Slow baggage delivery at Melbourne

[marty_gc]

Flew into Melbourne Sat lunchtime with four checked bags - all tagged with priority. Once in Melbourne first bag with priority tags arrived on carousel 10–15 mins after landing. Other three bags were finally delivered approx 30 mins after landing - and the priority tags were missing off all of them.
Wondering if this is a common issue for Melbourne?

Recent travels to OOL, CNS and BNE have all been excellent with bags arriving within minutes of being at carousel.
If this was out of the ordinary, how about some customer service and let everyone know there has been a delay. The oversized baggage area is next to the carousel and had staff standing around while I was there.

 

[abefroman]

Flew into Melbourne Sat lunchtime with four checked bags - all tagged with priority. Once in Melbourne first bag with priority tags arrived on carousel 10–15 mins after landing. Other three bags were finally delivered approx 30 mins after landing - and the priority tags were missing off all of them.
Wondering if this is a common issue for Melbourne?

Recent travels to OOL, CNS and BNE have all been excellent with bags arriving within minutes of being at carousel.
If this was out of the ordinary, how about some customer service and let everyone know there has been a delay. The oversized baggage area is next to the carousel and had staff standing around while I was there.

I had the same issue arriving at MEL on Sunday night.

 

[jakeseven7]

Flew into Melbourne Sat lunchtime with four checked bags - all tagged with priority. Once in Melbourne first bag with priority tags arrived on carousel 10–15 mins after landing. Other three bags were finally delivered approx 30 mins after landing - and the priority tags were missing off all of them.
Wondering if this is a common issue for Melbourne?

Recent travels to OOL, CNS and BNE have all been excellent with bags arriving within minutes of being at carousel.
If this was out of the ordinary, how about some customer service and let everyone know there has been a delay. The oversized baggage area is next to the carousel and had staff standing around while I was there.

So a baggage contractor ripped the priority tags of all of the bags....? Or did the check in person not put them on to begin with? that is strange...

 

[Saab34]

Virgin Melbourne baggage isn’t outsourced either, only International is.

 

[TomVexille]

Wasn't an issue yesterday

 

[Ade]

did the check in person not put them on to begin with? that is strange...

I think the OP mentioned that "all tagged with priority" - makes me think that the check-in agent put the tags, but they were missing on arrival. My hunch is the tags were damaged or got wet (not sure if it rained anywhere when OP was on travelling)

In my experience, on international, with transits, sometimes, I have had the priority tags missing on my bags. This happened March this year. Flew QF CBR-SYD-SIN, UL SIN-CMB-MAA. Checked in 3 bags. On arrival in MAA, 2 of my bags were pretty much the last ones to arrive and the priority tags were removed. The one bag with the priority tag on, was one of the first ones on the belt. I remember the check-in agent in CBR put the priority tags on all the bags.

So my theory is, QF, given that I'm WP put on the priority tags. But when the bags were transferred from QF to UL in SIN, UL baggage systems person (not the handler) removed the priority tags because I'm not a SG or WP with FlySmiles? The QF priority tag might have been alien to him or the tags were simply damaged and were removed.

Should note - this hasn't happened even once when code sharing with CX. The first maroon tag stays intact until the destination.

 

[jakeseven7]

In my experience, on international, with transits, sometimes, I have had the priority tags missing on my bags. This happened March this year. Flew QF CBR-SYD-SIN, UL SIN-CMB-MAA. Checked in 3 bags. On arrival in MAA, 2 of my bags were pretty much the last ones to arrive and the priority tags were removed. The one bag with the priority tag on, was one of the first ones on the belt. I remember the check-in agent in CBR put the priority tags on all the bags.

Seems strange that the Virgin staff and contractors would manually remove the tags - seems a bit too coincidental that all got accidentally ripped off that's for sure

 

[Harrison_133]

From experience recently, Melbourne baggage delivery has been haphazard. Priority baggage is personally one of my biggest gripes (I’ve been known to send in feedback about it). Melbourne seems to be the best at disregarding it. Every other port I’ve checked bags to over the last few months have been excellent with putting the priority bags out first. Melbourne has more often than not, it’s put out in any order. Only having 2 carousels at the moment because of the construction works doesn’t make baggage collection any easier. Most of the time both belts have multiple flights at once. Hopefully when they get the third belt back it improves some what.

Other three bags were finally delivered approx 30 mins after landing - and the priority tags were missing off all of them.

Did you see them attach the orange priority tag at check-in, or could you tell they had been ripped off somehow? I make a habit of checking they’ve put one on, after some staff forgot to attach them. Even though a “P” is printed on the tag, I don’t think the baggage handlers look for the Orange tag.

 

[marty_gc]

Thanks for the replies. All bags were checked in by me and I saw the priority tags attached to all four bags. Interestingly they used rubber bands on the tags and attached to bag handles, instead of “sticking” then inside the standard bag labels.
It wasn’t raining when we landed so don’t think that was an issue.
Flying back into Melbourne next week (admittedly solo) so see what happens then.

 

[jakeseven7]

Thanks for the replies. All bags were checked in by me and I saw the priority tags attached to all four bags. Interestingly they used rubber bands on the tags and attached to bag handles, instead of “sticking” then inside the standard bag labels.
It wasn’t raining when we landed so don’t think that was an issue.
Flying back into Melbourne next week (admittedly solo) so see what happens then.

How strange. Good luck on your return and hopefully your bags form encounter the same fate, disgruntled Virgin baggage contractor or whatever happened!