COMING AND GOING

When Bags Go Missing

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UPRIGHT AND LOCKED

When Bags Go Missing

Airlines around the world mishandled about 1 percent of the 3 billion bags checked last year, according to a report released last week by SITA, a Swiss-based airline consulting firm. That's pretty good, unless your bags were among the 30 million that went missing.

CoGo reader William A. Moffitt of Kerrville, Tex., was recently one of those passengers, and was surprised when an American Airlines baggage agent told him the airline doesn't have a baggage tracking system.

In fact, American has the same system most airlines have: bar-coded tags embedded with information about where the bag is supposed to go. Problem is, if your bag doesn't show up on the conveyor belt, someone must find the bag and rescan the bar code before an agent can tell you where the bag might be. That can take time.

SITA is among those recommending that airlines or airports pay for Radio Frequency Identification technology. An RFID tag is automatically scanned by numerous stationary "readers" that record each movement a bag makes through the system. Unfortunately, an RFID tag costs more than a bar scan tag -- about 19 cents, compared with just a few cents, said Mark Roberti, editor of RFID Journal. Nonetheless, SITA's Kira Perdue predicts the technology will be available in 45 percent of airports worldwide by 2009.

Meanwhile, to increase the odds of seeing your bag again:

· Fly nonstop, since 61 percent of mistakes occur when bags change planes, SITA's study says.

· If your bag's not on the carousel, consider wait ing around. Frequently, bags that don't make the right flight end up on the airline's next flight. In fact, by waiting around the airport for the next flight, Moffitt managed to reunite with his bag.

· Tape your name and contact info inside the bag.

For a given airline's baggage handling record, go to http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/ .

HIP POCKETS

'Hood Patrol

Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington are among the cities kicking off the spring and summer travel season with ethnic neighborhood tours.

· Every Saturday morning at 10, guides in Philadelphia will lead a tour focused on civil rights venues in the Latino community and Chinatown. Each costs $30. Details: 215-599- 2295, http://www.gophila.com/ .

· Chicago's tourism authority is organizing excursions through historic Bronzeville, an enclave rich in African American history, on June 24 and Oct. 28. Tours of the city's Chinatown are scheduled for May 6, July 8 and Sept. 9. And walks through the Latino barrios of Pilsen and Little Village are scheduled for April 22, Aug. 12 and Oct. 28. Cost: $25 per person. Details: 312-742-1190, http://www.chgocitytours.com/ .

· Closer to home, Cultural Tourism DC is promoting a stroll through historic U Street, once an African American arts district. The tours on the first and third Saturdays of the month begin April 2. Meet at the U Street Cardozo Metro station. The charge is $10 per person, cash. Details: 202-484-1565, http://www.washingtonwalks.com/ .

TRAVEL TICKER

Save up to $5 a day in parking fees at BWI by printing out coupons at http://www.bwiairport.com,/ through June 21 . . . Macintosh users can now sign up to get "ding!," the computer alert to sales by Southwest Airlines that debuted for Windows users last year. Until April 3, get bonus frequent-flier miles for signing up. Details: http://www.southwest.com/ .

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK

Shanghai Surprise

Travel from Washington Dulles to Shanghai on American Airlines for $810 round trip (plus $78 taxes). The sale fare is good for Monday-Thursday travel departing April 2-26 and returning by May 26; seven-day advance purchase required. Buy at www.aa.com by March 31 (pay $10 more by calling 800-433-7300). Fare on other airlines starts at $1,127.

Reporting: Cindy Loose, Gary Lee.

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news to cogo@washpost.com. By fax: 202-912-3609. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.