IROPS or Irregular Operations are one of the greater challenges in baggage handling. Fortunately, technology is about to make recovery from baggage IROPS much easier.
The first innovation is the new IATA BIX or Baggage Information eXchange standard.
BIX replaces an expensive 60-year-old teletype messaging system called Type B. These are one-way messages from the ticket counter to the BHS – Baggage Handling System telling it where a bag is to go based on flight number and destination. For connecting baggage this same information can be sent to the connecting airport. What happens if the bag ends up missing a flight or is loaded on the wrong flight? How can the intended destination airport know where the bag is? Today they must wait until someone creates a OHD – or On Hand record in the tracing system.
With BIX, all information is recorded and available in the BIX database using just the tag number, LPN or BID. RFID makes it possible to record each of the required IATA Resolution 753 data points (bag acceptance, loaded, unloaded, transferred, delivered to claim area) and in addition any other read points which can cover the entire journey of the bag. By querying the BIX database an airline agent using the LPN or BID from the baggage claim check they can know exactly where the missing bag is and therefore expedite its return.
Note: Baggage Claim checks are also going digital and shared with passengers via email, text message, in the airline APP, etc.
This change is massive.
There is another level of protection. For over fifteen years Travel Sentry has helped match lost items with their owners. Originally launched in Japan in 2010 the Okoban system lets owners register their property with a unique ID, like the PBT BID. The finder only must enter the code found on the item into the Okoban system to notify the owner where it is and how to contact the finder for return. This system has now been duplicated for PBT.
A baggage service agent only must scan a pile of bags with PBTs to harvest the individual BIDs, each which is linked to the owner as a free service of the PBT system. The agent can forward these BID to the PBT system with a standard or bespoke message such as:
Example message:
“ABC Airlines has found your bag and is now located at the XYZ Airport. Please click on this link to let us know where to send the bag.”
Or in the case of a one-off unusually high number of unclaimed bags the message might be;
Example message:
“Acme Airport apologises for the inconvenience caused by the recent flooding. Your bag has been found in our system and you are invited to let us know by clicking on this link where to send the bag.”
