Priority Baggage frustrations - QFi arrivals.

[SeatBackForward]

So for perhaps the 3rd or 4th trip from the USA, I'm utterly disappointed by QFi's treatment of "Priority Baggage".

I was stood at the carousel waiting for almost one hour as my bag, tagged with the orange "Oneworld Priority" bag was in (perhaps) the last group of bags arriving onto the carousel.

Is this a QF issue at SYD airport, just a SYD airport issue? or something that goes wrong during transit at the last USA port? But either way it happening at least three out of the last four trips cannot just be bad luck. FWIW, the bags are being check in that Flagship check-in desks in the US

 

[elanshin]

Is this a QF issue at SYD airport, just a SYD airport issue? or something that goes wrong during transit at the last USA port? But either way it happening at least three out of the last four trips cannot just be bad luck. FWIW, the bags are being check in that Flagship check-in desks in the US

It's hard to know whos actually at fault. Can be any of the parties involved.

My business class tagged bags last time did come out instantly within 15mins of gate arrival at SYD but I was coming direct from HND.

Without someone on the inside specifically for your flight (or some sort of tracker) its impossible to tell if if Sydney airport messing up or they incorrectly loaded it in the States or even the first domestic flight if you're on multiple connections with through checked.

Yes it should be better, but ultimately there's too many variables to work out whos at fault. Could be all of them for all we know.

 

[Himeno]

My business tagged bag was out at SYD fairly early off QF26. Not in the first batch, likely in the 2nd container.

 

[jpp42]

My understanding is that the contracts with baggage handling outsourcers give them no, or very poor, incentives to handle priority bags properly - so most baggage handlers in Sydney do not bother. I'm not sure about other ports, but certainly in Sydney it's not uncommon for them to come out middle or last.

Crew bags meanwhile always come out in the first or second batch, so they clearly do have the facility to prioritise if needed, but they actively choose not to.

 

[SeatBackForward]

It's hard to know whos actually at fault. Can be any of the parties involved.

My business class tagged bags last time did come out instantly within 15mins of gate arrival at SYD but I was coming direct from HND.

Without someone on the inside specifically for your flight (or some sort of tracker) its impossible to tell if if Sydney airport messing up or they incorrectly loaded it in the States or even the first domestic flight if you're on multiple connections with through checked.

Yes it should be better, but ultimately there's too many variables to work out whos at fault. Could be all of them for all we know.

Which I could accept as an occasional thing. And I appreciate I'm only one data point in a sea of data points, but my experience is that this is not occasional.

 

[elanshin]

Which I could accept as an occasional thing. And I appreciate I'm only one data point in a sea of data points, but my experience is that this is not occasional.

It could also be a US thing depending on how its loaded on that side by the handlers there.

If the priority bin is loaded first and all the way at the back, theres very little they can do in Sydney. Given that some locations do see priority bags processed correctly, i suspect its more of a problem with where and how it's loaded.

 

[SeatBackForward]

It could also be a US thing depending on how its loaded on that side by the handlers there.

If the priority bin is loaded first and all the way at the back, theres very little they can do in Sydney. Given that some locations do see priority bags processed correctly, i suspect its more of a problem with where and how it's loaded.

This might be closer to the truth, all those occasions I mention have been from the US where I've had a connection from another city.

 

[SYD]

This might be closer to the truth, all those occasions I mention have been from the US where I've had a connection from another city.

Also, did you connect to QF from elsewhere in the US or just the QF flight? Connecting bags could end up anywhere in the loading lottery if not handled appropriately…

 

[SeatBackForward]

Also, did you connect to QF from elsewhere in the US or just the QF flight? Connecting bags could end up anywhere in the loading lottery if not handled appropriately…

Always a connection.

 

[Quickstatus]

Always a connection.

I assume priority baggage is always a gimmick. I have always seen non priority baggage come out before priority baggage.

