Planes and Passengers Move Faster As More Baggage Goes into the Hold

[mpenguin1]

It seems there are unintended benefits from new security rules that ban liquids in carry-ons: shorter security lines, faster airplane boarding and, maybe, more on-time flights.

The number of planes pulling up to the gate on schedule at the nation's largest airports, including BWI, has inched up in the week and a half since the rules went into effect. Some aviation experts say that could be because more people are checking their bulky belongings instead of carrying them aboard -- 20 percent to 25 percent more, some airlines report.

They add that on-time arrivals are not necessarily due to less carry-on luggage in the cabin; weather and air traffic also affect arrival times. They also say 12 days is scant time to draw any long-term conclusions. And not everyone is happy to forgo drinks, hair gel and convenience to wait in extra lines to check and collect baggage -- which might be overwhelming airlines and getting lost or beat up along the way.

http://www.airportbusiness.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=7768

 

[derg]

Last week, we were pushing back at worst on time, and at best almost 15 minutes early. It's amazing!

 

[kellwolf]

Yeah, I can see it swinging the other direction pretty quickly. The more checked bags, the more rampers have to stack, the more they have to stack, the more has to be done in the same amount of time. I'd say it probably has more to do with better WX and communication b/w the flight crews and ground crews than baggage. You can only fit so much in the hold before you have to start kicking bags to make them fit....

 

[tonyw]

And just you wait until the business travel picks back up after the summer ends. You wanna talk about the people who pay the freight getting pissed off? You tell a businessman he's got to check his bags. He wants to roll on, roll off. Aunt Bessie on her $300 transcon won't mind checking her bags.

Joe Dealcloser, who wants to roll on the plane, work on his laptop, take a cab to the meeting, and close the deal is going to be mighty pissed if he has to check bags.

And guess who accounts for most of the revenue? It ain't Aunt Bessie.