Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport plans to offer luggage wrapping service, similar to those offered at other international airports where travelers can have a suitcase wrapped in a giant sheet of plastic.
The move is part of an effort to establish Atlanta as a shopping destination, marketing Buckhead and other shopping districts to international travelers. Plastic film wrapped around luggage is seen as a way to deter theft of items from bags.
Hartsfield-Jackson general manager Miguel Southwell has pointed to the success of the Miami airport's luggage wrapping services, saying: "People don't wrap bags unless they have valuables in those bags."
At airports that offer the service, prices vary but can hover around $10 to $15 a bag.
Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi
Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi
According to airport documents, Hartsfield-Jackson is seeking a contractor to operate up to 15 luggage wrapping machines in the international terminal, domestic terminal, rental car center and in post-security areas.
The airport will require that the concessionaire offer free re-wrapping service in post-security areas for those whose luggage is opened and inspected by the Transportation Security Administration.
Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi
Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi
At the Miami airport, where Southwell served as a deputy director before coming to Atlanta, the luggage wrapping service has generated so much demand that competition recently sparked controversy over outside operators, according to the Miami Herald.
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