Edinburgh Airport will shut down its customer helpline after receiving too much abuse from disgruntled passengers. The service has received a flood of calls about lost baggage; an issue dealt with by airlines’ baggage contractors, not the airport.
A rise in verbal abuse
The Scottish airport noted a distinct rise in verbal abuse from passengers calling its helpline, usually calling to complain about lost luggage. A spokesperson for the Edinburgh Airport told the press:
“Our customer support team are currently seeing a large volume of queries, around 90 percent of which are related to the baggage process, which is under the control of airlines and handling agents, not the airport. Despite this, our teams have been helping by signposting passengers to the relevant partners where more information can be provided.”
Baggage handling firms have faced logistical challenges due to short staffing. Many passengers have yet to be reunited with their luggage, despite consistent efforts to reclaim it, causing frustration.
“Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in the amount of abuse our teams are facing from passengers, and although we appreciate the frustration they are facing, it is not acceptable, and there is no excuse for abuse.”
The airport helpline isn’t responsible for luggage issues, which are under the remit of airlines and baggage handlers. To point passengers in the right direction, Edinburgh has released a list of airlines and their respective baggage contractors for passengers to contact.
Baggage problems at Edinburgh Airport
Disruptions have caused hundreds of misplaced passenger bags to be stored in a warehouse at the airport. One traveller who visited the facility told the BBC: “There was only three staff handling thousands of bags, and they couldn’t give me any information. All they would say is, ‘if it turns up we’ll let you know’.”
“I was there for four hours in this unit, I looked through every single bag,” They added: “It’s really upsetting because I’ve got personal, family stuff in the bag that I can’t replace.”
Whilst it’s clear that passengers have a reason to be frustrated, there is no excuse for abusing staff.
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