Luggage Glitch Snarls JFK

A software glitch continues to cripple the baggage-handling system in an American Airlines terminal at JFK airport. The malfunction is giving headaches to passengers flying out of Terminal 8, one of the newer buildings at the airport. Thousands of customers had to leave their luggage behind and hope it would be delivered later. Hundreds of bags accumulated in the terminal lobby.

The problem developed about 4:45 am, when a piece of software failed in the computer that reads the bar code on each piece of tagged luggage. When the system shut down, employees had to try to sort bags by hand. At last five American flights have been canceled and scores have been delayed.