Expanded Baggage Information Messages for Return-Flight Check-In
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current baggage handling systems are inefficient, costly, and resource-intensive, particularly for return flights, due to the need for manual data entry and printed bag tags, which consume human resources and increase operational costs in lodging entities like cruise ships, leading to reduced revenue opportunities and increased employee costs.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes the originating flight's hardcopy bag tag identifier (OP-BTI) to electronically acquire and digitize passenger information, allowing for automated retrieval of return flight data and printing of compatible bag tags, reducing the need for manual input and minimizing resource consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual data entry and printed bag tags are used for return flight check-in, then baggage handling can be completed, but human resources are consumed and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by extracting and storing passenger information from the outgoing flight bag tag before the return flight check-in process. The B-type message is pre-populated with passenger details, allowing the return flight bag tag to be generated automatically without manual data entry, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the passenger information from the outgoing flight bag tag and uses it to generate the return flight bag tag. This copying mechanism eliminates the need for manual re-entry of passenger details, improving productivity while reducing the time required for check-in operations.
2Productivity
If additional employees are hired to handle baggage check-in, then operational capacity increases, but employee costs rise and revenue opportunities are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically generating return flight bag tags using pre-extracted passenger information. The automated process eliminates the need for additional employees to handle check-in operations, maintaining productivity while reducing operational costs and preserving revenue opportunities that would otherwise be consumed by hiring extra staff.
3Loss of substance
If printed bag tags are discarded after use, then space is freed for new tags, but valuable passenger information is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers valuable passenger information from what would otherwise be discarded bag tags by extracting data during the outgoing flight check-in process. This recovered information is stored and reused for generating return flight bag tags, eliminating the loss of information while allowing physical tag space to be freed for new tags.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure describes a method for luggage management involving electronically acquiring an originating hardcopy bag tag identifier (OP-BTI) from a luggage item's bag tag associated with an originating travel carrier. The method uses the OP-BTI as a unique identifier to query a database for expanded baggage information messages that enumerate a passenger's travel path using a different mode of travel from the originating travel carrier. This process includes checking in a luggage item for the passenger using information from the expanded baggage information messages. The method accommodates various modes of travel and lodging entities, and it includes different acquiring devices for the OP-BTI, such as scanning or radio-frequency communication.