Luggage goes astray 60% less often

There is some good news for crowded, fee-hating airline travelers: The rate of lost and damaged luggage has dropped more than 60 percent worldwide over the last seven years, thanks to modernized baggage systems.

The rate of mishandled bags dropped to 7 bags per 1,000 in 2014 from 19 bags per 1,000 passengers in 2007, according to a report from SITA, a Swiss airline technology company. The decline comes as the total number of passengers flying worldwide has increased nearly 40 percent in the same period, according to industry statistics.

"The great news for the traveling public is that more checked bags are being properly handled largely thanks to these investments and should improve baggage handling even further in 2015," said Victoria Day, a spokes­woman for Airlines for America, the trade group for the nation’s airlines.

U.S.-based airlines invested more than $1 billion a month in 2014 on new planes, improved baggage handling systems and other enhancements, she said.

But other factors could be at play. Studies have shown that passengers are flying with about 17 percent fewer bags since airlines began charging checked-bag fees in 2008.

AIRLINES LOYALTY PROGRAMS MERGING

The merger of American Airlines and US Airways took another key step forward last weekend as the nation’s largest carrier began to fold together the loyalty reward programs for the two airlines.

Once the loyalty programs are merged, nearly 100 million travelers will be members of American’s AAdvantage program, making it the largest airline rewards program in the world.

The good news for American’s AAdvantage members is that the number of accumulated miles needed to book a flight hasn’t changed, said Brian Karim­zad, founder of the rewards program monitoring site MileCards.com.

Also, the merger will do away with some fees previously charged to US Airways Dividend Miles members, such as a $25 to $50 processing fee to book an award.

The bad news for US Airways fliers is that some destinations require more miles under AAdvantage than they did under the Dividend Miles program

FORMER TERRORIST OK’D FOR PRECHECK

The news that the Transportation Security Administration has enrolled more than 1 million people in a program that lets low-risk travelers zip through expedited security checkpoints was tarnished by a report that former terrorist Sara Jane Olson was cleared to use the low-risk screening lane.

The former member of a domestic terrorist group got clearance in June for the expedited screening lanes known as PreCheck, according to a report last month from the Department of Homeland Security’s office of inspector general. The agency declined to name the convicted felon, but media reports have since identified her as Olson, a former member of the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Olson did not apply for PreCheck, but was randomly picked to use the faster security lane as part of a TSA effort to cut wait times at the standard checkpoint, according TSA officials. A TSA agent at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport recognized Olson and reported her to a supervisor who nonetheless gave Olson clearance to use the PreCheck lane.

Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times