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Mishandled Baggage Reports

Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of Airline Information
Number 251
Issue Date:  December 5, 2000
Effective Date:  1-1-2001
Part:    234.6

This directive rescinds the directions of Accounting and Reporting Directives 104 and 157, which instructed air carriers to exclude nonrevenue passengers in the enplanement figures reported for mishandled baggage reports (MBRs).

Carriers are required to report all DOMESTIC reports of mishandled CHECKED BAGGAGE, including lost baggage, pilfered baggage, damaged baggage, and delayed baggage. Carriers must count a MBR even when the MBR does not result in a claim for compensation.

An anomaly in the reporting of domestic passenger enplanements and MBRs has been brought to our attention. MBRs filed by domestic nonrevenue passengers have been reported, but nonrevenue enplanements have been excluded from the denominator when calculating mishandled baggage rates per 1,000 passengers. Thus, the MBR rate per 1,000 passengers attributed to each carrier may not have accurately reflected the ability of each carrier to properly handle passenger baggage. To rectify this potential inconsistency, we are instructing carriers to include nonrevenue domestic enplanements in the enplanement data reported in accordance with Part 234.6.

If you have any questions in this matter, please contact Mr. Bernie Stankus at (202) 366-4387.

Donald W. Bright
Assistant Director