Originally Posted by
CafeClub
I will accept that the fragility of a box might require some different attention, but elsewhere this is taken care of by signing a form that absolves the airline of responsibility. NOT having to check it in elsewhere.
Just to clarify, are you suggesting that having belts for specialist luggage are a stupid idea?
You draw exception to the fact that an airline/airport would provide a special area where non-standard baggage can safely and efficiently be taken to the aircraft?
It may be a tiny bit more awkward than having it accepted at the normal check in desk but I have yet to have a passenger kick off or even moan about having to take their skis, snowboards, buggies, boxes, broken cases, oversized cases, backpacks, heavy cases or pets to the outside baggage belt and I doubt I ever will. They want their baggage to arrive in as good a condition as when they checked it in. The airline/airport wants to ensure that they don't have baggage falling off belts or getting lost or damaged on its journey to the plane.
The airport certainly doesn't want some box getting stuck on it's baggage belt system, or some backpack straps getting caught up in a belt somewhere, causing it to fail and requiring a member of staff to go down and untangle the whole thing. If a bag belt fails then the whole check in procedure is halted as no one can check in any bags. That is something that no airline or airport wants.
So yes, your box has to go to the special belt. I doubt that process will change any time soon.