Baggage Claim

Synonyms

Baggage Reclaim, Luggage Claim, Baggage Belt

Category

Travel, Transport Facilities, Processing Activities, Tourism

Message / Function

To indicate the location of a baggage reclaim point

	Source	Description
	UIC 413	Side view of human figure lifting suitcase from conveyor belt, arrow on baggage pointing towards human figure
4)	ÖNORM A 3011	Side view of human figure lifting suitcase from conveyor belt, arrow on baggage pointing towards human figure
4)	ON Testdesign	Front view of human figure lifting suitcase from conveyor belt, arrow pointing towards baggage and human figure
4)	ON Testdesign	Front view of human figure lifting suitcase from conveyor belt, arrow pointing towards baggage and human figure
	Icograda	Side view of human figure bending towards bag on conveyor belt as dotted arrow
	ISO 7001	Side view of human figure bending towards suitcase on conveyor belt
	EJP	Side view of human figure bending towards suitcase on conveyor belt
	ATA	Human figure, suitcase on flat surface plus arrow pointing towards human figure
1)	S/TA	Human figure, suitcase plus arrow pointing towards human figure
	ON Testdesign	Human figure, suitcase with arrow above, pointing towards human figure
2)	ON Testdesign	Partial view of suitcase and human figure, arm pointing towards suitcase
2)	ON Testdesign	Partial view of suitcase and human figure, arm pointing away from suitcase
	ON Testdesign	Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure away from suitcase
3)	ON Testdesign	Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure away from suitcase on conveyor belt
3)	UIC 413 b	Suitcase on conveyor belt, upwards pointing arrow above
	O'72	Suitcase on roller conveyor
	DB	Suitcase on roller conveyor
	DB	Suitcase on roller conveyor
	Novum 2/84	Suitcase on roller conveyor
*)	PANYNJ	Suitcase on roller conveyor
	IATA	Hand holding tilted suitcase, conveyor belt below
	CNIS	Hand holding tilted suitcase with label plus horizontal line below
	BS 8501:2002	Hand holding tilted suitcase with label plus horizontal line below
	Icograda	Hand holding tilted suitcase
	ON Testdesign	Direction arrow pointing away from suitcase
	AIGA	Suitcase
	Eco-Mo Foundation	Suitcase
	IATA	Side view of suitcase with label, box in front
	TC	Side view of suitcase and bag, each with badges
	Dreyfuss	Airplane pointing downwards, suitcase and horizontal line below

Note: Some of the examples shown above were mirrored horizontally to contrast differences.

Discussion

The examples shown above are a selection from the range of pictograms and symbols for the referent Baggage Claim that can be found in publications and guiding systems worldwide. There are several general concepts and a considerable number of visualizations. Obviously there is no clear stereotype to indicate the location of a baggage reclaim point.

Test results found in our database cover most image contents available:

In Appropriateness Ranking Tests conducted in the context of the Icograda student project (Frascara) and the ISO test series 1979/80 (Easterby & Graydon, 1981 a) more than 30 pictogram variants of the referent Baggage Claim were examined. Three out of the best six were tested for comprehension (Easterby & Graydon, 1981 b) and all elicited significant amounts of wrong responses. The Seattle-Tacoma Airport pictogram labeled 1) performed best with just 27.6 % correct responses. Testing was done without providing context information.

Based on these findings the working group 6 of the relevant Austrian Standards committee FNA 133 and a working group of the UIC developed several test designs, which were examined in an Appropriateness Ranking Tests (Brugger, 1992 a). This test showed that the variants marked with 2) did not differentiate between Baggage Check-in and Baggage Claim and were judged as least appropriate among the pictograms studied. The pictogram labeled as UIC 413 b and marked with 3) reached the best comprehension scores in a follow up Comprehension Test (Brugger, 1992 b), closely followed by the test design also marked with 3). But 56 % and 50 % correct responses still were judged as insufficient. A look at wrong answers showed that pictograms showing also a conveyor belt or roller conveyor elicited less responses like Left luggage, and large arrows in variants also were intepreted as directional information like Exit for travellers or Check-in in this direction.

Following these tests several additional variants were developed. In a Matching Test (Brugger, 1995 a) focusing on Baggage Check-in and Baggage Claim, the pictograms marked with 4) (designed by Karl Scheiber) all were well understood and selected correctly by 80 % resp. 78 % of the respondents. The three other variants examined performed not as well: the suitcase on a roller conveyor labeled DB for example was correctly selected by 52 % only, and a variant showing just a suitcase by 33 %. These two pictograms often were confused with Left Luggage. In a follow up Comprehension Test (Brugger, 1995 b) the pictogram labeled as ÖNORM A 3011 in the table above reached 67 % correct responses, better than all results before.

Zwaga & Poppinga examined a pictogram showing a suitcase on a roller conveyor, labeled as PANYNJ and marked with *) above. In this study only 40 % of the respondents - mostly persons with higher education - provided correct answers for this variant, confirming the results of the Matching Test (Brugger, 1995 a) mentioned before.

The decision of AIGA to use the same pictogram for Baggage Check-in as well as for Baggage Claim may work in environments, where a clear separation of passenger streams is guaranteed and no other baggage related facilities/activities could be searched for. Other applications or circumstances might lead into difficulties due to the ambiguity of the message conveyed. In a Japanese study the suitcase labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation suprisingly reached a comprehension score of 62.1 (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001), a value never reached anywhere before when tested for Baggage Claim.

Recommendations

Pictogram No. 139 of the Austrian Standard ÖNORM A 3011: Baggage Claim UIC: Luggage Claim

Based on the test results known, we recommend the use of pictograms like No 139 of the Austrian Standard ÖNORM A 3011 or the UIC version B.2.7 shown above to indicate the location of baggage reclaim point.

Tests of pictograms of referent Baggage Claim

Brugger, Ch. (1992 a): Reihungstest 1992. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) FNA 133 dated August 1992, Vienna.

Brugger, Ch. (1992 b): Verständnistest 1992. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated October 1992, Vienna.

Brugger, Ch. (1995 a): Matching-Test Gepäcksaufgabe / Gepäcksabholung - Bericht an ÖBB-GD 02. Vienna, June 1995.

Brugger, Ch. (1995 b): Verständnistest 1995 - Im Auftrag der ÖBB und des ON - FNA 133. Vienna, November 1995.

Brugger, Ch. (1999): Public information symbols: a comparison of ISO testing procedures. In: Zwaga, H., Boersema, T. & Hoonhout, H. (Eds.): Visual information for everyday use. London: Taylor & Francis Ltd.

Easterby, R.S. & Graydon, I.R. (1981 a): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols: ISO Test: 1979/80 Series. Part I: Appropriateness Ranking Tests. AP Report 99, Applied Psychology Department, University of Aston in Birmingham, January 1981.

Easterby, R.S. & Graydon, I.R. (1981 b): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols: ISO 1979/80 Test Series. Part II: Comprehension/Recognition Tests. AP Report 100, Applied Psychology Department, University of Aston in Birmingham, January 1981.

Eco-Mo Foundation (2001): Test data of public information symbols in Japan - Procedure for the testing of public information symbols by the Study Committee. ISO: ISO/TC 145/SC 1 N 329.

Magyar, S. (1993): Sorolási Teszt 1993. Készült az MSZH felkérésére. Budapest, January 1993.

Zwaga, H.J.G. & Poppinga, J.: Identification and Legibility of Graphic Symbols; Towards a standard for public information symbols. Internal Report, Psychological Laboratory, University of Utrecht