NGCI & Priority Baggage

[avi8or]

Hi All,

New forum member here from SYD. I would just like to enquire about the priority baggage handling (if any exists) for SG memebers with the next gen check-in system. This afternoon I was checking-in at the QF dom transfer facility in T1. The kind agent informed me that they do not have the Q-bag tag technology as yet at the transfer facility which strikes me as very stranges as the facility was recently upgraded. He proceeded to tag my luggage but did not affix any prioirty tags, when I asked him about this he said the system automatically sorts the bags according to priority based on information on the bag-tag is this correct or just a load of BS and no prioirty actually exists any more for SG's. I have seen in T3 when J class or WP travellers print their own tags it will come up with a little square with business written in it, I assume this is the replacement for the current purple business tags. Is there any plan to have this applied to SG members also?. Finally, I am flying back into SYD on Sunday from HVB (via BNE) whenever I fly out of HVB my baggage always gets tagged prioirty, is this also likely to be abolished as QF aims to streamline the check-in process netwrok wide? Once again thanks for all your input and its great to be part of this forum.

 

[TheInsider]

As stated in other threads. The colored tags are redundent in the new baggage system and have really been for a while. The tags are only there for the customer as the baggage tag barcode has the baggage tag information in there and where it should be loaded.

 

[samh004]

The bag tag will (no matter what colour it is) record your flight information and status, on each use, then machines in the background (supposedly) read this information and get the bag to your flight, and in the right spot for "priority". When it gets to your destination (hopefully with you), the baggage handlers should then unload the bags in such a way that the priority bags are first (though this doesn’t always happen).

The tags are only there for the customer as the baggage tag barcode has the baggage tag information in there and where it should be loaded.

The chip stores the information, not the barcode. As a chip can be read from any orientation but a barcode cannot.

 

[avi8or]

Many thanks for the reply QFCSA,

Thought that might be the case! So I take it all SG bags are then not loaded in same section as say WP or CL bags?

 

[beardoc]

The bag tag will (no matter what colour it is) record your flight information and status, on each use, then machines in the background (supposedly) read this information and get the bag to your flight, and in the right spot for "priority". When it gets to your destination (hopefully with you), the baggage handlers should then unload the bags in such a way that the priority bags are first (though this doesn’t always happen).

Has it been people's experience that the NGCI RFID bag tags still give priority? I didn't have a good experience with them this morning from SYD-CNS, but then this was my first flight with the bag tags as a WP - I haven't had any others as yet.

 

[medhead]

The chip stores the information, not the barcode. As a chip can be read from any orientation but a barcode cannot.

I read the OP to be about printed bag tags not NGCI ones.

Has it been people's experience that the NGCI RFID bag tags still give priority?

I'm not sure about experience, but apparently when the NGCI RFID chip is coded with you flight details it is supposed to also pick up priority details.

 

[pshepvic]

When it gets to your destination (hopefully with you), the baggage handlers should then unload the bags in such a way that the priority bags are first (though this doesn’t always happen).

I've found Melbourne the worst in this regard - not only is it the slowest airport (IMHO slowest in the world) for baggage handling, but also the worst for priority baggage recognition.

 

[Groundfeeder]

Has it been people's experience that the NGCI RFID bag tags still give priority?

I'd like to think this is so as my bag was No.4 on the carousel at BNE this week!! I usually stop counting at 50.

 

[Turbo-g]

My faith in the Priority system has been blown over the last few years. After returning from a trip to India pre NGCI i had a yellow 'FIRST' tag on my backpack but this seemed to amuse the handlers (who im sure were watching through their trapdoor) to see how long they could delay my bag until it came out! I have yet to really test the system with Q tags and bags as of yet as i usually only have carry on but in the next few days my faith will hopefully be restored

 

[Stealth]

Recent experience (also fed back to QF) was that priority baggage was a joke on a recent SYD-PER leg. E-tagged Platinum came off last by a long way. No doubt it was a SYD loading issue as normally this is not an issue in PER.
The only thing worse than the baggage handling was the appalling food! Without doubt the worst since the demise of Ansett ( I include the sandwiches on the PER-MEL flights in those days). Thanks Mr McPerry. No wait, a McPerry would probably have tasted better.

