DAMMAM, 12 June — Passengers at the King Fahd International Airport have been alleging fraudulent practices by contract workers who assist in luggage-handling at the check-in counters of a number of airlines.
Passengers allege that these workers in connivance with the airline staff provide a waiver for excess luggage to passengers who grease their palms.
According to IATA rules, economy class passengers are allowed only 20 kg of free baggage allowance in addition to the hand baggage. But stiff competition led airlines not only to undercut fares but also to relax baggage rules.
Most airlines on Asian sectors now allow passengers to carry nearly 40 kg without charging for the excess baggage. Excess baggage was once considered an extra source of revenue for airlines operating in the Asian sector, mainly to destinations in the subcontinent. Over 85 percent of passengers are contract workers traveling home for annual vacation.
“Normally during peak periods such passengers carried on an average 55 kg and airlines were normally charging 20 kg or more as excess baggage,” said the manager of an Asian airline who wished to remain anonymous.
Excess baggage rates to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka vary between SR22 to SR27 per kg. Most of the airlines operating in the sector admit that there has been a sharp decline in revenue collected as surcharge for excess baggage. However, there are still many passengers who carry more than 100 kg and they are required to pay up to SR1,000 toward excess baggage.
This is where the helpers at the check-in counters come in. These helpers after accepting a bribe tell the counter assistant a lower weight and as a result the passenger pays less money. The problem is in no way related to the airport authority.
Several airlines when contacted expressed ignorance about such deals. Air-India, Gulf Air, Emirates, PIA, Kuwait Airways and many others said aircraft-handling agents take the baggage weight, and helpers are there only to move the baggage on to the conveyer belt.
However, it is not so at the Saudia counter where the passenger is at the mercy of the helpers. The counter assistant hardly checks the weight and trusts his helper’s integrity. Most of them are Bangladeshi and Indian workers hired by the contracting firm on meager wages. There is always a desire to earn an extra buck in such conditions.
Another issue is that of hand baggage. Normally, all the airlines have issued specifications for hand baggage and they are strict about them because they have noticed that passengers sometimes carry more than 20 kg in-cabin to duck excess baggage surcharge. To check this, the aircraft-handling agents have put up a staff member near the immigration counter whose job is to check the hand baggage. There is no denying that they are whimsical about allowing hand baggage.
The aircraft handling agents have been receiving such complaints regularly and they have been reprimanding the staff members but without producing any results. There have also been complaints of rude behavior by the handling agency staff. It is difficult for most passengers to differentiate between the airline staff and handling agents and as a result the blame goes directly to the airlines.
During the peak season, check-in counters are overcrowded with friends and family of passengers who come to see them off. This results in late reporting for immigration and security checks. “This often causes overcrowding at immigration counters which in turn holds back the flight,” said an airline manager.
