[Anonymous]

[Travelon]

What is it about my bag that makes it and its labels invisible to baggage handlers?

No matter that I am a BA Gold Card holder or a Star Alliance Frequent Flyer, or how bright the orange airline “Priority” sticker; it fails to communicate the message.

With a tendency to claustrophobia, my black Delsey longs for the freedom of the baggage carousel. To appear, first amongst equals, its little bag lungs bursting in anticipation of a fast trip through Customs and out to freedom. But no, it’s not to be….

My last 5 flights, have notched-up an average 15 minutes delay after the first bag arrived on carousel! Airlines are BA, Austrian and LOT. Airports are LHR, PEK, BCN, and WAW. To be statistically reasonable let me exclude the best and worst case – 4 minutes and 38 respectively, resulting in a mean of 11 minutes. My maths may not be great and maybe it isn’t a mean. However, try consoling my bag….

I know it isn’t that long to wait, in the scheme of things. But if you cannot influence the speed of delivery, don’t raise expectations with “Priority” labeling. If you can influence, then, come on airlines and airports. Just do it! Please work with your baggage handlers to ensure that your regular customers get the service you are proffering!

[VintageKrug]

Hmm Black Delsey.

The Ford Granada of luggage.

I think that the luggage itself might be the problem, though being indestructable you’ll have a tough problem disposing of it.

In my experience, hard sided luggage often gets dumped at the bottom of the pile as it’s unlikely to come to harm as other bags are piled on it, which is why I use the semi-soft sided Tumi luggage.

When replacing your dodgy black Delsey, ensure you buy in the US – it’s so much cheaper; Macy’s can be good if you get the “out of state” discount from customer services, though the many outlet malls are usually the best place.

http://www.tumi.com/

I wouldn’t recommend Rimowa; you’ll just look like a Tosser:

http://www.sevenstarsandstripes.com/slideshow.asp?path=/slideshow/zooms/&mostrar=307&nobutton=yes

[Travelon]

My Delsey is very sensitive. And soft, rather than hard skinned… More a Bugatti than a Ford Granada…

Thanks for forwarding the replacement advice to me (rhymes with…) and have no fear re-the “Tosser’ option…

As for the early carousel delivery, perhaps multi-lingual labels would help comprehension e.g. Priority; Priorité; Priorità; Prioridade, ??? or pierwsze?stwo. Failing that, how about orange = unload “first”… Please!

[RichHI1]

Travelon… to quote Life of Brian … 15 minutes “You lucky lucky B******d.” I have only had bags come up first once and that was in Mexico City whereupon Customs went through everything for 25 minutes…

One tip I got from someone I know in US Customs, be careful what you pack in your bags. Sophisticated Customs use scanners, sniffers X rays and other means to check bags but some countries have less sophisticated means and if you transport roast coffee, strongly scented cosmetics, certain pharmaceuticals or biolgoical matter all with strong aromas (for dogs) it can get your case pulled for screening before arriving on the belt. I found this out as I often bring coffee over from Hawaii and back in the 90’s I suffered a lot from Bag delays at LHR (recent years T3 it is normally waiting when I get down).

VK … Delsey = Ford Granada hmm…. I also use Tumi Soft Side which I suppose being American, tough as old boots, cavernous and not pretty is probably a FORD F250 using your analogies. I have had 4 pieces Tumi Soft Sode Checked baggage and three pieces of leather carry on and I swear by them. Fantastic investment as they last. (some in Outlet mall, some in sale at Tumi Stores in NYC and HNL.
Agree with you on the RImowa (BMW M series ?) and I would add any Louis Vuitton Mongoram luggage (the Damier is OK but you know checked LV luggage will get stolen…)

[stevescoots]

I use a beats of a samsonite, and a cheap eminet thats followed me around the world for 5 years and is virtually indestructable, its even got the nickname of megatron in our company as you can transform it by hanging anything and everything on it

and dont bash the Granny! my second car was a Mk 2 2.3, 3rd a Mk 2 2.8I

[Travelon]

RichHI1 – Thanks for the Monty Python and the tips. Definitely will bear these in mind. However, up to now, we are talking an odourless, coffee-free, non-pharma and non-bio, soft and sensitive Delsey! With an orange Priority tag…..

Of course there are other tactics to avoid the delay, like walking slower on leaving the plane, or visiting each toilet en route to the carousel. But, I sense that the intention of priority is to provide priority…. However fast one walks!

[Travelon]

interesting. I used to use a Samsonite. Really beat-up and scruffy. It used regularly to arrive pretty quickly. Then my wife binned it. Ergo, the Delsey. Maybe there is a French bag conspiracy afoot. Orange tags or none……

[Binman62]

Oh that a baggage handlers would take that much care that hard sided bags were loaded first….They are in reality loaded in the order they are delivered to him,….at LHR at least.
Priority bags are loaded into separate containers however if these are full then any surplus bags will be loaded in whatever “can” is available and has space. Some are also loaded in Hold 5 “up the chuff” along with cats, dogs and the odd HUM, though not necessarily all together. HUMs spook the dogs apparently.

[LuganoPirate]

If the hard shells are put at the bottom of the hold, which I don’t think they’re as I don’t think the baggage handlers really care if the bags are squashed or not, then they would be last out and on top, hence first onto the baggage belt!

Having said that, I have 25 year old Samsonites, Red and Yellow, which have travelled the world, are scratched and dented but I would not throw then out for anything, not ieven Louis Vuittons. Funnily, they do seem to be the first to arrive!

On a trip to the Maldives some years ago, the porters let the trolley roll into the sea on boarding the boat to the island. It was dark and the only one floating was my bright yellow Samsonite. It was pulled out, everything was dry inside. The others had to wait till the morning for theirs and of course everything was soaked through.

Some people say if you have “posh” bags when checking in at the hotel, the doormen treat you better. Utter tosh. If you are a good tipper they treat you well no matter, the label!

[RichHI1]

You are right on service level and luggage, waht you tip and how you are. I went through 6 samsonites in 4 years. TSA and Customs at LHR (Went through as unaccomanied as BA sent it to wrong destination) smashed the locks of 3 and BA and W hotel Mexico City bent and broke beyond repair the extendable handles on the other three. Delsey lasted longer but TSA broke the hinges jamming it closed incorrectlyt (I think it was a wooden souvenir on way back from Australia through SFO.).

[MartynSinclair]

How sad to even know the make of your case!

I tend to go for the brightest colour to make it stand out and tend to treat it like a good PA: check that it performs well, without getting emotionally attached……………

When the lock snaps buy a new one.

[RichHI1]

Is that the case or the PA? 🙂

Serious point buying a birght color (if you do not have a psychological need to look cool), is a good strategy as is having stickers or tags on your bag (some people tie ribbons etc) as many bags look alike and there are many stories of people taking wrong bags (long flight – tired – too much vino tinto…)

[MartynSinclair]

both Rich!!

Cant stand cases with pieces of material hanging off, hence why I go for the sickliest colour.

Also have the theory, not sure whether it works though, that the brighter the colour the quicker it goes onto the baggage carousel as the baggage handlers are “drawn” to the bag quicker!!

[everhopeful]

in my experience really depends on airport although in general lufthansa/swiss are pretty good at getting priority luggage out BA in my experience is priority luggage let’s get it out last. On luggage have tried most brand have founf samsonite the best for me worst absolutely Tumi
woul love to try rimova

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