2024-07-04 04:55:31
CTK
Updated 15 hours ago
Almost half of the delayed luggage from the nine departures with problematic check-in is now on its way from Prague Airport to its owners at their final destinations. The airport will send the rest of the luggage on Wednesday. This was stated in the morning by Prague Airport spokesperson Klára Divíšková. According to her, the airport is currently not experiencing any problems with baggage loading, on the contrary, problems with baggage delivery continue to persist.
“The complication was stabilized thanks to the strengthening of personnel capacities for loading and unloading luggage from the administrative staff of Prague Airport. In the coming weeks, capacities will be increased thanks to cooperation with personnel agencies,” said Divíšková. On Monday afternoon, Prague Airport set up a telephone line 220 111 444 for passengers whose luggage did not arrive at their destination. The line will work until further notice.
Problems with baggage claim in Prague persist, Divíšková said on Wednesday. “Prague Airport therefore recommends all passengers who will be faced with a longer wait when collecting their luggage in Prague to fill out a complaint form at the counter of the handling company,” said the spokeswoman. The handling company takes care of the luggage.
After filling out the complaint form, the handling company will deliver the baggage to the passenger free of charge in one to three working days to the specified address. “Prague Airport continues to solve and set several long-term measures that will lead to continuous stabilization of the given situation,” added Divíšková. According to her, the airport has also increased the number of information workers available to passengers at arrivals.
Congested airspace
According to the spokesperson, the reason for the situation is the congestion of the airspace, long delays and the accumulation of traffic into heavy peaks. In combination with the insufficient number of employees, according to Divíšková, it is not possible to handle luggage without impacting on quality. “The correction must also take place within the framework of a systemic solution in European airspace, which unfortunately we do not expect yet,” she added.
The airport advises passengers to carry essential medicines and hygiene items on board the aircraft. The spokeswoman for the ČEDOK travel agency Kateřina Pavlíková recommends that passengers mark their checked-in luggage with a name and contact tag. According to CK Blue Style spokeswoman Lucie Hasman, people should pack things for the first two days in their carry-on luggage.
Passengers are increasingly turning to insurance companies because of delayed suitcases. “These are mainly clients whose luggage did not arrive on time for their holiday abroad,” Michal Štefl said for ERV Europóska pojišťovna. With this insurance company, the right to compensation arises when a passenger waits for their luggage at the destination for more than 12 hours after arrival. “ERV Evropská will then cover the expenses for the purchase of necessary replacement items corresponding to the purpose of the trip, especially basic hygiene needs and clothing,” said Štefl.
According to the vice-chairman of the Association of Travel Agencies, Jan Papež, good travel insurance offers compensation of up to 15,000 crowns per pair of passengers in the event of a luggage delay of four hours. Passengers can also claim compensation from the carrier, it is ideal to report the baggage delay directly at the airport. In the case of charter flights, however, the travel agency does not solve the compensation for the passengers, people have to apply for it themselves. “It’s a carrier-client relationship,” added the Pope.
The airport started looking for temporary workers
Due to problems with baggage handling, the airport is now trying to recruit part-time workers. The staff is mainly looking for airport employees because they have a certificate of reliability. However, it also cooperates with personnel agencies and has also approached other companies, for example ČD Cargo. Prague Airport Chairman Jiří Pos told journalists on Wednesday. At the same time, the airport appointed a crisis manager to the company’s management, he will be introduced on Thursday.
“We have taken a number of measures. One of them was an extraordinary incentive to recruit part-timers, especially among Prague Airport employees. The advantage is that they have a reliability check. On Monday, 20 of them were deployed, and in the following days, 25 to 30,” said Pos.
The baggage loading team is also trying to strengthen with people from other companies. “We’re pretty good at getting new hires. They’re only limited by being accompanied by one employee who has a background check. It’s a bit complicated, but it’s still adding capacity,” Pos said.