American baggage system resumes after software glitch
The system was back up by 6am (1000 GMT) on Thursday, said airline spokeswoman Andrea Huguely.
Six flights scheduled to depart from JFK early Thursday morning were canceled before the system was restored. The malfunction on Wednesday led to five cancellations and delays averaging 90 minutes on 48 flights out of Terminal 8, one of the newer airport buildings.
All the luggage was sorted and put into bins on Wednesday night, said Huguely. “They are marked and ready to go to their destinations. They are awaiting the next aircraft.”
She said couriers would deliver the baggage to passengers’ homes on Thursday. Passengers also had the option of picking up their own luggage at the airports where they landed.
Huguely said “a hardware-related issue” caused the problem with the baggage handling system, which she said was only a year old. She said airline technicians do not know why it happened.
On Wednesday, thousands of American Airlines passengers had to fly to their destinations without their luggage, and hundreds of bags accumulated in the terminal lobby.
The problem with the automated system developed at around 4:45am (0845 GMT) on Wednesday. With the system down, airline employees had to sort each bag by hand.
American gave passengers the choice of waiting out the problem, traveling from another area airport or flying on and having the bags delivered later.
Because of the crisis, American waived its fees Wednesday for travelers checking fewer than three bags at JFK. Starting in June, the airline, like most of its competitors, has charged $15 (Dh55) for one checked bag or $40 for two bags. Passengers may still carry on luggage for free.
The airline noted that a majority of the flights affected by Wednesday’s baggage problem were international and thus not subject to the fees in the first place.