 

[LiamR]

I've found Melbourne the worst in this regard - not only is it the slowest airport (IMHO slowest in the world) for baggage handling, but also the worst for priority baggage recognition.

45min wait for me last week at MEL. I'm not talking from landing, I mean 45mins standing at baggage claim. Mine was about 4th out. But 45mins is a shocking ammount of time to wait.

 

[anat0l]

45min wait for me last week at MEL. I'm not talking from landing, I mean 45mins standing at baggage claim. Mine was about 4th out. But 45mins is a shocking ammount of time to wait.

I agree. By any sense of the word any where in the world that is absolutely appalling. There's been luggage delivered faster in airports affected by snow delay, or Day 1 Of New Airport And The Baggage System's Stuffed syndrome.

For a poor performance like that the entire QF baggage handling team at MEL should be taken out and shot. Literally. Did I already say that was absolutely, atrociously appalling? I'm literally seething right now as to how such incompetence can be so real. Unless this is the union go-slow bullying tactics at play (in which case we definitely need to shoot them).

Allow me to conclude: absolutely ridiculous. I hope you put in a most stern complaint.

 

[pshepvic]

45min wait for me last week at MEL. I'm not talking from landing, I mean 45mins standing at baggage claim. Mine was about 4th out. But 45mins is a shocking ammount of time to wait.

I've waited up to an hour at the carousel in Melbourne. What's particularly frustrating is when you have a driver pick you up and they have to wait for an hour as well. It's embarrassing.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

l've waited up to 45 minutes at Perth, so this is not an isolated case at MEL.

 

[dfcatch]

I agree. By any sense of the word any where in the world that is absolutely appalling. There's been luggage delivered faster in airports affected by snow delay, or Day 1 Of New Airport And The Baggage System's Stuffed syndrome.

For a poor performance like that the entire QF baggage handling team at MEL should be taken out and shot. Literally. Did I already say that was absolutely, atrociously appalling? I'm literally seething right now as to how such incompetence can be so real. Unless this is the union go-slow bullying tactics at play (in which case we definitely need to shoot them).

Allow me to conclude: absolutely ridiculous. I hope you put in a most stern complaint.

I couldn't agree more!!

My problem is that this isn't a one-off occurrence. Baggage in Australian ports is regularly this late.

And my pet peeve is that the union has the audacity to ask for more. Personally I say sack them all and employ some offshore contractors to do the job - anything has to be better.

Alternatively, the union could actually make an effort to impress the travelling public with their work efforts and then I would support their claims.

Unfortunately they seem to feel that they don't have to work, don't have to perform, and that the public are only there to be inconvenienced by their industrial action as they see it as their right to hold a gun to the head of management without actually delivering proven performance results!!

Rant over.

But seriously guys, make an effort and actually get some bags out.

 

[medhead]

Wow. Get a grip people. The union doesn't actually do any work and has no control over the employees. It is the responsibility of which ever employer is doing baggage services.

Aren't baggage services contracted out by qantas? If so, try blaming the subcontractor for a start. Are they employing enough staff, or are they trying to do it on the cheap to maximize profit? A subcontractor also kills any idea of unions "bullying" qantas for more money, as well.

Again if qantas staff are doing the baggage, has qantas employed enough people to get the job done? Or are they trying to do it on the cheap.

Frankly employer under resourcing is more believable to me.

 

[serfty]

I can't really comment about priority baggage here as the only time I check anything, it requires special handling in any case. (e.g. Golf Clubs)

Note that for QF Domestic Jet flights the carry-on limit is 2 x 105cm (41in) bags of up to 7kg each for all classes.

 

[dfcatch]

I can't really comment about priority baggage here as the only time I check anything, it requires special handling in any case. (e.g. Golf Clubs)

Note that for QF Domestic Jet flights the carry-on limit is 2 x 105cm (41in) bags of up to 7kg each for all classes.

