"Ryanair least affected by lost baggage chaos"

[Brendan Burgess]

Interesting article by Simon Carswell in today's Irish Times

Lost baggage: the post-Covid travel chaos snarling up Europe’s airports

Shortages of airport baggage handlers across the continent have resulted in vast amounts of luggage being misdirected, delayed for weeks or lost completely

www.irishtimes.com

Airport operator DAA has no role in handling baggage. It manages the infrastructure – the conveyor belts and baggage “dump chutes”, as handlers call them – but the handling of the baggage itself is managed by Ryanair and Aer Lingus, which operate their own baggage handling, and the two main baggage handling companies, Swissport and Sky Handling Partner, that handle baggage for the other airlines using the airport. Aer Lingus uses Sky Handling Partner for some of its baggage handling. Ryanair seems to be the least affected airline.

If Ryanair had been the worst affected, I think it would have been included in the headline.

The performance of Ryanair might be due to the fact that their charging practices discourage people from checking in baggage and also that they have mainly short-haul flights.

Or maybe they operate in less busy airports?

Brendan
Disclosure: I have shares in Ryanair.

 

[losttheplot]

I think I read somewhere most of the lost luggage is being lost during transfer from one flight to another at hub other airports, Heathrow was mentioned. Can't remember where I read this.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

That makes sense, and I suspect that Ryanair have more direct flights and few transfers.

Do they even do transfers?

Brendan

 

[losttheplot]

I don't think they do. You have to transfer yourself.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

The BBC had a good programme on the airport chaos tonight.

The performance of different airlines has varied hugely.
The performance of different airports has varied hugely.

Ryanair and Virgin have cancelled about 1 in 1,000 flights. (within 72 hours of departure)
British Airways and Easyjet have cancelled 30 in 1,000!

There have been few problems at Luton, Liverpool and Stansted.
Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester have been chaotic.

One explanation put forward by a travel writer is that BA has slots in Heathrow and if they don't use them, they lose them. So they don't cancel flights in advance, when they should.

Likewise for Easyjet and Gatwick.

Brendan

 

[Peanuts20]

Ryanair don't do transfers, they are a point to point airline. Hence they would not be impacted to the same degree as other airlines

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Ryanair don't do transfers, they are a point to point airline. Hence they would not be impacted to the same degree as other airlines

Hi Peanuts

That would certainly affect the amount of luggage lost.

But would it affect the numbers of flights cancelled?

Brendan

 

[24601]

Hi Peanuts

That would certainly affect the amount of luggage lost.

But would it affect the numbers of flights cancelled?

Brendan

Ryanair just have way more scale and operational resilience. They have managed the whole COVID disruption much better than the likes of Aer Lingus. They are far better staffed, and most importantly, have more flexible cabin crew and pilots.

 

[Peanuts20]

Hi Peanuts

That would certainly affect the amount of luggage lost.

But would it affect the numbers of flights cancelled?

Brendan

Ryanair just have way more scale and operational resilience. They have managed the whole COVID disruption much better than the likes of Aer Lingus. They are far better staffed, and most importantly, have more flexible cabin crew and pilots.

its interesting that they tend to fly into the smaller airports, for example, Luton (until their runway issue this week) has had none of the issues that Heathrow has had. That may be a factor.

Or it could just be that Easy jet and AL are incompetent?