A New Travel Right?

 I've traveled by air a lot in my life.  Since age 18, I would suggest that I've had a minimum of 250 flights.  There are two elements of a flight that typically can frustrate me....hitting connecting flights on time (I've missed the connecting flight around a dozen times), and the end-point where the bag is supposed to come up off the conveyer-belt within an hour after the plane door opens.  

Around three years ago, I was on a return flight to Germany (from Croatia) and walked to the baggage area.....to stand there for about two hours waiting.  It was a late Sunday afternoon, and around fifty of us waited 'forever'.  

Over the past summer, a lot of frustration has built up with German travelers as this long-wait was a normal thing....with a shortage of baggage handlers at most all German airports.

So I noticed this morning....there's chatter going on about a 'right' to a speedy bag situation.  The German government wants to write a 'right', and have some 'reward' if the airline fails in its obligation.

Your 'reward'?  No one says much.....just that the political folks want to threaten the airline, and cook-up some type of 'right' and a payback situation.

My humble guess?  Between weather and various factors....you can't really expect that bag to be there within an hour after the door opens on the aircraft.  Maybe 90-percent of the time....it's possible. But to say that out of 365 days a year of air travel....the bag can come off the conveyor belt within an hour....is crazy talk.

If there is some 'reward'?  Well....if I were an airline, and this 'reward' is twenty-five Euro....I'd add the extra cost to the ticket and make you pay it ahead of time, and guarantee you it'll take one-hour plus time.

This past summer, I watched one interview where the German lady was furious....it'd take almost three hours after landing to finally get her bag, and leave the airport terminal area.  I do agree....that's a hefty amount of waiting time and I'd need a bar in the baggage area....to sip through two or three beers....waiting.

So I come to what I consider the solution.  Give up on the airlines to get your bag to the destination at a Greek resort.  Take the bag to DHL or some freight delivery service....pay the 90-Euro to have the bag taken from your hands....to the hotel in Greece itself, and then pay the 90-Euro at the end to return to the bag to your home residence.  

Yes, give up on airlines to transport bags.

I had a conversation about five years ago where some Brit admitted that he'd gone this route for his vacation....giving up on airlines and their ability to lose bags or get them to the destination late.  It's a fair amount of money involved, but you tend to lessen your stress and avoid crappy service by the airline industry.  The Japanese do this a great deal....avoiding the handling of bags by railway service or airlines.  

So prepare yourself for a new passenger right to come up by the end of 2023's summer season, and how it'll jack up travel cost.