Has Virgin dispensed with the orange PRIORITY baggage tags?

[ozstamps]

2 weeks back flying SYD-MEL and checking bags the agent did not have the tags. Went looking to a few other booths there and said "we have just run out - sorry about that".

No big deal really and thought nothing more of it.

Flew back this week DUB-PER on Etihad and needed to clear customs in Perth and take the bags across to Virgin to check onto SYD flight. They already had a SYD tag, and the bland Etihad priority tag.

Asked agent to please add the Virgin orange tag as it was the large A330 and wanted bags off first, so as to get in front on cab line as it was last Virgin flight of the night, and wait can be long for cabs then.

Perth staffer says "we have dispended with them now Sir .. the computer scanning detects your bag is Priority and they go in a separate container". Sounded a bit BS to me and asked just for peace of mind could she tag the bags anyway, and reply was "we do not even have them here now sir".

She indicated it was a new system started this month.

Might be baloney, but can't imagine why she'd make it up to a Plat on a Biz class ticket, and it seemed she simply did not have the orange tags.

Anyone else seen this lately?

 

[Punky]

Aren't they just for show?

 

[Bibendum]

Have used virgin self check in a bit in Perth and never had issue with bags not coming out first.. Flights have mostly been to ZNE and PBO.

On the way back, check-in agents have always had tags available..

Maybe it just for the west - east / east - west routes.

 

[roby]

Aren't they just for show?

Yes, largely for DYKWIA moments.

 

[OzEire]

No tags avail on my recent flight. Lovely agent added another random brightly coloured tag instead, told me the handlers just look for any flash of colour on the tag and grab them first.

 

[dec540]

Had tags both ways on a SYD-BNE and BNE-SYD trip last week.

 

[serfty]

Last Saturday I received one for my MEL-LAX flight.

(Yes I do occasionally check luggage - the wine was yum! )

 

[Major]

Had the Orange tags yesterday from OOL-SYD and bag came out first

 

[Lemon_Party]

PER-BNE last week and as they've gone down the self check in, tag and despatch yourself approach to baggage, no priority tags to be found.

The bag label had priority printed on it, but had to look for it - just looked like a normal sticker. All worked ok though with bag off first so they must scan and order them on the plane properly.

Returning from BNE yesterday and orange labels were back in vogue. Had a 50 minute turn in MEL (why fly direct when you can connect?) which as it turned out was too tight for my bag, but courier had it at our house by 7:30am.

 

[farstar]

As a Platinum I flew Sydney to Adelaide today and no priority written anyway on the tags. My bag did a have a green tag with "group D" written on it, not sure what that is about. My bags came out maybe in the middle.

 

[Major]

As a Platinum I flew Sydney to Adelaide today and no priority written anyway on the tags. My bag did a have a green tag with "group D" written on it, not sure what that is about. My bags came out maybe in the middle.

I had the same green tag from SYD-OOL this evening. The bag sort of came out early

 

[andyhui01]

No tag in Syd. But the check in agent reused my existing one on my bag

 

[grubbidok]

I had the tags last week. But as with all my flights on VA or QF tags or not there is no rhyme or reason as to when they will come out (came out early on way up, nearly last on way back).

 

[Lord_Lenny]

I had the same green tag from SYD-OOL this evening. The bag sort of came out early

Same here, just done SYD-MEL, MEL-SYD this weekend, no priority label but something that said Group D (I think) came out around the middle of the pack both times.

Perhaps it would be better to attach my own tags and self check rather than use the counter then??

 

[BRIS_VA_HAWK]

Had priority tags on my BNE-MKY and CNS-BNE legs earlier this month and surprisingly my bags came out first in both MKY and home in BNE. Having said that, it's been hit and miss on previous arrivals in BNE, SYD & MEL...to the point where I was tempted to ask check in not to put the tags on and see if my bags came first

 

[fewings85]

i was a little bit confused about this issue as well. I had always been getting the priority tags placed on my bags Late last year i did a PER - SYD - PER and had the tag on it both flights, two weeks later did PER - MEL and it had it. Then a few days after that i did MEL - SYD - PER.

On both those last two legs they didn't put any priority tag on. After the first leg my bag literally came out dead last, not kidding dead last. I was a little annoyed but what can you do a i brushed it off as a one off error. Then i did the SYD - PER leg and again no tag, not quite last but not quite n the middle, probably slightly towards the end. Didn't notice any grouping tags or anything on my bag either. Was a little annoyed again so i emailed customer service telling them what happened. Funnily enough got an apology and 10,000 Velocity points credited to my account so I'd say that's a win.

Took PER - MEL - PER and 2 x PER - SYD - PER earlier this year from what i can remember although i may be wrong they all had tags on it again however they never really came out as "priority" from the carousel so i don't really know whether those tags really mean much. A couple times was more to the middle, but some of the times it was pretty close to the first off.

 

[Maz11]

Flew Sydney - Brisbane - Cairns today , No priority tags put on and my bags almost last out .

 

[jasecao]

flights last week Sydney to Brisbane on 23rd, had Orange Group, bag was one of the first out and Brisbane to Sydney on the 24th had Priority tag, 3rd bag out, the very few times it has seemed to work.

had a Sydney to Launceston flight last year that had a priority tag and was 2nd last bag out!

 

[Dannyism]

Anyone else seen this lately?

Yes this happened to me recently. Plat flying J LAX-BNE-MEL.

What really pissed me off though, is at the transfer desk at Brisbane I asked if the lady could please attach a tag, to which she replied yes. Bags turn up in MEL... no orange tag.

Like seriously wtf. Not that big a deal, I wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't see this thread. But yeah it just blew my mind.

 

[Denali]

Is anyone complaining about this on Facebook or Twitter? If yes, any response?