travelnews: Baggage Screening

[Carolyn Wooley <cwooley@oregon.uoregon.edu>]

STRICTER BAGGAGE SCREENING
COULD CAUSE DELAYS
	
Effective January 18, the airlines must follow a federally mandated law
that
requires them to increase their level of screening for all checked
baggage.
This law requires that checked baggage be screened by an explosive
detection
system or, in the absence of such a system, other screening methods must
be
used.  Because very few airports have explosive detection systems, of the
options given it is anticipated that many airlines will begin
"baggage-match" screening.  This requires that all checked baggage be
matched to a passenger who has boarded a flight.  If a bag is loaded on a
plane, but the passengers fails to board, the airline is required to pull
the bag --- possibly delaying the flight.  Consequently, it is anticipated
that some delays may occur after January 18 as the airlines begin
administering new baggage-match procedures. While this is a new
requirement
for domestic flights, baggage-match screening has been in place for
several
years for international flights.