Checked luggage in Australia - why so long?

[Blackswan]

Having recently returned on late evening flights into Perth on QF, I've noticed the luggage carousel doesn't get switched on until at least 35 minutes after arrival. It has taken at least 5 - 10 minutes after that for my bags to show.

In the US, there are two airlines that I know of (AS and DL) that have a 20 minute delivery guarantee - if the bags don't arrive within that time, they throw some miles your way. My experience is that it doesn't happen too often.

I try and travel without checked luggage as much as I can - but sometimes I just can't avoid it. Surely QF would get a higher update on checked bags (and less of the carry-on dramas) if they'd tighten up their delivery times?

 

[lovestotravel]

Pay peanuts
Get monkeys

 

[SeatBackForward]

I particularly like how my "Priority" bags never seem to the earlier ones on the carousel.

 

[DejaBrew]

I particularly like how my "Priority" bags never seem to the earlier ones on the carousel.

Priority removal from the aircraft. Nobody said anything about a guarantee of priority placement on the carousel

 

[SeatBackForward]

Priority removal from the aircraft. Nobody said anything about a guarantee of priority placement on the carousel

Or just having colourful tags on our bags! Wheee!

 

[exceladdict]

late evening flights into Perth on QF

Have trended away from checked luggage lately but I have found experiences of baggage at the little Perth immigration zone (qf72) underwhelming.

Without priority tags doing anything (especially as checked in via Jetstar) it does make baggage claim a great equaliser. No point rushing through immigration and duty free etc if your bags won't beat you to the carousel anyway.

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

I particularly like how my "Priority" bags never seem to the earlier ones on the carousel.

Tall poppy syndrome in action.

 

[tdimdad]

Tall poppy syndrome in action.

Or just genuinely wanting out quick. Perhaps there's a tight connection where even a few minutes saved can count.

 

[Himeno]

Arrived MEL T2 this morning off QF80. Took around 20 minutes for the first bags to come out. One of mine was in that batch.
There was some confusion as to where the other checked item (an XL Japan Post box). Some staff said on the belt with the bags, others said at oversized luggage.
Waited around at the belt, didn't come, went to the oversize belt, wasn't there. Saw boxes coming out on the normal belt for a JQ flight, so headed back to the normal belt for my flight. Wasn't there, and had appeared at oversize when I went back.

A220 up to CBR, both the bag and box were in the first 5 items to appear on the belt. Within 15 mins of flight arriving at the gate.

 

[DejaBrew]

Arrived MEL T2 this morning off QF80. Took around 20 minutes for the first bags to come out. One of mine was in that batch.
There was some confusion as to where the other checked item (an XL Japan Post box). Some staff said on the belt with the bags, others said at oversized luggage.
Waited around at the belt, didn't come, went to the oversize belt, wasn't there. Saw boxes coming out on the normal belt for a JQ flight, so headed back to the normal belt for my flight. Wasn't there, and had appeared at oversize when I went back.

A220 up to CBR, both the bag and box were in the first 5 items to appear on the belt. Within 15 mins of flight arriving at the gate.

Consistently inconsistent

 

[justinbrett]

I really don’t think Australian airlines are much slower than most other airlines. BA in particular are very slow.

And for all the AS guarantees, I qualified twice on a single trip. You have to go to the baggage office to claim the voucher, which is $25 if you don’t want miles, that’s not worth the time or effort.

Fortunately one of the flights, the bags were so delayed (overnight) I had to go back anyway the next day and they gave me a $60 voucher.

 

[elanshin]

I'm not sure what it is. Sometimes it's real quick and other times you're there scratching your head. Domestic its regularly 20-30mins after gate arrival.

My fastest in Australia was at SYD. Arriving from HND on good Friday, I went from Bus Gate to carpark in under 20minutes so the bags got to the carousel around 15mins or so. My longest was BNE arriving from AKL. 1hr 30mins. Luckily we had a long time for connecting.

 

[dajop]

I really don’t think Australian airlines are much slower than most other airlines. BA in particular are very slow.

Particularly at LHR! Last time I flew into LHR on BA (from BRU) the wait time was longer than the flying time. I think it took about 55 mins from landing for first bag to appear. But it was relatively quick. Others at the same carousel had been waiting 2 hrs.

But also at remote stations where they operate a tight turn, checked baggage is not a priority. With a sequence of unload incoming->load outgoing->move incoming to carousel it can take a while. Have experienced that at CDG with BA.

 

[TheRealTMA]

I particularly like how my "Priority" bags never seem to the earlier ones on the carousel.

They are marked to come out last in Australia.

 

[SeatBackForward]

They are marked to come out last in Australia.

Ahh! the down under effect - here you go:

ʎʇᴉɹoᴙᴉd

That explains it!

Edit to add: that strangely ends up sound like the word "Y Tired"..

 

[SYD]

Particularly at LHR! Last time I flew into LHR on BA (from BRU) the wait time was longer than the flying time. I think it took about 55 mins from landing for first bag to appear. But it was relatively quick. Others at the same carousel had been waiting 2 hrs.

That was our experience at BCN a few months ago. Not sure why we didn’t take the train but a 1 hr flight MAD-BCN took 1:30hr for first bag. Apparently all flights / airlines are similar.

The train from central Madrid to Central Barcelona is about 2:30 without to/from airports each end….

Otherwise, most airports / airlines can be hit and miss. I’ve waltzed off a QF flight from NZ, passed through eGates and scooped bag off the belt without stopping and continued out. Another time, they couldn’t open the cargo doors and we waited an hour for 1st bags. Once on EY J (VA WP), literally the last bag on the belt at CDG….

 

[Bjet]

Happened to the Vancouver Domestic terminal. We had been waiting for the lugguages for more than 35 minutes!! The domestic terminal is short and it didnt take so long from the plane to carousel.

 

[justinbrett]

Can the mods just change the title to “Checked luggage - why so long?”

 

[jase05]

Last 2 MH KUL-PER flights the luggage has taken way too long to come out

 

[SYD]

Can the mods just change the title to “Checked luggage - why so long?”

Or “Why so long when sometimes so quick? A thesis on the normal distribution of luggage dissociation for the travelling public”.

Or maybe a HSC essay. Discuss.