Qantas and "Priority Baggage"

[qhere]

Have others found (Qantas Club) that their bags are never marked with the Priority Baggage tags (or Business if they don't have a Priority Tag)? This used to always happen but over the last 4 or 5 years I notice the bags are not marked.

I am very upset over what happened last Sunday from Christchurch when the plane - 5 hours late after Qantas send a replacement aircraft from Sydney and was impounded by New Zealand authorities as not being certified to fly into (or out of) New Zealand! Having the Qantas captain apolgise over the airport PA system that this was the problem made everyone in the terminal wonder "what the heck are Qantas up to".

When we finally arrived into Sydney (missing our connecting flight) we found Qantas had "unloaded some baggage due to aircraft weight restrictions". Guess who's bag was left in New Zealand. So much for "Priority Baggage" if others with out the Qantas Club get their bags on board.

I wonder what you do get with the Qantas Club other than the use of the lounge - which in itself has dropped in quality (and food options). You can still get a decent snack better than you'll even get on the flight with the British Airways lounges but only the bear bones in most Australian Qantas lounges.



Quentin

 

[OverrideServlet]

I'm pretty sure that the priority tag only applies to domestic flights if you are a Qantas Club member (not international flights)?

I think most people would agree with you; that the membership has slowly been reduced to just lounge access - which is becoming less impressive over time.

Dedicated domestic check-in/bag-drop was the most recent feature to be removed I believe.

 

[samiam]

I'm pretty sure that the priority tag only applies to domestic flights if you are a Qantas Club member (not international flights)?

When I was a QC member, International trips were 'Priority' tagged. Unsure of the current status, but there is lots of discussion on priority tagging with NGCI here:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-program/ngci-and-priority-baggage-29046.html

Further discussion here:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer..../priority-baggage-qff-gold-members-19950.html

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....n/baggage-whats-longest-you-should-29533.html

And an older thread asking a similar question, here:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ram/no-more-priority-baggage-qantas-9422.html

Welcome to AFF, qhere!

 

[whughes3]

QC membership has only ever entitled you to priority baggage on domestic flights; however, it appears that many checkin agents were/are not aware of this and will give you priority tags for international flights as well.

 

[dfcatch]

QC membership has only ever entitled you to priority baggage on domestic flights; however, it appears that many checkin agents were/are not aware of this and will give you priority tags for international flights as well.

Not true - it was for all "Qantas operated jet flights". There was no distinction between domestic and international.

QC and PS got the same benefits (namely Priority Checkin and "Priority" tagged baggage). Whilst SG and WP got "Business" tagged bags (WP getting "First" on Int).

Of course - that's all history now.

 

[moa999]

I suspect you did get priority baggage on that flight.
Priority baggage generally equals - last container, or last hand load
ie. last in first off

Works against you when they need to dump weight quickly.

---

Domestically with the new NGCI tags, there are no priority tags anyway.
If you don't get it at check-in, ask.

In my mind the QPs have improved quality - salads far better than i remember, pizzas preferred to mini-pies (ever since i burnt half my mouth out in PER)

 

[TheInsider]

Not true - it was for all "Qantas operated jet flights". There was no distinction between domestic and international.

QC and PS got the same benefits (namely Priority Checkin and "Priority" tagged baggage). Whilst SG and WP got "Business" tagged bags (WP getting "First" on Int).

Of course - that's all history now.

QC never were entitled to 'priority' luggage on international flights, there wasn't such a thing. Even before NGCI it would be very hard to find the orange tag at an international counter. The only tags for international have been Business (pink) and First (yellow). The only time you may get a Priority tag on your bag for an international flight would be if you came in from a domestic port, say MEL-SYD-LAX.

 

[dfcatch]

QC never were entitled to 'priority' luggage on international flights, there wasn't such a thing. Even before NGCI it would be very hard to find the orange tag at an international counter. The only tags for international have been Business (pink) and First (yellow). The only time you may get a Priority tag on your bag for an international flight would be if you came in from a domestic port, say MEL-SYD-LAX.

