No more Priority Baggage for Qantas Club

[markis10]

Priority baggage is a non event when travelling on a 737 as the bags are genrally lumped together on the trolly on their way into the carousel, on the bigger aircraft they get their own container which more often than not comes out first, hence the difference in experiences being reported!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Coming back from TSV to BNE last week we faced the usual long stroll from gate 19 to the baggage carousel. After a short wait a trailer turned up and deposited a few bags tagged Business and then left. A longer while later the remainder turned up in no particular order with the majority of Priority tags down the order.

Sigh...

SQ is particularly good at doing this as well, and not just at their home base. NZ does it too, but less consistently.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Won't be any difference when they do join OneWorld. Priority baggage is not a OneWorld benefit.

Yup. It is *A that has priority baggage tags as an elite benefit.

 

[kpc]

The website is now updated to say that priority baggage is not a benefit of QF club membership, unless travelling domestically in Business Class or if you have Platinum or Gold Frequent Flyer membership!

Your baggage will be Priority or Business* tagged when you travel on Australian and New Zealand 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.

Flying with Us - Qantas Club - Benefits

 

[Evan]

You could argue almost that if QC then you get "priority" tags but if your QC and Gold/Emerald or traneling in J you get "business" tags.

Watering down my benifits here, ok so i am Platinum for now but also a QC life member from many years ago.

E

 

[straitman]

The website is now updated to say that priority baggage is not a benefit of QF club membership, unless travelling domestically in Business Class or if you have Platinum or Gold Frequent Flyer membership!
Flying with Us - Qantas Club - Benefits

kpc,

I ready that differently to you.

I read that that QC get priority tags and Plat and Gold get business tags.
Ambiguous at the least.

 

[Flashback]

kpc,

I ready that differently to you.

I read that that QC get priority tags and Plat and Gold get business tags.
Ambiguous at the least.

Bill, I read it the same as you did.

 

[Evan]

Bill, I read it the same as you did.

So far its 3 people who read it the same way. But i really do think this is what it may mean. QC only gets priority tags not business tags.

E

 

[MelUser]

I agree with majority.

The sentence states that as a Q Club member your luggage WILL be tagged. It then goes on to explain different types of tagging depending on your class of travel and/or pecking order in the Qantas Frequent Flyer scheme.

 

[Danger]

What was the previous wording?

 

[kpc]

kpc,

I ready that differently to you.

I read that that QC get priority tags and Plat and Gold get business tags.
Ambiguous at the least.

Bill, I can see your interpretation....my brother joined QC (corporate membership) this week, and was specifically told that priority baggage is no longer a benefit of QC membership (news to me!), hence my search of the QC T & Cs which I posted above, Another thing, I know as a Gold, I always get an orange priority tag, and not a pink (business) one....so I agree the wording is a little ambiguous but unfortunately I think it confirms the loss of another QC benefit.

 

[straitman]

What was the previous wording?

I was just about to ask that also. Has something changed :?:

 

[Maca44]

I don't think it really matters which tag you have as, from experience, your bags will most likely not come out first in any event.

 

[Danger]

I agree with the majority (ie. Priority tags continue to be a benefit of Qantas Club membership). That said, I think that the ambiguity is created by reference to Business tags. Correct me if I'm wrong but Business tags are not a benefit of being a QP member; they are a benefit of Platinum and those travelling in business class. Essentially, I don't see why Business tags should be referenced here.

 

[opusman]

It is a bit confusing but I think the differentiation is fundamentally meaningless. I've travelled domestic business plenty of times, and also in economy with QP tagging, and on the whole it makes no difference as to when my bags come out. The first round of bags on the carousel is always a mix of "business" tags, "priority" tags, and non-tagged baggage, and the odds of my bag being in that first round is always about 50% no matter what class I've been travelling in.

