often problems with luggage. What can travelers do if a suitcase breaks or disappears? more
Tip: name and telephone number on and in the suitcase
The most important tip from airport employee Raabe is therefore very simple: Everyone and every traveler should attach a tag with their data to their suitcase, backpack or bag: “At least the name and telephone number should be written on it. That would be very good. The address doesn’t have to be, that would be too much.”
It’s even better if there’s a piece of paper with the respective contact details in the luggage: “Should the piece of luggage get lost at some point on the journey, perhaps during a stopover, it helps the colleagues from Lost & Found to identify the owner if we find such a clue in the baggage.”
VIDEO: Suitcase chaos: trouble about lost luggage at the airport (8 min)
Plastic wrap around luggage is a nuisance
According to Raabe, about every fiftieth suitcase causes problems. From his point of view, one of the most annoying things is the thin plastic film that some holidaymakers wrap their suitcases in: “This regularly means that the luggage gets stuck in the sorting system and cannot get down into the destination box run the plant.”
It is better to hand in empty suitcases and backpacks as bulky luggage
Address tags or slips of paper in the suitcase can help ensure that the luggage gets back to the traveller.
If you check in an empty suitcase, for example to be able to do a lot of shopping at your holiday destination, you should not hand it in at check-in but at the bulky luggage counter, advises Raabe: “Light pieces of luggage are left in the system, for example at the federal police control devices “There are technical reasons for this. Travelers should bear that in mind. Also, by the way, backpacks can get caught and jammed everywhere. That’s why they should definitely be handed in at the bulky luggage counter.”
It is interesting in this context that there is no extra charge for checking in bulky luggage. A rucksack or empty case does not go onto the conveyor belt, but is loaded by hand.
Hamburg Airport is hoping for fewer problems in the summer
Airport spokeswoman Niemeyer hopes that things will be better in Hamburg this summer than a year ago.
According to data from the IT service provider SITA, in 2022 every 130th suitcase arrived either late or not at all. Airport spokeswoman Janet Niemeyer cannot yet say how things will work at Hamburg Airport this year: “It depends on how things work at the larger airports such as Frankfurt, London and Amsterdam. If the luggage loading and – If the unloading works, we don’t have any delayed luggage here either.” The most important lever for this would be more staff, according to Niemeyer: “Last year we also had colleagues from Greece here. They are here again this year, as well as more colleagues from Turkey.”
Trackers are no guarantee that baggage will be found faster
Suspicious passengers put trackers like an Apple AirTag in their suitcase. And that can actually help to get your own suitcase back in the end. At least that way travelers know where their luggage is. Airport employee Raabe knows that trackers can give travelers some peace of mind. But he warns against overly high hopes: “That doesn’t help to speed up the process or to get to the piece of luggage faster.”
Further information
What is allowed in hand luggage when flying? What rights do travelers have in the event of flight cancellations? What to do if the luggage is lost? > gives tips. more
In order to avoid trouble and long waiting times, you should know exactly what is allowed on the plane and which souvenirs are forbidden. more
The Lufthansa Group canceled thousands of flights for the summer months due to a lack of staff. What rights do travelers have? more
Souvenirs, cheap cigarettes or alcohol: souvenirs from abroad are popular. But you can’t import all of them. more
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NDR Info | Economy | 06/21/2023 | 5:10 p.m