My observations at the airport: Especially new Terminal 2 (Austin: shop, ticket)

[pr57001]

Lots of misunderstandings here:

1) The automated bagged system is to get bags from check-in areas to central TSA screening and on to the planes, it is not used from plane to baggage return.

2) If CO and AA cut their staff, it's not related to cost of the new terminal and SAT has one of the lowest per-passenger facility charges in the country, state. More likely the delays are the result of flight delays. If the inbound from Houston is late, the turn in San Antonio will be late leaving which may overlap another scheduled arrival in SAT, which stresses the baggage handlers. Hardly new and hardly a unique problem to SA.

In the old Terminal 2, I never had any issues waiting on bags from CO. I don't have enough experience with new terminal yet, but I can't imagine it is significanty different.

If these are the top complaints on the airport, we are doing OK!

I have a bigger issue with lack of connectivity behind security between A/B and poor traffic flow of passenger pickup area.

[HillCountryHotRodMan]

My real issue is the lack of consistency. Everything is always hit and miss. I have had to wait 40 minutes for baggage, and at other times I get there and the luggage starts coming out within 10 minutes. Seems everything in town is hit and miss here - traffic, restaurant service, neighborhood noise, etc.

By the way, I have been laid over in Dallas more times than are reasonable thanks to American Airlines. I know the hotel operators around the airport just love American!

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by pr57001

Lots of misunderstandings here:

1) The automated bagged system is to get bags from check-in areas to central TSA screening and on to the planes, it is not used from plane to baggage return.

2) If CO and AA cut their staff, it's not related to cost of the new terminal and SAT has one of the lowest per-passenger facility charges in the country, state. More likely the delays are the result of flight delays. If the inbound from Houston is late, the turn in San Antonio will be late leaving which may overlap another scheduled arrival in SAT, which stresses the baggage handlers. Hardly new and hardly a unique problem to SA.

The OP noted in a later post that they had to wait about 5 minutes for the ramp crew to direct the plane into the gate docking postion. That right there strongly suggests the ground crew was tied up with something else. And those people are definitely airline employees, as they are the only people authorized to guide the parking of their airline's multi-million dollar planes. There is no reason for ramp workers to be caught by surprise by an incoming flight. They, of all people, know when and what flights are due in, and which ones are delayed.

You are also correct that the new automated baggage handling system primarily benefits checked-in baggage. In fact, as part of the new system, the screening pods that are in front of some of the ticket counters in Terminal A are supposed to be moving to the baggage handing area behind the terminal very soon. The baggage from arriving flights just gets loaded onto a tram, then driven the short distance to an area where the bag belt runs behind the back wall of the bag claim area in the terminal. In the old Terminal 2, there were windows in a couple of doors in baggage claim where you could look back there and see this taking place. Again, only airline employees handle bags from arrivals.

[dedalus_TX]

Originally Posted by Rustybolt

Tonight I landed on an American flight and from the time I walked off the aircraft at 6:45pm to the time the bags arrived was 45 minutes. That is ridiculous. The airport wasn't busy. I don't know if the airlines all share baggage handlers or what, but that is unacceptable.

I had a similar experience coming back from DC on United last Thursday night. Not only did it take over a half hour for the bags to show up, the display screens that would indicate which carousel is for which bags was not functioning. Our airport is so small it really is amazing that it would take so long to get the bags from the plane to the carousel.

[scuba steve]

My wife had a similar complaint on Monday when she flew to SAT. The wait was Seattle long... surprising since the new terminal didn't seem to be that big to me.

[BenjaminNicholas]

Originally Posted by pr57001

Lots of misunderstandings here:

1) The automated bagged system is to get bags from check-in areas to central TSA screening and on to the planes, it is not used from plane to baggage return.

2) If CO and AA cut their staff, it's not related to cost of the new terminal and SAT has one of the lowest per-passenger facility charges in the country, state. More likely the delays are the result of flight delays. If the inbound from Houston is late, the turn in San Antonio will be late leaving which may overlap another scheduled arrival in SAT, which stresses the baggage handlers. Hardly new and hardly a unique problem to SA.

In the old Terminal 2, I never had any issues waiting on bags from CO. I don't have enough experience with new terminal yet, but I can't imagine it is significanty different.

If these are the top complaints on the airport, we are doing OK!

I have a bigger issue with lack of connectivity behind security between A/B and poor traffic flow of passenger pickup area.

I get what your saying, but nothing I said was misunderstood: I made reference to the new belt system simply taking stress off handlers, thus freeing them up to do other things (like unload incoming equipment).

The senior handlers were not fired due to construction costs of the new terminal. They were let go simply because THE AIRLINES wanted to save money. I think this hurt them quite a bit in the long run.

I understand that things do happen and new kinks are continuing to be worked out, but things need to gel soon. I've been through that terminal on a bi-weekly basis since it's opened and not one employee I've talked to seems to like it. It's killing their morale. In the end, an unhappy employee is a non-productive employee. How can they change this?




BN

[datacity]

Can't we call them Terminals A and B now?

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by Rustybolt

45 minutes to get your bags isn't good for business or tourism. Don't know if the handlers work for American or they airport, but tonight wasn't their finest hour (or 45 mins).

Relaxe, slow down, Manana mi amigo!

[Rustybolt]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

Relaxe, slow down, Manana mi amigo!

When you are on the road (or in the skies) as much as i am, your time becomes very precious. I'd rather spend it with my family than watching an endless loop of Julian Castro while waiting for my bags. And nothing against Julian Castro...I'd say that about any video I would have to watch over and over again while moments of my life I will never get back...disappear. And multiply my frustration by the others who were also waiting. That makes a problem that needs to be addressed, not marginalized.

[jettblack]

I have worked at the airport for over 15 years and I find these frustrations interesting and valid.
Let me share with everyone the process of what happens when an aircraft comes in.

1. The ground crew should be ready at the gate 5 min before arrival.
2. The aircraft comes in, we hook up power, chock the wheels, pull up belt conveyors, bring up baggage carts, take up gate claims, and start to download.
3. Some airlines have a process of getting frequent flyer bags to the belt first, or a first cart of bags to the belt 15 mins after the plane arrives. The remaining bags have a set time as well.(usually 15 min after first cart)

The problem is that there is only 4 airlines that employ their own baggage handlers. All of them are Union. The other airlines contract out their ground crew and are often held accountable to performance or they could loose their contract.

There are some circumstances that could delay getting to the gate, or a timely delivery of baggage such as short staff, short equipment, etc.

Bottom line is customer service is rarely seen anymore in this industry.

Let me know if yall have any questions about what really happens behind the scenes.