When is Priority Baggage Delivery not Priority Baggage Delivery

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  • LuganoPirate
    Participant

    I see many Frequent Flyer programmes offer priority baggage delivery as one of the reasons for attaining status with them. Now I’m not moaning about the privileges but I do question whether this is one benefit that can be truly be delivered, or is it out of the airlines hands?

    The reason I ask this is despite being Gold with Swiss, my bags are only sometimes among the first to be delivered and on a couple of occasions among the last. However, Sunday I returned from New York to Milan, with Emirates, and me being Gold and Travelling First. One colleague is Silver and was in business and the final one Economy with no status.

    We all checked in at the same time and at the respective desk for our class (airport was empty). On arrival among the first cases delivered was our colleague from Economy, about 20 bags later followed my other colleagues bag and finally after another 20 or so arrived my bag.

    As I said, I’m not complaining and apart from some gentle ribbing it made no difference, but i simply question if airlines and their FF programmes can really deliver on this benefit?


    CathayLoyalist2
    Participant

    I have had the same experience. It is down to whether priority bags are loaded into a container for that purpose and loaded last ( thus off loaded first) or whether at the destination airport the priority containers are unloaded first. I would say my bags have been in the first 20 bags 20% of the time, middle order 60% of the time and last 20% of the time. On many occasions the bags come up mixed up between priority and non priority and this is at many airports around the world. Over sized bags seem to be delivered quickly from my observations


    esselle
    Participant

    LP

    I think the issue will always exist when airlines contract to local ground handlers away from their home base. Unless the SLA has big penalties attached for non compliance, the ground handler will default to whatever is easiest.


    TominScotland
    Participant

    Lugano

    I also suspect it depends on the type of aircraft and the way that bags are loaded. When I check bags through to Glasgow via LHR (usually on a narrow body for the final leg), invariably those bags that are tagged from London appear first followed by bags that have transited (like their owners) in LHR. This is particularly the case when the transit time in LHR is quite long. There is certainly no distinction made between Priority tagged bags and others. Elsewhere, the picture can be different. In BKK a couple of weeks ago, tagged bags came off the BA 777 first.


    GivingupBA
    Participant

    LuganoPirate, I agree with your pondering, and with what others have said – that airlines cannot really deliver on this benefit because delivering earlier is sometimes or often outside their control.

    However, promising the benefit is NOT outside their control – and therefore that is where they fall down in my opinion – by promising something they cannot deliver. I wish they would not do that.


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    For info, priority baggage delivery is not a BAEC GCH benefit (or Oneworld emerald benefit when travelling BA).


    antipodes
    Participant

    I agree with most of what of what has been said but would like to point out that in Indonesia Garuda separates the premium class luggage and has it delivered on a designated carousel


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    [quote quote=853946]However, promising the benefit is NOT outside their control – and therefore that is where they fall down in my opinion – by promising something they cannot deliver. I wish they would not do that.[/quote]

    I agree GivingupBA. Perhaps they should be honest and say they try their best but it’s often outside their control?


    Gin&Tonic
    Participant

    I find it works best at the carriers home base, where the relationship with the agents is conducted properly or in some cases airline still have its own ground staff.
    None of this applies to Man, my home base. Regardless of how many, first, business, gold, priority tags are on your case you’ll get it when the baggage handlers deem fit.


    GivingupBA
    Participant

    LuganoPirate said, “I agree GivingupBA. Perhaps they should be honest and say they try their best but it’s often outside their control?”[/quote]

    Yes, absolutely, I think that would be a lot better and then we would all know where we are.


    ViajeroUK
    Participant

    Agree with comments from antipodes about Garuda, even better Premium pax don’t need to wait at the carousel at CGK or DPS, Garuda staff will collect bags from the carousel and deliver to pax who can sit and wait in a small arrivals lounge. That’s what a Priority Baggage Service should be, bags have always arrived pretty quick for me so guess the luggage tags do make a difference there.

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