 

[jpk]

My understanding is that for priority tagging to work, the baggage must be containerised. Otherwise, its all just mixed up together. So if the majority of your flying is on a 737 then tags probably will not do much unless the handlers make a deliberate effort (make up your own mind on likelihood of that happening).

If you're on a 743 then you could be in PER in which case your bags are usually competing with 4 other flights just to get on the 2 carousels. If you're on a 767 then maybe the tags will work, but you are probably still thinking about how much longer duct tape can keep the ex-BA birds together and so you're not worried about your bags.

Long haul I find the tags generally do work, but I put that down more to:
1. Asian ports having excellent baggage handling teams, where your bags are out before you are,
2. Immigration at UK/US ports taking so long that your bags are out before you are,
3. MEL/SYD/PER I am held up more by the long customs queues.

So basically more often than not it's just a lottery

 

[dajop]

It is a bit confusing but I think the differentiation is fundamentally meaningless. I've travelled domestic business plenty of times, and also in economy with QP tagging, and on the whole it makes no difference as to when my bags come out. The first round of bags on the carousel is always a mix of "business" tags, "priority" tags, and non-tagged baggage, and the odds of my bag being in that first round is always about 50% no matter what class I've been travelling in.

Here here!!

 

[codash1099]

I agree with the majority (ie. Priority tags continue to be a benefit of Qantas Club membership). That said, I think that the ambiguity is created by reference to Business tags. Correct me if I'm wrong but Business tags are not a benefit of being a QP member; they are a benefit of Platinum and those travelling in business class. Essentially, I don't see why Business tags should be referenced here.

Could it be that "Business" tags rate a higher priority that plain "Priority" tags?

But then, as others have said, my bag comes out early about as often as I have won first division in Lotto.

 

[oz_mark]

My understanding is that for priority tagging to work, the baggage must be containerised. Otherwise, its all just mixed up together. So if the majority of your flying is on a 737 then tags probably will not do much unless the handlers make a deliberate effort (make up your own mind on likelihood of that happening).

I have certainly seen them sort the baggage coming out of a 737, with tagged luggage going on one trolley and untagged on another.

If you're on a 743 then you could be in PER in which case your bags are usually competing with 4 other flights just to get on the 2 carousels. If you're on a 767 then maybe the tags will work, but you are probably still thinking about how much longer duct tape can keep the ex-BA birds together and so you're not worried about your bags.

There are 3 carousels in Perth now. Also, I have seen much more duct tape (Sorry forgot the right name for what it is on planes!) on 737's than I ever have on a 767.

Long haul I find the tags generally do work, but I put that down more to:
1. Asian ports having excellent baggage handling teams, where your bags are out before you are,
2. Immigration at UK/US ports taking so long that your bags are out before you are,
3. MEL/SYD/PER I am held up more by the long customs queues.

So basically more often than not it's just a lottery

I find the slow bit in Perth to be customs after collecting baggage. I have made my way through immigration to baggage collection several times beating my baggage there.

 

[jpk]

I have certainly seen them sort the baggage coming out of a 737, with tagged luggage going on one trolley and untagged on another.

Yeah I have seen that too, a few times I have watched out the terminal window to see what happens to my bag. Even when they do sort it, its usually only 1 or 2 trolleys before they rush those away before the general bags. So if there is a fair bit of tagged luggage (which there usually is on any cityflyer run) then its still only what comes out of the plane initially, so still a lottery.

There are 3 carousels in Perth now. Also, I have seen much more duct tape (Sorry forgot the right name for what it is on planes!) on 737's than I ever have on a 767.

Do you mean the little baby one around the corner? I usually refer to it as half a carousel
(I am sure you knew I was being sarcastic there)

I find the slow bit in Perth to be customs after collecting baggage. I have made my way through immigration to baggage collection several times beating my baggage there.

Yeah that is my point - Australian ports I usually beat the bags out, but when I look back at the experience its the customs queueing I get frustrated about. This is getting better with the FastTrack cards though.