When “priority luggage” is not priority luggage.

[Daniel O'Connor]

On the weekend I flew SYD - BNE and have yet another bad taste over the VA luggage services.

SYD-BNE
On my arrival in BNE I had my bag not arrive on the carousel. I was flying economy as a VA plat and was expecting got see my bag appear quickly as it was marked as a “priority” bag. When after waiting some time my bag didn't arrive I went over to the baggage services counter to inform them of my issue. A look around the area and a couple of computer checks said the bag was check in in SYD and was on my flight. Initially it was thought that another pax may have taken it by mistake. No worries I thought, nothing VA could have done about it. A missing item case was raised and I was sent on my way and told that when VA found my bag that they would call me to come back and collect it. I arrived at my destination when I was contacted to say that VA had my bag in SYD as it was not put onto the flight with me and they would send it up on the next BNE service. I returned to BNE some hours later to collect my lost bag as I wasn’t going to risk another link in the chain by putting it on a courier. I must add that the VA staff at the baggage services where excellent and helpful, as always in providing their VA service.

BNE-SYD
Flying J I headed straight to the baggage carousel upon disembarking hopping to get a quick getaway and into a cab as it was getting late on Sunday night. I am standing in my usual spot at the hole in the wall at carousel 2 before the conveyor even started. Bags start appearing and before long the same bags are coming past me again for their second lap on the belt. Now up to lap 3 and still no bag. Here we go again I’m thinking! Finally my bag appears on the belt still clearly displaying it “priority” tag. I am literally the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] or 4[SUP]th[/SUP] last person leaving the carousel. Now I’m very much at the back of the cab line.

This is an all too common occurrence for me with lack of the priority baggage delivery honestly not happening as far back as I can remember. My observation is that the service is getting worse. Two years ago the service with this was spot on for me, almost without fail all the priority bags where first on the belt and through the hole in the wall. This couldn’t be farther from the truth at the moment, with no pattern the bags just appear on the belt.


Lift your game VA or don’t advertise it as a privilege of your Velocity membership for your Plats and Gold.

 

[drron]

VA did the opposite for me on Sunday.I am velocity red and for the last 4 years my summary of account has always read SC-0,points-0.
So flying MCY-MEL on Sunday my bag was 3rd out.It did have an orange sticker but it read-"Heavy".Beat all those priority labels!
Back to earth on QF MEL-DPO.Bag came out last.Glad I went to the Avis desk first.

 

[neko83]

At least you're getting the priority luggage tags applied!

Through all of January across multiple flights (CBR, SYD and MEL) they had a 100% failure rate on even applying the tags. I queried with the VA facebook guest services folk as to whether they had run out of priority luggage tags or not.

Since then it's running at about a 50% hit rate.

 

[stoneman]

I find that whenever I fly into MCY, the priorty tag means zilch and have put it down to slackness on the staffs behalf, even today from Melbourne.
Don't have any gripes when flying into SYD MEL PER just MCY and it annoys the cough out of me!

 

[slc767338]

Just gives reaffirmed attractiveness to the phrase 'HLO'

 

[Pleb Status]

VA and QF must use the same baggage handlers as they are as useless as each other. Overall, my experience on VA has been slightly better than on QF, but I have flown on VA less so less chance to disappoint. How they both can get priority baggage so wrong so often is mystifying.

 

[Sbv72]

Opposite for me on Sunday. Flying BNE-TSV around lunchtime. Priority tag applied meant it was last to go on (so it came off first). Unfortunately this meant it spent longest time on the Tarmac in the rain - not fully covered by the tarp - and bag was soaking wet.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[jackthomas]

I feel like "When Priority Luggage Works" would be a very quiet thread.... I find it works perhaps 50% of the time, and these days I actually go to the airport with old priority tags left on my luggage, just in case.

Nothing like when your so called priority bag comes out dead last too....

 

[Buzzard]

I find priority luggage a bit like heads or tails. I have had it come out first, I have had it come out near last.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

I find priority always work well in OOL but Sydney is very hit and miss.
VA needs to take a lesson from SQ. My bags are always first to come out in any port on SQ or MI and even managed a First Class tag on a recent SYD-SIN. Looked a bit out of place when i hopped on the MRT from Changi and not a limo.

 

[WethereX]

myself and a dozen pax had our priority bags come out 26 minutes after everybody else had left,,, needless to say we all complained, i got a call back from the VA customer relations. They informed me they have had many complaints about brisbane, and are seeking to rectify the issue. So she profusely apologised and gave me 5000 points and paid for my airport transfer which i missed and ended up getting a cab instead.

 

[grubbidok]

I have to be honest, I really don't see the point in priority luggage as a benefit as it's so variable in practice. Sometimes the big glaring 'PRIORITY' tags still result in them coming out last, often with no status they come out first - and everything in between. I can honestly say that in 300+ flights I've seen no correlation between priority luggage and them actually coming out earlier. To be fair, all the other airlines I've flown on are just as bad as VA. I never believe them when they say it will come out first so it's always a nice surprise when they do.

What would be nice for me re baggage, is when a tight connection means that your bags haven't boarded, they tell you about it in the air or on landing so you don't spend an hour waiting around the international carousels for the very last bags to stop before wasting another half an hour at the VA desk organising a courier to drop your bags off the next day as they're all still in LA (my experience last week). Completely understanding that these things happen, not so understanding that we had to pay an extra $100 because of the delay as the SUV hire car we'd organised to take us, a baby, plus (quite a lot of) luggage had to hang around for an extra 2hrs, when we could have left 2hrs earlier.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

VA did the opposite for me on Sunday.I am velocity red and for the last 4 years my summary of account has always read SC-0,points-0.
So flying MCY-MEL on Sunday my bag was 3rd out.It did have an orange sticker but it read-"Heavy".Beat all those priority labels!
Back to earth on QF MEL-DPO.Bag came out last.Glad I went to the Avis desk first.

Ha ha....I think that supports the OPs claim! :mrgreen:

Of late, I've had good luck with the priority baggage, but I'm madly touching wood right now!

 

[24601]

I've had the same experience, especially in Brisbane. Priority tagged bags about last out. With a tight international - domestic connection it is not ideal.

 

[777]

I mostly travel HLO but when travelling with more I've had a pretty good run with priority luggage. Probably 8/10 times it's in the first quarter or so of bags to come out. Occasionally in the middle. I've never had a total clanger where it's come out at the end.

 

[Revolio]

I've never ever been in the first dozen bags out of BNE either. This issue is never addressed and wastes a lot of pointless priority tags.

 

[SimonF]

Even Malaysian airlines get this right and that's saying something

 

[straitman]

Arriving in NADI (flying VA) a couple of weeks ago and the six bags belonging to our group were in the first eight bags out. i.e. they can get it right sometimes.

Not sure if this is a comment about VA or NADI though.

 

[jackthomas]

The only time my bags come out last is in BNE, Literally the last bag, and all the other priorities were first and scattered through... Sydney is usually 50/50 but MEL seems to work most of the time for me.

Luck of the draw.

 

[JohnK]

It would appear that both VA and QF have this issue with priority luggage.