Priority baggage for QFF Gold Members

[N860CR]

I was hoping someone could clarify the priority baggage benefits for QFF SG members as I've been having some inconsistancies of late.

My reading of the T&C is that as a Gold FF you are entitled to "Priority" baggage on domestic jet flights only. IE: The orange Priority tags.

However, in my experience, I've had a mix of "Business", "Priority", nothing at all (most often) or "Business" on international flights.

Is there a definitive answer on this or is it check-in agent dependant.

What are SG's actually getting on both Domestic Economy and Intl Economy flights?

 

[BlueAU]

When I was SG, I would often get BUSINESS (Purple) or PRIORITY (Orange) for my domestic flights. I think it depended who worked. I didn't care, because at the time I was going to Canberra or Sydney and it seemed everyone had priority tags anyway :shock:

International I always got BUSINESS (Purple)

As QP, I now get PRIORITY (Orange) ALWAYS on Domestic and always BUSINESS (Purple) on INT'L

 

[Joshua]

This is a grey area discussed previously in this thread.

Possibly depends a lot on the person at check-in. QP get priority, J get business so for status pax it's somewhere in between. I get a bit of both, but then again even have had priority as a PS and NB! My only suggestion might be to use the business counters and not the club counters though I always go for the shortest queue (or lack there of).

 

[anat0l]

In my time as an SG, I think I often got orange Priority tags when flying domestic, but purple Business tags when flying international.

There were only a couple of times where my bag was tagged Business when flying domestic.

On the other hand, there were times when priority simply didn't work at all!

As a WP now, I always get purple Business tags on domestic flights irrespective of what counter processes my bags. Internationally speaking I only get yellow First tags if the flight I'm flying has F (or rather that the airport I'm flying out of has F services, e.g. AKL will not tag your bags with yellow First tags even if your onward flights are in F because AKL do not have any flights with F out of that port).

 

[russianrob]

It doesn't matter what tag you have on them if you're going to PER. If you check in early, your bags will come out late (even last), and no one gives a stuff! 3 letters to Qantas asking why non priority luggage comes out first in Perth. Still no answer. :evil:

 

[Katie]

Possibly depends a lot on the person at check-in. QP get priority, J get business so for status pax it's somewhere in between.

It varies. I'm QP and PS, and my flights to/from Syd in August - I got priority tags at least one way, can't remember if both ways. My flight from BNE-LAX last week in Y+, I got no tags. Although a quick flick at the T&C, and perhaps QP aren't entitled to priority tags on International??
I haven't noticed a difference between checking it a Club or Business counters, but that's probably more due to me not noticing!

 

[BlueAU]

Although a quick flick at the T&C, and perhaps QP aren't entitled to priority tags on International??

Your baggage will be Priority or Business* tagged when you travel on Australian domestic flights marketed and operated by Qantas or QantasLink.^

* When you are travelling domestically in Business Class or if you have Platinum or Gold Frequent Flyer membership.

^ You must be travelling on a Qantas aircraft with a Qantas flight number.

Hmmmm ................... maybe you are right Katie about the int'l ... can't find a mention your supposed to get it. According to PS benefits you only get baggage tags (those plastic ones that break off )

 

[Katie]

According to PS benefits you only get baggage tags (those plastic ones that break off )

And you only get those if you're PS who isn't ALSO a QP member. If you're in both, you'll only get one set. When I requalified for PS last year, I already had QP membership, and so didn't receive any silver tags.

 

[BlueAU]

And you only get those if you're PS who isn't ALSO a QP member. If you're in both, you'll only get one set. When I requalified for PS last year, I already had QP membership, and so didn't receive any silver tags.

Ring up and ask for some. Tell them it got lost. I usually lose one because they get cut on the machine, :evil:, so now I don't bother putting on checked luggage. I just have WP ones on hand luggage

They will ask if you want QP or PS or both. Depends on who you get really. Ring 13 13 13 and wait for option for frequent flyer centre. Wait till 9am tho, dunno if they will be out of bed

 

[djfuzz]

As a WP now, I always get purple Business tags on domestic flights irrespective of what counter processes my bags. Internationally speaking I only get yellow First tags if the flight I'm flying has F (or rather that the airport I'm flying out of has F services, e.g. AKL will not tag your bags with yellow First tags even if your onward flights are in F because AKL do not have any flights with F out of that port).

Really? We got F tags in AKL last month - I would have thought this was a given, since they have a separate First checkin area and F Lounge.

 

[Dave Noble]

Really? We got F tags in AKL last month - I would have thought this was a given, since they have a separate First checkin area and F Lounge.

Although some locations do it, the tags used should be based on the highest class of travel that is offered on the flights.

If doing AKL-SYD on QF, purple would be correct; if continuing onwards on a flight where 1st is offered, then yellow would be correct

Dave

 

[Katie]

Ring up and ask for some. Tell them it got lost. I usually lose one because they get cut on the machine, so now I don't bother putting on checked luggage. I just have WP ones on hand luggage

I had to re-join QP after taking maternity leave and not renewing - I didn't realise until I went to re-join that I'd have to pay the $200ish all over again. Ouch! So I've got about 4 QP ones, and 2 or 4 silver ones ... haven't lost any ... yet ... if I do, it'll more likely be inside the house!!
But, I'll keep that in mind if I lose any! Thanks for the tip.

