Paxboy:
Geezers of Nazareth Thanks for the very helpful explanation. The heavy duty cling wrap is used by experienced pax in both directions where Africa is concerned and I always have my bags wrapped before departure to ANY African destination. In the UK it's, if memory serves, £5 a bag. I would also wrap my bags if going to South America, Thailand and similar countries.
Sorry if it is a hassle, the wrap operator usually makes sure the handles are cut through and that wheels are fully operational.
The hassle is not with the handles or the wheels, it is (unfortunately) with the whole bag being wrapped!. I shall explain...
Each baggage bin holds 40-50 bags, and when we come to empty them onto the belts we can usually find a handle or strap or something else to pull on *, to get the bags out and back to you. Despite the bags being different sizes and shapes they are still reasonably easy to slide.
With the bags on the SA flights covered in the security wrap/film they do not slide at all, and getting bags out of the bin is very difficult. Sometimes it can take two people pulling on a bag to get it to move.
* - I know that you don't want to hear about us pulling on straps and other such things to get the bags out, but sometimes it is the only way. If the bags are loaded with the handle facing 'inwards' we have to grab whatever we can. The worst thing to get/use is one of those stretchy luggage straps to go around your case - usually with your name embroidered - as they are one of the easiest things to grab, and one of the first things to break/snap.
Some 'areas for concern' that I can recollect based upon reading the comments in this thread ...
Airline #A - crew bags are collected by a coach. We unload them to the back of the aircraft, and he picks them up; we never see the crew pick up their bags. All he knows is how many bags he should have. An 'extra crew bag' can be easily overlooked, get removed from the airport to the crew hotel ... and the deed is done.
Airline #B - crew bags delivered to the back of the aircraft after the crew have been dropped-off at the front of the aircraft. We don't know how many crew there are, or how many bags, so an extra bag is simply loaded and we are none the wiser.
Airline #C - flight arrives late, so most of the crew do the 'tidy up' after pax disembark, while one crew member goes in the coach to collect the crew bags. He collects all the bags, but doesn't know which bag belongs to which CC. Again, an extra bag from places unknown, is loaded into the coach and taken to the hotel.
... and their are countless similar tales.
Now, back to speculation about the SA cc ...