Well I was QP from 2001 to 2010 (when I hit SG and WP).

I flew every year from 1999 (at least once) MEL/SYD-LAX/SFO and I ALWAYS had Priority tags in both directions. (Business when lucky ).

So perhaps you are right and it "never" existed and I might just be the luckiest Int QP pax.

But IIRC the website T&C's never distinguished the Priority Baggage benefit between Dom and Int. The only condition was Qantas Operated Jet Flights.

I remember this very clearly as I had a complaint with QF one year (around 2008) when a bunch of domestic flights didn't get tagged. And QF concurred with my assertions and apologized.

YMMV

 

[whughes3]

Not true - it was for all "Qantas operated jet flights". There was no distinction between domestic and international.

QC and PS got the same benefits (namely Priority Checkin and "Priority" tagged baggage). Whilst SG and WP got "Business" tagged bags (WP getting "First" on Int).

Of course - that's all history now.

Wrong, sorry; as of 2005 (and for a long time before that IIRC) the policy was:

Your baggage will be given Priority tags when you check in for Australian and New Zealand domestic services, operated by Qantas and QantasLink. Members may also check in one extra piece of baggage on Qantas operated Australian domestic services* and New Zealand 737 domestic services, and an additional 10kg of baggage^ on international services which are marketed and operated by Qantas.

(There's no hiding from Web archive!)

 

[dfcatch]

Wrong, sorry; as of 2005 (and for a long time before that IIRC) the policy was:



(There's no hiding from Web archive!)

My mistake - I stand corrected.

Well - I consider myself extremely lucky given my 100% success in having priority tagged bags on international flights between 2001 and 2008


I checked through my archives and perhaps I am confusing the T&C's for Priority Baggage with the "Additional Baggage".

My bad!

 

[Awesom Andy]

For some reason, they still tag them business every now and then on international flights. Last year, I had it tagged business in SIN, and I let my bag went round the belt in MEL 3 times before I picked it up because I saw the tag and thought that the bag wasn't mine. :shock:

 

[samiam]

Well - I consider myself extremely lucky given my 100% success in having priority tagged bags on international flights between 2001 and 2008

I also recall receiving a purple (with white writing) 'Priority' tag for Int flights- random

I always receieved the orange 'Priority' tags when in economy, and the purple 'Business" tags when in business.

You are quite right - as a QC Member, I received Business tags on international flights.

 

[dfcatch]

I also recall receiving a purple (with white writing) 'Priority' tag for Int flights- random

I always receieved the orange 'Priority' tags when in economy, and the purple 'Business" tags when in business.

That said - my international trips always took full advantage of the additional bag allowance that QP gave me, and given bag # 3 was always an oversize bag, the priority tags were nice, but I still usually had to wait

 

[whughes3]

(deleted)...http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/qantas-club-benefits/global/en

 

[ozbeachbabe]

When the Altea checkin system was introduced during the checkin process a pop up screen will appear that says "attach priority tag" or "attach business tag" or "attach first tag" which reminded the checkin agent what tag to attach whether it be orange, pink or yellow.

However since the introduction of the Next Gen system the coloured cardboard tags have been replaced by the black priority dot or the business square symbols which print out on the thermal tags automatically. One thing that doesn't happen for some reason is the "First" symbol printing out on the tag which was meant to be a triangle.

Eg if you have a WP travelling in J SYD/LAX Altea will prompt "attach first tag" yet the symbol that prints out on the thermal tag is the black square that says 'Business'. There would be nothing to stop a checkin agent attaching the yellow tag which is probably a good idea if you have on-carrriage within the US on AA as I think their staff would take more notice of a coloured bit of cardboard rather than a tiny black dot or square.

Another issue which could affect eligible pax not receiving priority baggage could be that the thermal tags aren't tagged 'priority' or 'business' in the first place. If you checkin at a Next Gen kiosk the level of priority displayed on the bag tags will be according what the highest status of the pax would receive so if you have 3 NB & 1 WP in the same booking then all the bag tags will have the Business symbol on them.

