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The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV - the unit managing and operating 22 airports) held a meeting with airlines to discuss and agree on a plan to abolish the regulation requiring baggage tag checks in order to create a more streamlined process, in line with global trends.
"What's old for one is new for another."
According to Saigon Ground Services Joint Stock Company (SAGS), checking passengers' arrival baggage tags in the current situation detracts from the aesthetics and adds to congestion at the exit area of the domestic arrival terminal.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hung, General Director of SAGS, said that during peak hours, when six airlines have flights arriving at the same time, each airline must have at least two staff members checking baggage tags. This hinders exit for passengers without luggage.
The company conducted a trial with three airlines—Vietjet, Vietravel Airlines, and Bamboo Airways—not checking 100% of checked baggage upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) at different times.
After an 8-day pilot program (from July 2nd to 10th), there were 17 cases of passengers mistakenly taking other people's luggage from Vietjet and Bamboo Airways, while Vietravel Airlines had no cases. Based on a total of 223,176 passengers and 79,841 pieces of luggage, the rate of lost or mistakenly taken luggage was 0.02%.
Vietnam Airlines also agrees that removing this procedure will help to keep the terminal clear and reduce the number of personnel needed to be allocated to other tasks.
There will no longer be staff checking checked baggage tags at the arrival airport.
Worried about lost luggage or theft?
Airlines and airports have expressed their agreement to abolish this regulation to create a more streamlined process, align with current trends, and even reduce the strain on human resources for this task.
Nguyen Thuy Duong, a student studying in Japan, said that in many countries around the world, airports do not check checked baggage tags. Passengers disembark, go to the conveyor belt to collect their luggage, and then go straight to the terminal. This is a civilized and convenient way to travel.
However, many customers are still concerned that luggage theft and loss will increase if baggage checks are removed. Mr. Nguyen Van Hau, general director of a real estate company in Ho Chi Minh City, said that he often brings his golf club when traveling for business. If baggage checks are removed, the risk of losing valuable checked baggage remains if he disembarks before he can retrieve his luggage. "Many suitcases contain thousands of dollars worth of items, not to mention the belongings inside. Luggage theft is a hassle for both passengers and airlines," Mr. Hau worried.
Sharing Mr. Hau's concerns, many customers expressed worry that even in the security screening area, customers were stealing other people's belongings right in front of the densely packed cameras and numerous security personnel. Not to mention, some customers were tampering with other people's luggage, even leading to negative incidents like theft...
In fact, the practice of waiving baggage tag checks at domestic terminals has been implemented by airlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. A small number of Vietnam Airlines passengers have reported lost or misplaced luggage each month, approximately 2-3 cases. Other airlines have also recorded passenger complaints about not being able to check baggage tags, leading to the risk of lost luggage.
This result is similar to what happens at international terminals where cases of mistaken identity still occur, but after the staff contact the passengers, they come to the airport to exchange the items. No compensation claims have been made.
Grant camera surveillance access, increase random inspections.
Regarding customer concerns, a representative from Tan Son Nhat International Airport stated that before implementing this regulation, airlines will pilot a temporary waiver of baggage check-in checks, rather than completely eliminating them. They emphasized that this is a progressive trend that needs to be implemented gradually, in accordance with the realities of domestic travel. The representative added that they will coordinate with airlines and ground handling companies to grant access rights to security cameras in the arrival hall, particularly around the conveyor belts.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hung suggested that to better control and prevent cases of lost or misplaced luggage due to the skipping of baggage tag checks at the destination, the company proposes adding informational signs and signage at the entrances to the domestic arrival terminal and baggage claim areas. He also recommends installing additional cameras in the arrival terminal and requiring security personnel to strictly control entry and exit to minimize instances of luggage being mistakenly taken.
Sharing the same view, Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, and Vietravel Airlines also believe that in addition to installing more surveillance cameras in the baggage claim area and passenger flow area at the arrival gate, cameras should be installed on each conveyor belt, meaning from the baggage carts from the aircraft to the conveyor belt area. This would help to monitor more closely and identify passengers and baggage in case of any irregularities.
Additional information
The US is installing surveillance cameras in baggage claim areas.
In the US, people don't need to check their luggage when leaving the airport because of the strict security checks. On each flight, checked baggage is tagged with barcodes for easy tracking. The location and journey of each item are then stored on a computer, allowing both airport staff and passengers to easily monitor their movements.
Passengers can also track their flights via Google, allowing them to know where their luggage is, whether it's arriving on time, and so on.
When passengers cannot find their luggage, airport staff will guide them through an online tracking process to see if the airport can recover it. If the luggage is still not found after 5 days, airline staff will work directly with the passenger to locate the lost item. In addition, passengers will be compensated for any lost items.
To prevent luggage theft or misplacement, security at major US airports installs cameras to monitor people's behavior at the baggage claim area. If anything unusual is detected, airport security personnel will request to inspect the luggage and related documents of the passenger. For unclaimed luggage, airport staff will collect the items and use the barcode to contact the sender to locate the owner.
