Lower rate of lost or mishandled bags
Lower rate of lost or mishandled bags
When you check a bag before boarding an American Airlines flight, the location of your luggage can be checked through a smartphone app.
The technology is not unique to American Airlines. Delta Air Lines recently invested $50 million to use radio-wave scanners to keep track of bags.
Such advancements are the main reason the world’s airline industry has reported an all-time low rate of lost or mishandled luggage, according to a new study by SITA, a Geneva-based airline technology company.
The report, which surveyed 440 airlines and ground handlers that use SITA technology, said the worldwide rate of lost luggage dropped 10.5 percent in 2015 compared with the previous year, to 6.53 bags per 1,000 passengers.
The decline comes as the number of airline passengers has jumped 7 percent to 3.5 billion fliers in 2015, the report said.
In the United States, the rate of lost luggage dropped 10 percent in 2015 to 3.24 bags per 1,000 passengers, SITA said. The study is consistent with statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation that show a steady decline in the U.S. rate over the last decade.
And there may soon be another reason for airlines to cut the rate of lost luggage: Federal lawmakers are considering legislation that would require all airlines to reimburse passengers for checked-bag fees if luggage is lost or delayed.
Rent a cool car privately with Turo
If Ubering has left you nostalgic for getting behind the wheel, here’s an app that can help you get back your motor-mojo.
Name: Turo, www.turo.com
What it does: Allows drivers to rent their car or rent someone else’s car for fun and profit.
What’s hot: Tesla Model X. Maserati GranTurismo Convertible. Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Those are just a couple of cars for rent on the “Elite in Los Angeles” board, but it’s not all about expensive cars. If you’re looking for adventure, consider tapping the filters to fill your needs. In a search, a 2014 Jeep Wrangler in Denver with built-in navigation, Bluetooth audio streaming and a bike or ski rack (additional). Prices were reasonable: The Jeep was $99 a day, with discounts up to 10 percent per week or up to 18 percent per month. If you want to list your car, Turo will set its rental price based on location, market value, time of year, etc., or you can do it yourself .
What’s not: When you open the app, there is a beguiling picture of a pop-up van with the prompt “Start your adventure.” But after signing up (free), logging in and starting to search, it was difficult to find a pop-up camper. Make sure you look in the right cities.
Geography quiz
Q. Which Hawaiian island was the site of a colony for leprosy patients?
A. Molokai. The colony at Kalaupapa was established in the 19th century and operated until 1969 and at its peak was home to about 1,200. A few of the exiles still live there.
Combined dispatches