4 ms·

Have to remember though, that its just as easy to steal anything nobody is watching. It is not the incapacity to steal the only thing that stops stealing.

jacquesm 9y ago
True, but when you're boarding the plane on the other end there is no sign that says 'remember, your bags will be left unattended in a public space upon arrival'. Schiphol does it about equally dumb where the baggage carousel is past the last security check and 10 meters from the public spaces. It would be trivial to take one or more bags that aren't yours and walk out.
- EGreg 9y ago
  I have some ideas and a provisional patent on two things: 1) “Meet your baggage” a simple system that can be bolted on to most existing processes that lets you know which airport your luggage is at, where it is in the process, and when your luggage is coming out and on what carousel. So you can be standing by the chute expecting it. 2) A system for seats to recline starting from the back, letting people switch seats and pay $ and go to sleep in a comfortable reclining position, which I find is really crucial for a long flight and people are willing to pay for. If you’re interested and have some connections with the airline industry email me at greg+airline the at symbol qbix.com
  - jacquesm 9y ago
    > So you can be standing by the chute expecting it. This doesn't always work. Many times the luggage is at the carousel quicker than you are. As for '2', airlines don't like people switching seats, before take-off they use the 'weight and balance' argument, and after take-off because it will slow things down tremendously when de-planing to sort out where everybody's carry on luggage is.
    - EGreg 9y ago
      Obviously the patent already thought about these things. I will just briefly address them. 1) Luggage doesn’t come out until your phone indicates that you’re ready or went through a checkpoint. This way you can coordinate the variable time you have (eg detained or in a long line) with the baggage before it is placed on the chute. The throwers simply sort the luggage by having cleared to go down the chute, as you move through the process. They can also see on a screen for each luggage where each person is in the process. Usually it’s far easier to delay luggage than expedite it. 2) People are woken up before descent begins and the seatbelt sign is turned on. For the vast majority of flights, this can be predicted in advance. Switching happens in an orderly fashion, and people end up near their baggage before the flight ends. They actually can even pay per minute for naps in the back, requesting a sleeper seat is like requesting a flight attendant, except it lights up the request for the next seats in the back, and whoever accepts your offer can even get a cut of the $. Typically though the airlines would sell the back seats for cheaper (because you have to move) and charge far more for the people who want to sleep on the flight. Often a good relaxed sleep is worth far more and is an impulse buy on the plane.
      - jacquesm 9y ago
        There is no 'hold' stage for luggage other than for stuff that is suspect, it is a pretty straight line from the plane to the belt in most airports. So you'd have to redesign the airport to account for the person that wants to go and eat a steak in the taxfree zone until they exit the airport. Anyway, good luck with your patents, I hope it works out for you.
        EGreg 9y ago
        There are also no reclining chairs in the back of planes. These things would be incremental additions, obviously SOME changes need to be made. Thanks!!
  - Swizec 9y ago
    > which I find is really crucial for a long flight and people are willing to pay for. Which is why airlines sell properly reclinable seats for $8,000 a pop on long flights. It's called Business Class.
    - EGreg 9y ago
      Proof that people will pay ahead of time. And many will pay while on the plane! While others can pay less by agreeing to give up their seat to someone who wants to sleep.
- Swizec 9y ago
  Do you think this is why guidelines say never to put valuables in your checked luggage? I always thought it was because fragile and valuable have a high overlap, but this public unattended space idea might make even more sense.
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    > Do you think this is why guidelines say never to put valuables in your checked luggage? It's part of the reason. Other parts include: (1) Even with “positive bag matching” in place which should in theory prevent this, bags end up going elsewhere or elsewhen. (2) Theft by airport and security services employees between check-in and delivery to the carousel.
- pascalxus 9y ago
  but with all the security cameras in place, i imagine the risk to the thief would be too high and not worth it.
  - jacquesm 9y ago
    Claim you thought it was your suitcase. This probably happens by accident at least a few times per month at a busy airport, there are only so many variations on the theme of 'suitcase' and not everybody has the foresight to make theirs recognizable without opening them.
  - csomar 9y ago
    Given that someone got his macbook stolen and nobody nudged, I would not rely a lot on security cameras.

jacquesm 9y ago

True, but when you're boarding the plane on the other end there is no sign that says 'remember, your bags will be left unattended in a public space upon arrival'. Schiphol does it about equally dumb where the baggage carousel is past the last security check and 10 meters from the public spaces. It would be trivial to take one or more bags that aren't yours and walk out.

