Next Gen Cards and Lost Bags

[actualeyes]

Hi everyone,

My first post here, but Gold FF with gold bag tags.

Twice in two weeks I have had a bag lost with the NG cards.

One was ADL-SYD-PVG (presumably didn't make the connection - but was tagged with next gen tag and transfer/international paper tag), and one was SYD-ADL (no excuses except that it decided it wanted to see what the weather was like in BNE).

This is a fairly high failure rate - probably 2 failures in 10 domestic segments.

Am I the only one striking these issues, or are the "teething" problems.

Cheers,
A

 

[TheInsider]

Hi everyone,

My first post here, but Gold FF with gold bag tags.

Twice in two weeks I have had a bag lost with the NG cards.

One was ADL-SYD-PVG (presumably didn't make the connection - but was tagged with next gen tag and transfer/international paper tag), and one was SYD-ADL (no excuses except that it decided it wanted to see what the weather was like in BNE).

This is a fairly high failure rate - probably 2 failures in 10 domestic segments.

Am I the only one striking these issues, or are the "teething" problems.

Cheers,
A

For your bag getting lost on the international sector has nothing to do with a Q-tag, so obviously this has got to do with the paper tag, not NGCI.

Although the Q-tag still has the previous flight information on there.

When checking in at SYD did you use the Auto-bag drop or through an agent?
Auto-bag drop will not accept any bags with out the new information being stored on the tag. Through an agent, this can come down to human error, as it can go down even without a tag (paper or q)

 

[actualeyes]

For your bag getting lost on the international sector has nothing to do with a Q-tag, so obviously this has got to do with the paper tag, not NGCI.

Although the Q-tag still has the previous flight information on there.

Why do you say that? This bag was sent DOMESTIC ADL-SYD and then missed the connection. One bag made it, one bag didn't. I'd guess there is a fair amount of chaos out the back of domestic at present.

And the Q-tag, I would think, does not store any flight information. It is just an identity that is used by the computer system which is supposed to know where it is going. So the computer system needs to keep up with what is happening with a bag and know when a Qtag is being used for a sector or not. So I can see there is plenty of room for error if their systems are not well designed.

When checking in at SYD did you use the Auto-bag drop or through an agent?
Auto-bag drop will not accept any bags with out the new information being stored on the tag. Through an agent, this can come down to human error, as it can go down even without a tag (paper or q)

Yes. Bag checked-in in Sydney through the Auto-bag drop.

RFID technology uses an RF signal to excite a circuit which generates a current which transmits a standard message, probably encrypted. This is then read by a scanner. The (central) computer will store all the information about where the bag is supposed to be going not the tag. At least that is the way every RFID implementation I have ever seen works.

So, regardless of whether there is a paper tag or not, the Qtag may be being read and paper tags on the bag ignored or just missed... who knows.

In short I would not have made the same assumptions as you about the way the Qtag system works, how it interacts with paper tag systems (presumably they all come down/up the same belts), and how effective they are at tracking how a bag is being managed at any one time.

 

[medhead]

One the international connection I wouldn't have used the Qtag since they are not used for international. But that's just me.

The operation of the Qtag has been well discussed. They do in fact store both the flight and FF status on the tag. I'm pretty sure this is well covered in the FAQs on the website. You need to remember that certain FF have priority status and the Qtags can be used by anyone. Therefore, the status of the passenger has to be attached to the tag every time it is used.

 

[actualeyes]

I guess I'll read the FAQ, but is it attached to the tag (e.g. in the computer database) rather than on the tag?

And taking the tag on and off my bag is a PIA.

 

[serfty]

...

And taking the tag on and off my bag is a PIA.

Not an issue for me as I simply don't use them.

Rarely needed by me for Domestic Jet flights since I can have up to 2 x 7kg rollaboards and they can only interfere with international travel.:-|

 

[medhead]

I guess I'll read the FAQ, but is it attached to the tag (e.g. in the computer database) rather than on the tag?

And taking the tag on and off my bag is a PIA.

As I understand the information is stored on the tag, when you check in. There is no involvement of a computer database. This has also been mentioned to explain misdirected bags, where a previous sector flown is still on the tag instead of the current sector.

It is a total PIA all the more reason not to use them.