Stories of lost luggage, inadequate staffing and a baggage claim area in chaos continue to plague United Airlines at Denver International Airport.
However, the airline says it is attempting to handle a situation a spokesman called “challenging.”
“We are doing everything we can to work with our vendor to sort this out,” United spokesman Charles Hobart said.
, the company that handles below-wing ground baggage services for the majority of United Express’ 258 daily regional flights at DIA.
Simplicity took over the contract, which was previously held by SkyWest Airlines, on Dec. 4. .
Baggage handling for the airline’s 145 daily mainline flights at DIA is performed by United employees.
But the situation has progressed beyond United Express, according to several passengers who contacted The Denver Post.
“This newly outsourced luggage handling company has failed to load our bags for an original 7:42 p.m. departure. We all still sit on the plane at 9:29 p.m., just watching our luggage sit in open cargo carriers, collecting snow,” one customer aboard United Flight 457 e-mailed Thursday. “I vow to NEVER fly United again, or connect through Denver.”
Another customer said she waited almost two hours for her bags to emerge into the baggage claim area after her Dec. 28 flight from Hawaii.
These reports are added to those of customers like Ed Tonini, who said it took longer to get his bags than it took to fly to Denver from Louisville, Ky.
“Our flight was a little over two hours, and it took more than two hours to get our bags,” he said.
Both the airline and Simplicity continue to cite holiday travel and bad weather as contributing factors, and contend that the system should get back on track as flight volumes return to typical daily levels.
“We are working closely with United’s baggage team to address the situation and believe that once travel patterns normalize we will see an end to these service disruptions,” Simplicity spokesman Mickey Mandelbaum said Monday.
Hobart would not comment on additional staffing, or say who foots the bill to hand-deliver delayed bags to customers.
“I’m simply not going to talk about that,” he said. “We’re doing all we can to connect bags with our customers.”
The airport maintains security cameras in the baggage claim area, but it’s up to the individual airlines to ensure security is up to par and that people aren’t stealing bags, DIA spokesman Heath Montgomery said.
Montgomery said all systems the airport is responsible for, such as the baggage ramps, carousels and transport tunnels under the airport between the planes and the baggage claim area, are operating normally.
Laura Keeney: 303-954-1337, lkeeney@denverpost.com or twitter.com/LauraKeeney