However if you use the Premium Checkin queue the baggage will be pooled under the persons name who appears first alphabetically so if the checkin agent retrieves the surname "Williams" if the passengers all have the same surname it will display them in alphabetical order of first names eg Candy, Mandy, Randy(all NB) & Sandy (WP) the baggage will be pooled under the name Candy Williams who is only NB & is not entitled to any kind of priority baggage so therefore 'Business' will not appear on any of the thermal tags.

The workaround for the above after noting that Sandy is the WP is to retrieve the booking by Williams/Sandy which will display him as passenger 1 so when checking in all four pax if he is number one the bags will be pooled in his name & therefore have 'Business' printed on the tags.

I wonder if the scenario may sometimes be the reason why some people are not receiving the priority status they are entitled to.

 

[Groundfeeder]

Used the BNE bag drop for my CNS flight last week and bag came out >No.50 on the CNS belt:evil:
CNS only has hand scanner for NGCI at check-in on return, and bag came out No.4 in BNE

I used points upgrade at QP for J CNS-BNE to celebrate a multi-$M business deal, which shouldn't have affected my bag priority status?

 

[Simo]

I am a Plat member and my bags always seem to be the last out.

On Friday night from TSV to BNE even a heap of uni students got there bags before me.

Lets be honest Qantas doesn't understand the term "Priority"????!!!!!

 

[serfty]

Earlier this year MEL-xSYD-SIN. At MEL check-in the tags came out with the Business Symbol but the agent attached WP related Yellow First tags.

 

[Mattg]

I know this has nothing to do with priority baggage, but why on earth would an aircraft be impounded for not being certified to fly in New Zealand? That just seems so unusual...

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Used the BNE bag drop for my CNS flight last week and bag came out >No.50 on the CNS belt:evil:
CNS only has hand scanner for NGCI at check-in on return, and bag came out No.4 in BNE

I used points upgrade at QP for J CNS-BNE to celebrate a multi-$M business deal, which shouldn't have affected my bag priority status?

For the BNE/CNS sector the problem was either a) baggage handlers in BNE not loading your bag in the priority container so when it got to CNS it just came off with the regular bags or b) bag being loaded correctly in BNE into priority container but CNS not unloading priority bags first on arrival.

Re the points upgrade for CNS/BNE, it would depend at what stage that was done. As you checked in when you were still in whY & sent the bag off it would have only been tagged 'Priority' as you weren't rebooked into J until in the QP after which time your baggage had already been checked in. If you do a points upgrade at a kiosk as you are already booked in J then the bags would be tagged 'Business'.

I am a Plat member and my bags always seem to be the last out.

On Friday night from TSV to BNE even a heap of uni students got there bags before me.

Lets be honest Qantas doesn't understand the term "Priority"????!!!!!

Was your WP number in the booking & if a paper tag did it have the 'Business' logo on it? If it did it, then it's just like GF's example above - either bags were not loaded correctly in TSV into the priority container so in BNE just came off with the regular bags or they were loaded correctly in TSV but BNE didn't unload priority bags first.

Earlier this year MEL-xSYD-SIN. At MEL check-in the tags came out with the Business Symbol but the agent attached WP related Yellow First tags.

It appears that if you have a domestic sector first eg the above example your bags will have either the 'Priority' or 'Business ' symbol on the thermal tag however if your first flight is an international flight number eg QF93/QF15/QF11 those symbols won't appear however the checkin agent to put on the correct coloured piece of pink or yellow cardboard.

My understanding is even if they forgot to attached the pink or yellow tag, when the thermal tag is scanned in the baggage makeup area it will indicate where it is to be loaded so the checkin agent saw the prompt "attached business tag" the scanner the baggage handlers have would indicate the same as what is in Altea is reflected in the info on the thermal tag & thereby on the scanner.