Priority luggage rant

[grubbidok]

I know this is first world problem but again coming off a VA flight (from LAX) I was waiting around until there were probably only 4 people left to collect their luggage. This is despite being WP and having the priority tags on. It meant it took 45mins from leaving the plane until my luggage came around.

In fact, I can only think of a single occurrence (out of 50+ instance where I've had checked baggage and status) where I've *not* been amongst the final 10% of people waiting. Even the law of averages would suggest I should have a better strike rate than that - let alone my FF status!

Has anyone with relevant actually had priority baggage on VA? I mean what's the point of making a song and dance about those tags and listing it as a benefit if it means diddly squat? All those 20mins (it's usually not 45) waiting add up after a while!

 

[james4321]

I know this is first world problem but again coming off a VA flight (from LAX) I was waiting around until there were probably only 4 people left to collect their luggage. This is despite being WP and having the priority tags on. It meant it took 45mins from leaving the plane until my luggage came around.

In fact, I can only think of a single occurrence (out of 50+ instance where I've had checked baggage and status) where I've *not* been amongst the final 10% of people waiting. Even the law of averages would suggest I should have a better strike rate than that - let alone my FF status!

Has anyone with relevant actually had priority baggage on VA? I mean what's the point of making a song and dance about those tags and listing it as a benefit if it means diddly squat? All those 20mins (it's usually not 45) waiting add up after a while!

Never had a problem - maybe you are just unlucky !

 

[Markmat]

seems to be hit and miss, and depends on the airport. I find Brisbane always gets priority baggage reasonably quickly, whilst Sydney seems reasonably random. All other airports seem somewhere in between

 

[Intra]

Haven't had any troubles with my bags coming out Priority.... Always handy to have at SYD!

 

[grubbidok]

Wow. Maybe it really is just me. The way it's going it's actually *worse* than law of averages and one could be forgiven they were deliberately being left until last (which I know quite clearly they're not). Maybe I should contact VA and let them know this has been a consistent let-down and ask how I can ensure I get the proper priority baggage experience (though beyond what the desk angels already do I can't think of what else needs to be done). I used to get it no probs on OW.

 

[Jurahn]

Wow. Maybe it really is just me.

No, it's not just you. When OH (VA Gold) returned from the US earlier this year (LAX-SYD-PER), his bags - Priority tags still visible - were amongst the last to come out on the carousel in Perth. Have noticed this happening on a couple of other domestic flights as well.

I returned from LAX last week and it took around 40 minutes from the time I left the plane for my Priority-tagged bags to come out in MEL - and this was after a LOT of non-Priority bags had appeared on the carousel. There were also a heap of "Group A" tagged bags that had also come out by this stage. Not sure what these are, but seem to maybe relate to group travel as many of the AFL players' bags seemed to have these tags?

 

[farstar]

Of the last 6 or so domestic flights with Priority tags my baggage has generally came out near last.

 

[samas]

I'm another one that priority baggage usually doesn't work. Most of my flights are either to or from PER.

In the early days it worked really really well for me, which set my expectations to high leaving me constantly disappointed.

 

[ng100]

Wow. Maybe it really is just me. The way it's going it's actually *worse* than law of averages and one could be forgiven they were deliberately being left until last (which I know quite clearly they're not). Maybe I should contact VA and let them know this has been a consistent let-down and ask how I can ensure I get the proper priority baggage experience (though beyond what the desk angels already do I can't think of what else needs to be done). I used to get it no probs on OW.

Definitely not just you. I've often experienced this with VA. Priority tagged luggage on Qantas consistently comes out first, but on VA it is very hit or miss. Did you have a connecting flight into LAX?

 

[ap_spd]

did have a problem once or twice, but would say 90% of times the luggage is among the first few to arrive.

 

[xtoss]

Returned from LAX last Wednesday to SYD and luggage took 45 mins to come out, had priority tags but plenty were coming out before. Priority has worked everywhere else for me though so I just assumed it was a LAX airport packing the bag thing, but sounds like its random.

 

[attroxx]

I've experienced problems twice now at Brisbane Airport and my aunt has once as well. All three times, our luggage was sent on the immediately preceding flight (without our knowledge), tagged with a 'hold' tag (alongside the priority tag) and stored at the baggage services counter in BNE.

Staff at Brisbane didn't bother to make announcements and after waiting a long time and realising that all bags from our flight had been delivered and the bags on the carousel were from a later flight, we approached staff. Their response every time was essentially "Sorry, we were too busy to make an announcement."

I complained the the first time but have given up now - Priority at BNE is useless. I always check the counter now... Never had a problem elsewhere.

 

[day_mee]

I've had it not come out within the first 5 minutes maybe like 1 time out of probably 12 trips this year. Normally pretty good. Had a flight arrive in MEL the same time as a flight from PER which screwed everything up and waited 30 minutes for luggage. But apart from that time, normally comes out really quickly.

I know this is first world problem but again coming off a VA flight (from LAX) I was waiting around until there were probably only 4 people left to collect their luggage. This is despite being WP and having the priority tags on. It meant it took 45mins from leaving the plane until my luggage came around.

In fact, I can only think of a single occurrence (out of 50+ instance where I've had checked baggage and status) where I've *not* been amongst the final 10% of people waiting. Even the law of averages would suggest I should have a better strike rate than that - let alone my FF status!



Has anyone with relevant actually had priority baggage on VA? I mean what's the point of making a song and dance about those tags and listing it as a benefit if it means diddly squat? All those 20mins (it's usually not 45) waiting add up after a while!

 

[markis10]

I rarely find it works at BNE be it international or domestic.

 

[clarkkent]

I find it almost always works at BNE domestic, almost never at SYD domestic. The wildly differing experiences here suggest the dominant factor is something other than which airport.

 

[777]

Personally i'd say it's about 80-20 in favour of my priority bags coming out in the first lot. Not perfect but pretty good.

 

[bullerdude]

I've not had any issues this year on Domestic and Trans-tasman flights where the priority has work quite well.

As xtoss mentioned if the bags aren't packed correctly, as VA generally put all the priority tagged bags on last, then it probably won't work at the destination airport.

 

[maninblack]

90/10 in my my favour this year I think , as I'm pretty sure that it's still a manual selection system at most VA ports I fly to I make sure to remind the geniuses at check-in to attach the priority tag. They still tend to forget, how hard is it? Premium check in line, Business class passenger, Platinum Status = Priority baggage

 

[notzac]

I've never had any issues with staff not attaching a priority tag on the rare occasion I check luggage -- and as for priority luggage delivery, I'm generally more hit than miss. VA is about as good as any other carrier in this regard (which is to say, there's room for improvement..)

 

[LonePine]

I have only had priority baggage twice and both times we were held up by immigration so it didn't matter.

Got a trip to Brisvegas next month - see how it goes then.