Last year a Japanese airport employee was filmed actually cleaning luggage before passengers picked up their bags. Each and every bag gets checked for scuffs or marks on arrival, then the employee takes a white cloth to those bags which need it. I’d bet some bags are being returned in a better condition than how they were checked.
The video doesn’t tell us which Japanese airport this is unfortunately. But it’s hard to imagine this just about anywhere else. So it’s no surprise to see this Japan Airlines employee at London Heathrow making sure every bag is laid symmetrically on the belt at baggage claim.
Japan airlines value perfection. 🇯🇵 And so do we. Isn't this the neatest baggage belt you've ever seen? 🛄 https://t.co/I8ZYHJO5cU pic.twitter.com/SwtDMTav7L
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) September 25, 2019
In the U.S. however there are only two kinds of luggage: carry on and lost. Last year an American Airlines baggage handler fell asleep in the cargo hold and flew to Chicago. At British Airways a memo had to go out asking staff not to urinate in the cargo holds of their planes.
If your bag makes it to its destination there may not be anyone to meet it as it comes down the chute. Or it might reach baggage claim only to find a geyser of water spraying up from the floor next to the carousel.
So for all of the airline employees reading, here’s how they go about handling checked bags in Japan:
Great timing of this post for me. Just flew in from Tokyo yeterday on JAL. JAL staff is amazing, from CHeck in-Flight Crew to baggage handlers. Such a pleasure to travel on this airline. I have to fly AA later this week, thinking about it makes me want to vomit..
This is how civilized society functions. Pride of workmanship and courtesy. Unfortunately in the US we never got the concept and just master the “me first” movement.
That ain’t the AMERICAN Way!
A friend of mine dropped and left behind an envelope containing $5k at a Narita boarding gate area. He found out about it only when he was on his flight. It turned out someone turned it in and he got it back. You can’t expect that anywhere else in the world. Japanese culture of honesty and work ethics is amazing.