EGreg 9y ago
I have some ideas and a provisional patent on two things: 1) “Meet your baggage” a simple system that can be bolted on to most existing processes that lets you know which airport your luggage is at, where it is in the process, and when your luggage is coming out and on what carousel. So you can be standing by the chute expecting it. 2) A system for seats to recline starting from the back, letting people switch seats and pay $ and go to sleep in a comfortable reclining position, which I find is really crucial for a long flight and people are willing to pay for. If you’re interested and have some connections with the airline industry email me at greg+airline the at symbol qbix.com
- jacquesm 9y ago
  > So you can be standing by the chute expecting it. This doesn't always work. Many times the luggage is at the carousel quicker than you are. As for '2', airlines don't like people switching seats, before take-off they use the 'weight and balance' argument, and after take-off because it will slow things down tremendously when de-planing to sort out where everybody's carry on luggage is.
  - EGreg 9y ago
    Obviously the patent already thought about these things. I will just briefly address them. 1) Luggage doesn’t come out until your phone indicates that you’re ready or went through a checkpoint. This way you can coordinate the variable time you have (eg detained or in a long line) with the baggage before it is placed on the chute. The throwers simply sort the luggage by having cleared to go down the chute, as you move through the process. They can also see on a screen for each luggage where each person is in the process. Usually it’s far easier to delay luggage than expedite it. 2) People are woken up before descent begins and the seatbelt sign is turned on. For the vast majority of flights, this can be predicted in advance. Switching happens in an orderly fashion, and people end up near their baggage before the flight ends. They actually can even pay per minute for naps in the back, requesting a sleeper seat is like requesting a flight attendant, except it lights up the request for the next seats in the back, and whoever accepts your offer can even get a cut of the $. Typically though the airlines would sell the back seats for cheaper (because you have to move) and charge far more for the people who want to sleep on the flight. Often a good relaxed sleep is worth far more and is an impulse buy on the plane.
    - jacquesm 9y ago
      There is no 'hold' stage for luggage other than for stuff that is suspect, it is a pretty straight line from the plane to the belt in most airports. So you'd have to redesign the airport to account for the person that wants to go and eat a steak in the taxfree zone until they exit the airport. Anyway, good luck with your patents, I hope it works out for you.
      - EGreg 9y ago
        There are also no reclining chairs in the back of planes. These things would be incremental additions, obviously SOME changes need to be made. Thanks!!
- Swizec 9y ago
  > which I find is really crucial for a long flight and people are willing to pay for. Which is why airlines sell properly reclinable seats for $8,000 a pop on long flights. It's called Business Class.
  - EGreg 9y ago
    Proof that people will pay ahead of time. And many will pay while on the plane! While others can pay less by agreeing to give up their seat to someone who wants to sleep.
Swizec 9y ago
Do you think this is why guidelines say never to put valuables in your checked luggage? I always thought it was because fragile and valuable have a high overlap, but this public unattended space idea might make even more sense.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > Do you think this is why guidelines say never to put valuables in your checked luggage? It's part of the reason. Other parts include: (1) Even with “positive bag matching” in place which should in theory prevent this, bags end up going elsewhere or elsewhen. (2) Theft by airport and security services employees between check-in and delivery to the carousel.
pascalxus 9y ago
but with all the security cameras in place, i imagine the risk to the thief would be too high and not worth it.
- jacquesm 9y ago
  Claim you thought it was your suitcase. This probably happens by accident at least a few times per month at a busy airport, there are only so many variations on the theme of 'suitcase' and not everybody has the foresight to make theirs recognizable without opening them.
- csomar 9y ago
  Given that someone got his macbook stolen and nobody nudged, I would not rely a lot on security cameras.