 

[NM]

In my experience, there is little difference other than colour and words between Priority, Business and First tags. Bags seem to appear as a cluster of all three on most flights. So does it really matter which tag goes on the bag when its checked?

 

[Danger]

So does it really matter which tag goes on the bag when its checked?

Without wishing to sound arogant, to me it does matter. Qantas, like every FF program, publish a list of benefits. As far as I'm concerned that means I'm entitled to those benefits. If they or any other airline can't provide the service then I believe they shouldn't offer it to begin with. To me it's another, perhaps less important, example of the inconsistency with Qantas and their program rules that I think devalues their program somewhat. You only need to take a look at all the #, ^, @, * etc. that appear after a rule or benefit to understand how incredibly frustrating it must be for even some staff to understand the rules.

Even the line like '. . . your bags will be among the first to arrive' is lame, I feel. It certainly gives them a lot of latitude - what constitues 'among the first'?

 

[BlueAU]

Without wishing to sound arogant, to me it does matter. Qantas, like every FF program, publish a list of benefits. As far as I'm concerned that means I'm entitled to those benefits. If they or any other airline can't provide the service then I believe they shouldn't offer it to begin with. To me it's another, perhaps less important, example of the inconsistency with Qantas and their program rules that I think devalues their program somewhat. You only need to take a look at all the #, ^, @, * etc. that appear after a rule or benefit to understand how incredibly frustrating it must be for even some staff to understand the rules.

Even the line like '. . . your bags will be among the first to arrive' is lame, I feel. It certainly gives them a lot of latitude - what constitues 'among the first'?

I'm with you on this one, especially as I am a paying PAX for QP. Often I see bags come out with no tags at all, FIRST :shock:

 

[Groundfeeder]

Without wishing to sound arogant, to me it does matter. Qantas, like every FF program, publish a list of benefits. As far as I'm concerned that means I'm entitled to those benefits. If they or any other airline can't provide the service then I believe they shouldn't offer it to begin with. To me it's another, perhaps less important, example of the inconsistency with Qantas and their program rules that I think devalues their program somewhat. You only need to take a look at all the #, ^, @, * etc. that appear after a rule or benefit to understand how incredibly frustrating it must be for even some staff to understand the rules.

I am with you Danger entirely.
I usually get Business tags out of BNE but rarely when returning. I copied the beforementioned guides to tags seeking to "learn" the Check-in-Chick/Chap, but once she produced a sheet showing specifically who got what - and QF Gold don't get Business unless flying in that class.
As NM states, priority baggage delivery is a lottery and a pretty poor one at that.:evil:

 

[tuapekastar]

It doesn't matter what tag you have on them if you're going to PER. If you check in early, your bags will come out late (even last), and no one gives a stuff! 3 letters to Qantas asking why non priority luggage comes out first in Perth. Still no answer. :evil:

A friend of mine had work-subsidised QP membership for many years, but when her bag was 'amongst the LAST out' in PER last year she approached the QF staff at PER to complain, and was given the complete runaround.

She decided then she was not going to renew her QP (bit OTT I reckon, cutting your nose off to spite your face, but she was well pissed off) - I don't know if she renewed or not.

 

[anat0l]

So does it really matter which tag goes on the bag when its checked?

When priority baggage works, it does matter a whole heap, and I find that the order of disposal is almost perfect - yellow First, purple Business, orange Priority then untagged ones last. For domestic, same deal except no yellow tags (of course). There is the odd pepper of bags out of order (e.g. an orange tag bag in a sea of purple), but otherwise fairly orderly system.

For international, the difference in grabbing bags off the belt with correct priorities can probably be measured in seconds or a few minutes, but if you have to go through customs and/or fight for transport then that's a great benefit.

For domestic, a similar argument exists - anyone here who has had to queue in a taxi rank at BNE, SYD, MEL or PER knows what I mean.

Of course, the real savvy warriors here would simply say, "hand luggage only". Fair enough, but not all of us can travel within 14kg (7kg internationally) all the time. Plus this is not the point of this topic.

I agree that sometimes bag priority is ignored by the handlers and simply dumped on the belt in any order. That's unfortunate, but it does happen. I find that the flights where this most happens are:

• Last flights of the day
• Any flight to or from PER (but more likely those arriving in PER) :evil:

 

[drewbles]

I agree that sometimes bag priority is ignored by the handlers and simply dumped on the belt in any order. That's unfortunate, but it does happen. I find that the flights where this most happens are:

• Last flights of the day
• Any flight to or from PER (but more likely those arriving in PER) :evil:

Last flight I took to PER I had J tags. Came out almost dead last behind the non-priority stuff.

PER is a joke. They just don't care.

On my flight back from LAX last week, my First tags worked. By the time I made it through the express queue at immigration (2 people waiting) my bags were already going around, and the carousel was a flood of yellow and a spattering of pink. Worked perfectly in this case.

PER, it's all for one I think. QF should probably address it

 

[BlueAU]

I wonder if we ALL wrote to customer care, would they get the hint? (I'm being serious)