Q Bag Tag process not all that reliable?

[MatF]

Had an interesting trip home last night.

I arrived at BNE for my usual BNE-SYD (QF539), and connecting QF2231 (SYD-WGA) flights.

Took my bag to the bag drop, and sent it on it's way using the new fanlged Q Bag Tag, which I've been doing without incident for quite some time. Checked the bag drop receipt, all good.

Arrived in SYD and headed straight over to T2, and into the QP for a drink, as usual. I was there for about 20 mins when my phone rang.

Female voice, sounding a bit flustered (turns out her name was Marianne): "Hi, did you just get off a flight from Brisbane?"
Me: "Yep, sure did"
Marianne: "Did you pick up a bag from the carousel?"

Anyway, it turns out Marianne had been on QF539 as well, and her bag hadn't arrived. She was the only person left at the T3 carousel, and she noticed my bag was on the carousel. Marianne's bag just happened to look similar to mine (a grey Antler Aeon), so she thought perhaps I'd picked up her bag by mistake. She found my mobile phone # on the back of the Q Bag Tag and called me.

After we finally figured out what had happened, she graciously took my bag over to the baggage claim people so it could continue it's journey (thanks again Marianne).

So - a few takeaways:
1) No idea why my bag decided it wanted to stay in Sydney when the Q Bag Tag definitely had it coded through to Wagga.
2) Thankfully Marianne was nice enough to take it over to Baggage Claim so it could get to my Wagga flight
3) I suspect I wouldn't have even known about it's detour if Marianne's missing bag hadn't coincidentally looked like mine, prompting her to call me. I guess someone would have eventually found my bag and scanned the tag?
4) I'm not overly happy about the security implications of my bag going around and around on the T3 carousel without my knowledge. Thankfully Marianne grabbed it - anyone could have picked it up and scored a bag full of my dirty clothes

Has anyone else had any Q Bag Tag related issues?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I'm assuming that both your flights were in the one pnr.

Did your Qbag tag receipt have both flight numbers on it indicating it had been through checked to WGA?

The screen at the auto bag drop would say something like "MatF BNE-SYD-WGA" as confirmation where it was meant to go.

 

[MatF]

Yep, both flights on the one PNR, and both flights listed (correctly) on the baggage receipt.
Both flights were also listed on the bag drop screen.

 

[serfty]

Such can happen even with out the Q-tags, but worth an automated system out seems really strange.

Posted on a wing and a prayer ...

 

[MatF]

Yeah, that was my thought as well - I don't know why/how it would happen with an automated system?

 

[harvyk]

Whilst no excuse, automated system or not, baggage handlers are still humans, therefore there is always room for error there.

 

[UP4014]

For sure mistakes can happen, handlers can put a bag on the wrong conveyor, but if your bag has a paper tag with the destination the handler is more likely to know where it should be going within 2 seconds of looking.

Matt

 

[SeatBackForward]

The whole carousel colelction of baggage at arrival halls needs to be re-thought IMO. The fact that ANYONE can walk in off the street, pick up any bag they wish, walk out and there's absolutely no way of tracing who they were, where they are going etc..is a BIG flaw. In fact I'm surprised the travel insurance industry hasn't raised this as a matter.

I'm certian it even happens as a genuine mistake (someone else walking away with the wrong bag) with the amount of similar looking bags coming off flights.

 

[harvyk]

I'm certian it even happens as a genuine mistake (someone else walking away with the wrong bag) with the amount of similar looking bags coming off flights.

Whilst a little OT, I once forgot to put my ID tag on my bag (it's bright and yellow and very easy to spot), so I thought I'd use the default QF name \ address \ phone number tag that they have near bag drops. Big mistake placing it onto a black bag, made the bag near impossible to spot on the carousel.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Whilst a little OT, I once forgot to put my ID tag on my bag (it's bright and yellow and very easy to spot), so I thought I'd use the default QF name \ address \ phone number tag that they have near bag drops. Big mistake placing it onto a black bag, made the bag near impossible to spot on the carousel.

What I don't get is the number of people that pick up a name & address tag & attach it to their bag without even writing a name, address or phone number on it!