Special baggage like golf clubs / skis etc is an interesting one when it comes to priority baggage.

It has almost nothing to do with one's status and is just luck of the draw as to how quick oversize bags come out.

I've been lucky where they have come out before all the other bags. Conversely I've been stuck waiting an additional 30 odd mins for the oversize after normal bags.

So I don't judge priority performance on this angle.

Medhead - fair points, but unless someone can correct me, my understanding is baggage handlers=union and vice versa. This week's papers certainly state that the union (Inc. Baggage handlers) are threatening all sorts of action.

Qantas is ultimately responsible for the performance of baggage delivery / priority baggage and the success or failure of NGCI priority bags (as this topic is about).

But the observation stands - as a whole - Australian baggage delivery is a shocker.

But i am prepared to wait and see if automated NGCI systems improve the priority delivery.

 

[LiamR]

Since I was carrying a large ammount of computer equiptment to MEL I knew I'd have to check in baggage again (This was my second time on a Dom flight in the last year or so.)

I got off my flight and found my bag was already spinning around. Someone at Qantas must be reading this!..

Saying that, it's proabley just luck, baggage in Australia, is always hit and miss.

 

[anat0l]

Wow. Get a grip people. The union doesn't actually do any work and has no control over the employees. It is the responsibility of which ever employer is doing baggage services.

Aren't baggage services contracted out by qantas? If so, try blaming the subcontractor for a start. Are they employing enough staff, or are they trying to do it on the cheap to maximize profit? A subcontractor also kills any idea of unions "bullying" qantas for more money, as well.

Again if qantas staff are doing the baggage, has qantas employed enough people to get the job done? Or are they trying to do it on the cheap.

Frankly employer under resourcing is more believable to me.

Medhead - fair points, but unless someone can correct me, my understanding is baggage handlers=union and vice versa. This week's papers certainly state that the union (Inc. Baggage handlers) are threatening all sorts of action.

Qantas is ultimately responsible for the performance of baggage delivery / priority baggage and the success or failure of NGCI priority bags (as this topic is about).

But the observation stands - as a whole - Australian baggage delivery is a shocker.

Of course Qantas is responsible ultimately for the performance of baggage delivery but that is always going to be the case inherently. What is more important, as you say medhead, is to find out at what level is the root cause of the problem. Whilst I firmly believe baggage handlers are unionised and they are being rallied by their union big shots to campaign for more and more and more, you may hold a different view.

What we can all agree on is that that metric of a 45 or 60 min wait for bags at MEL T1 is atrocious to say the very least (in fact, unless it is snowing outside, it's World War III or Mount Kosciuszko starts erupting (not likely at all!) or one of the others on the East East Island starts spewing ash towards us, then waiting 45 minutes for any flight in any Australian port is completely unacceptable). So I don't care who has to be shot. :evil::evil::evil::evil::evil::evil: Whether it be the subcontractor (if that is the model), the baggage handlers themselves, Alan Joyce or everyone in between - shoot them all I say. To have a performance metric of such poor magnitude is inexcusable. I don't know how to put that any clearer without a Call to Arms notice, which would be in vain since gun control is active in Australia (whilst I support gun control in general, it seems that democracy and capitalism in the last decade is making a much bigger case for the need to allow the public to have guns...) :evil:

But i am prepared to wait and see if automated NGCI systems improve the priority delivery.

NGCI doesn't deliver any faster luggage - it just has to be organised in a different way. Delivering faster luggage involves getting it off the plane quicker, driving it to the baggage reclaim bay quicker and then unloading onto the belt quicker. NGCI won't do that and any idiot worth two bits who thought it would lead to faster delivery is absolutely kidding themselves; the only solution is baggage handlers have to work faster, or smarter, or both, and/or we need more of them.


Once again I make the point - until the integrity of people is linked to their existence then nothing will ever improve, especially in Australia.