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You can help airlines prevent mishandled bags

To avoid checked-baggage problems, Schneider of Medford, Mass., leaves a suit, shirts and pants at a dry cleaner in Indianapolis, where he flies to each week on business.

Schneider's actions may seem extreme to many fliers, because most checked bags aren't lost, delayed, damaged or stolen.

More bags, though, are mishandled in December than in any other month, so travelers may wish to take steps to minimize the chance of a bag going astray or being damaged during the peak holiday travel season.

Last December, 19 U.S. airlines carried 45.9 million passengers and received nearly 320,000 reports of mishandled bags. That's about double the amount of bags that were mishandled during the previous month.

The following tips, provided by airport-technology expert Lukas Loeffler, may help fliers avoid the hassle of a delayed or lost bag. Loeffler is a vice president at Siemens, an electrical engineering conglomerate that provides baggage-handling equipment at 435 U.S. airports.

•Connecting flights. Not allowing enough time between connecting flights and flying on more than one airline increases the probability of losing a bag. Make sure to schedule at least 30 minutes between connecting flights.

•Packing gifts. Don't wrap them, because the metalized foil in wrapping paper appears solid during security screening. A manual bag search is required and may delay the bag.

•Bag's size and weight. Oversize and heavy bags increase the chance of falling off a conveyer belt or being rerouted for manual sorting or extra security screening. Small bags should be carried on.

•Access to a bag's contents. Make sure a bag is easy for security screeners to open, or use locks that the Transportation Security Administration can open with a master key. Bags that are difficult to open increase the likelihood of a delay or damage.

•Luggage straps. Loose straps or bulky belts around a bag may get caught in conveyer equipment. A bag could be damaged or delayed.

•Flight check-in. Checking in for a flight as early as possible eliminates the need to rush a bag through, when mistakes can be made. Find out an airline's deadline for checking a bag and meet it.

•Bag tag. Make sure the owner is identified inside and outside a bag, and check the destination and flight number on the tag before leaving the bag.

December presents the biggest challenge for airlines because they must handle a huge number of bags. In a single day this month, for example, a terminal at New York's JFK airport will handle about 27,000 bags, Loeffler says.

David Castelveter, a vice president for the Air Transport Association, says the main reason checked bags are mishandled is an "outdated" air traffic control system that causes flight delays and missed connections.

Loeffler disagrees, blaming bad weather in December and other months for delays and misconnections that result in mishandled bags.

According to SITA, a technology company run by the world's airlines, about half of bags mishandled — "delayed, damaged or pilfered" — last year occurred during transfer from one plane to another.

The total number of mishandled bags worldwide dropped from 42.4 million in 2007 to 32.8 million last year, according to SITA's most recent baggage report.

Fewer bags were checked in last year, SITA says, because an increasing number of airlines began charging for checked bags, and some airlines relaxed their carry-on baggage restrictions.

Of the 32.8 million mishandled bags last year, a "great majority" were returned to their owners in less than 48 hours, SITA says. But 736,000 bags were never returned.

Important Parking Information

Handicap Accessible Parking is now available on the first floor only of Long Term/Hourly and Economy Parking at Savannah/Hilton Head International. Vertical Clearance for conversion van parking is available only in the Long Term/Hourly Garage. For more information please contact the Airport at (912)964-0514.

TSA Approved Locks

TSA Approved LocksTSA screens every passenger's baggage before it is placed on an airplane. While technology allows TSA to electronically screen bags, there are times when they need to physically inspect a piece of luggage. TSA has worked with several companies to develop locks that can be opened by security officers using universal "master" keys so that the locks may not have to be cut. These locks are available at airports and travel stores nationwide. The packaging on the locks indicates whether they can be opened by TSA. Visit TSA's website at www.tsa.gov for a list of approved locks. More Info

3-1-1 for Carry-ons

Pets on Planes

Courtesy of DogAge.com

Thinking about taking your dog on your next vacation, but feeling anxious about flying to your destination? Here are a few pointers that may make the journey easier on both of you:

• Pack well. Choose a travel crate that's well ventilated and the right size for your dog. She should be able to sit, stand, and move around comfortably. And give her a chance to get used to the crate before the flight; it may help reduce in-flight anxiety.
• Minimize travel time. Book the most direct flight possible. If nonstop simply isn't an option, avoid layovers in cities with extreme temperatures that could endanger your dog.
• Do your homework. Check with the airline ahead of time to get the current pet regulations, and ask your veterinarian for specific advice on traveling with your dog.

Airline rules vary when flying with animals

BY NICK DIVITO
For The Associated Press

NEW YORK — SuNae Martz is a 10-year-old jetsetter who's crisscrossed the globe more than once. SuNae is a dog — a fluffy white coton de tulear, to be exact.
Her owner, Gayle Martz, takes her everywhere she flies, from Paris to New York to Los Angeles. But SuNae doesn't fly in the belly of the plane like common cargo. She's first class, in the cabin under Martz's seat.

SuNae is one of a half-million pets that fly each year, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation. But not all airlines permit pets to fly in the cabin, and other policies vary too.
But there are some rules that you and the airlines must follow. Among them:

• Most air trips with pets are without incident. But there were 14 reported pet deaths, four injuries and six lost animals between May and September 2006.
• Most airlines require pets to be under 100 pounds and at least 8 weeks old.
• Pets are never allowed out of their containers.
• Less traditional pets aren't allowed at all, like potbellied pigs, primates and certain venomous reptiles. And that usually means no "snakes on a plane."
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires a health certificate from a vet 10 days before traveling for animals flying as cargo, but not when flying as checked baggage or carry-on. However, experts suggest it regardless, because some states and airlines require it. See www.aphis.
  usda.gov/vs/sregs/.
• Fees vary. JetBlue and Delta charge $50 for a pet to fly in the cabin; Continental, $95; American, USAirways and Northwest, $80.
• American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue and many other airlines allow pets in the cabin. Frontier only allows them as cargo. Southwest won't let pets fly at all (except for service animals).
• Some airlines only allow one animal in the cabin per flight. American allows up to seven per flight (not per person). Sometimes certified service dogs count as a pet; sometimes they don't.
• Alert the airline of a pet when booking your flight to make sure there's room in the cabin.
• Fly in the morning or evening during the summer and midday during the winter to ensure safe temperatures for pets traveling as cargo.
• Choose a nonstop, direct flight.
• Exercise your pet before leaving to help it relax and sleep.
• Do not feed or give water to your pet two hours before departure.
• Check in at least two hours before time and have all paperwork ready.
• Tape a note on the pet container with all relevant information: name of the pet, age, destination and flight number.
• Make sure the carry-on container will fit under the seat.
• Familiarize your pet with its carrier before leaving home, and make sure the pet is wearing tags or is microchipped.

Of course, even when you take every precaution and follow all the rules, flying with pets can be challenging. Jen Fromm, an attorney from Los Angeles who recently flew her cats from Boston, still has scars from where her cat clawed her in a panicked escape attempt while going through a security checkpoint. The cat didn't get away, but he cried during the entire five-hour flight.

New Passport Requirements For All Travelers

Beginning Tues.,Jan. 23, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda, will be required to present a valid passport to enter (or re-enter) the United States. This requirement is part of the new Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).