King Sasanka – Sri Lankan Writer & Retired Aviation Professional.

The Baggage Carousel Wait: How to Make Sure a Lost Bag Finds Its Way Back to You.   There is no worse feeling for an air traveller than watching the baggage belt stop spinning, only to realise your bag didn't make the trip with you. While airlines handle the physical search, your recovery strategy starts before you check in. If the ground crew has to track down your luggage, these 5 steps make your bag impossible to overlook: 🔹 1. Label Inside & Out Don’t just put a tag on the outside—they can get torn off on conveyor belts. Place a sheet of paper inside your bag right on top of your clothes with your full legal name (matching your passport), phone number, and destination address. 🔹 2. Ditch the Luxury Ribbons (Use a Unique Rag) Tie a distinct, brightly colored piece of cloth or rag to the handles. Avoid expensive-looking ribbons or designer luggage tags—they are targets for theft. A simple, vibrant cloth strip makes it easily identifiable to you and search ...

The Crucible of Conflict: Why "Lost and Found" is the Ultimate Masterclass in Customer Service The evolution of Sri Lanka's national carrier, from its 1979 inception as Air Lanka under Singapore Airlines' tutelage to its modern identity as Sri Lankan Airlines, brought about significant structural shifts.  In the early 1980s, the "Customer Service" umbrella was vast, encompassing everything from Cargo to Inflight Services. Amidst these changes, a piece of advice from a Singaporean manager stood out: "If you really want to master customer service, you must work the Mishandled Baggage counter." At the time, the weight of that statement wasn't fully apparent. It was only years later, while working for a lean foreign carrier where multitasking was a necessity, that the wisdom of that advice became crystal clear. The 100% Conflict Ratio In most airline departments, the atmosphere is generally positive. At the check-in desk, perhaps 99% of pas...