Q-tags, only used by Qantas? How are they used?

[Anna]

As the tag goes past a reader it emits its unique identifier.

At least twice, QF has told me that the reason my bag did not arrive as expected was because the reader failed to read the Qtag and manual intervention was required which caused delayed bag arrival.

Now I just don't bother with the Qtag and I go straight to the desk for a person to put a paper tag on for me.

 

[eminere]

Now I just don't bother with the Qtag and I go straight to the desk for a person to put a paper tag on for me.

Same here. I usually enjoy my interactions with the staff working the premium service desks too.

 

[juddles]

Not my understanding how of they work. As the tag goes past a reader it emits its unique identifier. No more, no less. When you check-in they scan the tag and associate the tag ID with your flight details. Nothing is written to the tag. When it comes to the next scan point, the computer picks up the tag ID again and looks it up on the Qantas computer system to see who it is associated with for that trip and where the bag needs to go.

So the tag doesn't retain information. The Qantas computer system should clear it out after the bag has arrived at the destination. It will also be time stamped.

Daver6, I was wondering about exactly that - how do the chips actually work.... You appear to more up there with technology than many of us on this forum - I struggle with mobile phones and the concept of an "app" !!!!!

I wonder whether specific scenarios cause problems - for example, recently I arrived into an airport on Qantas, then immediately connected to an Alliance flight (obviously first claiming my bag then checking it in with Alliance). I do not use the tags, but if I did, this would create a situation where a bag has just arrived into an airport, any Qantas sensor will say that is it's final destination, and will not "know" that there is an onwards flight.

 

[TomVexille]

I agree, I'm that odd millennial that enjoys being served by people instead of doing it myself whether that's at the airport checking in or at the supermarket.

 

[RooFlyer]

I agree, I'm that odd millennial that enjoys being served by people instead of doing it myself whether that's at the airport checking in or at the supermarket.

Ah, so you are a young fogey .

 

[TomVexille]

Ah, so you are a young fogey .

I suppose you could say that

 

[Pushka]

Ah, so you are a young fogey .

He’s younger than one of my sons. But even I use self serve.

 

[TomVexille]

He’s younger than one of my sons. But even I use self serve.

I'll occasionally use the self serve. But pretty much only with a max of 3 items.

 

[flyingfan]

I returned from USA a couple years ago and found the tag in my bag wrapped in aluminium foil.

I had this happen to me too. Those American baggage handlers must hate us QF flyers - "Hold the belt dude, another of those dumb tags from down under we gotta grab and wrap..."

 

[large]

Do they also use RFID tags or the old paper tags with bar codes?

My flight is a charter flight to a gas field in South West QLD. We check in opposite the Qantas Valet desk at the far end of the terminal and utilise Qantas staff to check us in and usher us across the tarmac to the F70. They use printed tickets with a bar code.

Our company utilises Alliance out of BNE. Same deal.

 

[large]

Could that be because their baggage-sorting line is near or intersects that of QF, I wonder? But even if it did, a Q-tag not checked in against a pax with QF for a flight around that time should be null, I would have thought.

I'm not up to speed on these Qtags but I am of the understanding that potentially the baggage handling software may detect a Q tag and go with the last bit of info on it. I'm supposing that maybe there has been a few issues for Alliance to issue such a warning.

 

[Lynda2475]

I've got red (qantas club) and silver q tags and have never been brave enough to rely on them - something about the paper tag gives me comfort that there is something obvious to baggage handlers about where my bag is headed.

 

[cwphoto]

I'm not up to speed on these Qtags but I am of the understanding that potentially the baggage handling software may detect a Q tag and go with the last bit of info on it. I'm supposing that maybe there has been a few issues for Alliance to issue such a warning.

The tags don't hold trip details though - more likely for the warning from Alliance is that the scanner may scan the incorrect tag and can't correlate the ID in the system, returning an error.

You see this happen sometimes with Opal/Myki if you keep both cards near each other when tapping on/off.

 

[DC3]

At least twice, QF has told me that the reason my bag did not arrive as expected was because the reader failed to read the Qtag and manual intervention was required which caused delayed bag arrival.

Now I just don't bother with the Qtag and I go straight to the desk for a person to put a paper tag on for me.

I have never used those tags, probably because I see no benefit. Just use my usual non-descript tags.

I see quite a few on carry-on.

 

[Daver6]

I wonder whether specific scenarios cause problems - for example, recently I arrived into an airport on Qantas, then immediately connected to an Alliance flight (obviously first claiming my bag then checking it in with Alliance). I do not use the tags, but if I did, this would create a situation where a bag has just arrived into an airport, any Qantas sensor will say that is it's final destination, and will not "know" that there is an onwards flight.

I'm only speculating here...but perhaps. It would all come down to how their software is implemented for handling such things. If I was implementing it, I'd put a RFID scanner on the carousel belt, just before the bag comes out. At this scan point I would mark it as delivered. Therefore any further scans at the airport wouldn't associate that bad with the flight I've just been on. Suspect there might need to be a slightly smarter way of doing that, but you get my gist.

I've got red (qantas club) and silver q tags and have never been brave enough to rely on them - something about the paper tag gives me comfort that there is something obvious to baggage handlers about where my bag is headed.

You do realise those paper tickets are still automatically scanned, just using bar codes instead of RFID chips for determining which flight they get loaded on to?

 

[Lynda2475]

You do realise those paper tickets are still automatically scanned, just using bar codes instead of RFID chips for determining which flight they get loaded on to?

Understand that, but in all the decades I've been travelling only 1 bag ever went to the wrong place with a paper tag. A good friend has had her Q tag bags end up in the wrong destination on 4 trips in the last year.

As i have to check myself in anyway, i figure just as easy to get the paper tag as not.

 

[JohnM]

I see quite a few on carry-on.

Mere posing....

 

[cwphoto]

In defence of the tags, I've never had a bag go missing (probably done at least 50 domestic flights with them) and they do make checking in bags very efficient.

 

[nanks85]

Had a bad experience with the Q Tags in 2016. My main bag didn’t scan right at the business counter. It does store the information the from your previous fight you take. Instead of going to Canberra, it arrived in Cairns. 4 days later, lots of phone calls and some compensation from Qantas to buy clothes. I got my bag back. Then i I sold my Q Tags on eBay as I was left unimpressed and back to go old paper tags. Burnt once and never again with those.