Begin forwarded message:
From: "Patrick W. Gilmore" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: August 15, 2006 10:02:14 AM EDT
To: Edward Almasy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Lauren Weinstein
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: "Patrick W. Gilmore" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Dave Farber
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Survey on putting electronics in checked
airline baggage
From: Edward Almasy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: August 15, 2006 9:34:20 AM EDT
To: Lauren Weinstein <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: David Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [IP] Survey on putting electronics in checked airline
baggage
On Aug 11, 2006, at 10:53 AM, Lauren Weinstein wrote:
I'm conducting a little unscientific survey on whether or not airline
passengers are willing to place their expensive or important
electronic equipment in airline checked baggage (whether "locked" or
not, but on most flights unlocked will be required), and how this
would affect their flying patterns.
It may be interesting to note that as of Sunday,
when I was flying home from Rochester, Northwest
was still specifically instructing passengers at
checkin to *not* put computer equipment, cameras,
etc in checked baggage, presumably because of the
likelihood of damage or theft. (They explicitly
disclaim liability for damage or loss on those items
and many others in their Contract of Carriage.)
A group of us were discussing the possible ramifications of this new
(although now discontinued) policy. We decided it couldn't work
because:
1) Although people can be lemmings and allow the gov't to run over
them, they do get upset when you take away their iPods & game boys.
2) We thought 80+% (we thought it was 84%, but couldn't find a cite)
of airline revenue is business travel. And business travelers are
_not_ going to give up their laptops.
3) The resulting suits of people suing the airlines over damaged /
stolen equipment they were _forced_ to check would hurt the airlines
even more than they are already hurting.
4) The gov't might be forced to actually screen the screeners. Or
worse, allow prosecutions of TSA employees who steal things. This
would be disastrous to our currently infallible administration.
5) People will just drive, fly, take boats, video conference, or even
just plain not go places, which would probably be the death knell for
the already "beleaguered" industry.
Etc., etc.
--
TTFN,
patrick
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