 

[madrooster]

Crew bags meanwhile always come out in the first or second batch, so they clearly do have the facility to prioritise if needed, but they actively choose not to.

Crew bags generally go in the bulk hold up the back of the aircraft (that's the loose hold at the very back). This is often unloaded quite quickly as they are loose items.

Often, but not always, priority bags also get loaded in the bulk hold and this is generally when you find they appear on the belt quite quickly. This is the reason behind why some airlines/ports can offer later check in cut offs for priority-eligible pax - the bulk hold is loaded later than the main hold and so therefore they don't finalise the bulk hold make up as early as the main hold.

In contrast the main forward/rear holds are containerised and these take much longer to unload, so if the priority bags happen to be in the main hold, then this is why they take a while to come out.

 

[k_sheep]

Interesting comparison point too - when hubby and I went on a trip over the last few weeks, without fail his suitcase was within the first handful of bags. My backpack was always at least 40+ bags in. Guess it's to do with the loading of the 'easier' suitcases.

 

[Quickstatus]

bulk hold

Then maybe they should have priority tags that say "priority bulk hold", otherwise it will just be containerised

 

[Daver6]

Perhaps a little off topic...

Why does it take a good 30 minutes after landing for bags to start coming out?! Every single time! Then of course priority bags never come out first either. It's a lottery.

Arriving into ADL last month I was in row 4. So pretty quick to get to the baggage carousel and bags were coming out within a minute of getting there.

If QF want to solve the problem of people taking too much carry on onboard, they need to resolve this issue first!

 

[Captain Halliday]

It's hard to know whos actually at fault. Can be any of the parties involved.

I get that with multiple parties involved there multiple potential points of failure.

But in my mind, as a passenger, there’s no doubt that the fault lies with QF.

I have paid for a service, and part of that contract is priority baggage.

As the client, I don’t care if QF outsource the process. But ultimately QF is responsible for delivering (pun intended) all the things in the contract.

Now I live in the real world and enforcing such things in a contract is near impossible. So I take other options… like other carriers or HLO.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

For overseas travel, on the larger aircraft, they use the big huge wheelie bin sort of thing.
This could be why it takes so long.
For QFi short haul 737s, they use the same system as on QFd flights, ie, a team physically loads and unloads the 737.
The big wheelie thing bin, needs that scissor lift to come from its parking zone, and then the plane doors for the hatch opens, have spent a lot of time watching those wide body planes being loaded and unloaded.

 

[Quickstatus]

For overseas travel, on the larger aircraft, they use the big huge wheelie bin sort of thing.

They are called ULD - Unit Load devices. Or just LD. Basically containers.
There are different sizes depending on the soecific aircraft

 

[justinbrett]

Had the opposite problem in HNL a few weeks ago, took about 30 mins to get through immigration, bags were coming out as we got to the carousel - waited a good 10 minutes of watching other people’s bags, until a worker went around saying all the priority bags have already been taken off and are sitting in the corner.

 

[drron]

I assume priority baggage is always a gimmick. I have always seen non priority baggage come out before priority baggage.

Not in some places particularly Japan where our priority baggage has always been in the first group off.
Also when we have flown BA F to SIN our bags have always been by the carousel when we get there even though the carousel has no other bags on it.

 

[muppet]

OT

Travelling the US and my experiences hence:

United: LAX-DEN-FCA in First Class no Status , bags first off after about 10mins.
Alaska: FCA-SEA in First Class as OWE, bags in the first half dozen or so (didn’t count but it was early) after 20mins.
United: YVR-LAX-DEN in First Class no Status, bags ready as soon as I got to carousel (DEN is absurdly large with a long walk).
United: DEN-IAH-CUN in First Class no Status, bags in first half dozen (but it did take about 35mins).


Back OT

Last LAX-MEL in F Class in 2022 was at least 200-300 bags in before the yellow tags arrived. Over an hour for sure (although was over 50mins for all the economy bags delivered ahead of me ).

My point - everyone else can deliver….