bendachentaiwan

I am always misunderstood

coolfish1103

Can you speak?

percysmith

Went again to TPE last month. Took CX at TPE T1 on my way out. Looked very hard for a 看行李 monitor but saw none. Are they still present in T2?

Edit 29 Jul: I am mistaken. They are present - but only on the end of one side of check in rows (CX Y):




But not on the CX J/F/MPO side


Nor Jetstar


Even CI for the matter


All the photographed rows are open for check in and the x-ray counters are manned.

Some people do wait for the luggage to pass through. But certainly not everyone.

This is clearly inadequate signage for anyone who doesn't look what to look for though.

enelym1978

They might still improve all this but when I got through this the very first time, I just asked the desk agent what she meant and she kindly explained it to me.

No need to rush or anything, she even told me "if after 5 minutes you don't see your bag, then it's passed already and you can go to immigration". Which I did. I did not see my bag because, yes, sometimes you need to readjust some docs and the bags go through the scanner before you get there but if all the staff is trained correctly and explains everything, it's all good.

I find the check-in staff at TPE always very friendly and helpful. ^

percysmith

I don't understand why my mates and my missus are such Taiwanphiles. I've been a couple of times with mates in the last 12 months but this weekend I'm travelling with the missus to Beitou so I've my full wash kit with me.

I have noted some improvements to T1 in the last 12 months. There are more shops for a start - that's where the missus is now. There's also laptop-friendly seating now and free airport-wide wifi, though the airport wifi is still piss-poor - just a notch above BKK (although you do not need a password from an information desk like BKK)

(I usually have a data card to avoid having to depend on free wifi but I landed at 10PM Friday night, so all the T1 telco shops are closed.)

We spotted the check-in desks - CX manned this time. The missus knows I'm still sore about the spat last time:

"Do you think they'll remind us?"
"We'll definitely follow our baggage but let's see if we'll be reminded"

We wheeled into the F/J/MPO counter. The two CX GAs were chatting away amongst themselves and taking no notice of us. They ignored the check-in confirmation I placed on the counter and only started working when my passport was on the counter as well.

"You two aren't checked in together?"
"That can't be right. Check our BNs on the confirmations"

Some more keyboard tap dancing followed. The GA found the seats I've already checked in for. Baggage tags and boarding passes quickly followed.

I was eyeing the whole check-in counter. Nothing to say I should be following my baggage - only notices about new battery rules, and probably LAGs as well. The monitor showed CX Business/Marco Polo, and a notice "information feed provided by xxx Council"

Nothing was said by the GA until we were handed back our passports and BPs "your seats are xxD and XXE, boarding gate is xx and boarding time is yy:yy. Departure gates are that way. Enjoy your trip"

The missus and I were staring at each other with the "What. That's it?" look. We turned to follow our baggage. Once outside the earshot of the GAs I suggested "Maybe they fired the end of island security guy and do things like every other airport from Sydney to Heathrow".

When we got to the end - no, he's still there. Two of them looking at their X-ray machines.

No notice as to say what they're actually doing but they're stlil here to yank luggage off the conveyor belt - right? No challenge to my luggage this time but this set up is still going to trip up unsuspecting travellers.

tris06

I have noticed a couple of time the CI mention the "watch your bags go through the x-ray machine" I never thought so seriously but also not in a rush to run to the immigration.
Though I am sure there were times i just walked off once checking in. But its like what? 20-30seconds only before the bags are through.

lingua101

Well I think she is at fault. The problem is both parties assume they understand hat that term mean. OP is correct that look at yur bag can simply mean just look at it. To what extend and where he should look is the question. The agent assume the pax should know what it means. She was probably at her bad day, but still as service staff, she should be professional.

I was asked to look into my luggge while it passed through the check and I was told very clearly to look at the end which I asked where. Thn she pointed out to the monitor.

If there was a increase security on that day and they were try to detect aeresol, the agent should ask if any aerosol in the luggage so let pax aware that they may be a need to do luggage inspection.

If I were OP I will be very mad.

percysmith

Thanks

In any case yesterday at T1 was even more confusing - not only was there no notice to look (see pic of CX J/F/MPO side from last year - same setup), but there's no monitor.

Are we still meant to look?
(we didn't ask cos we were checking to see if we'll be prompted - but no prompt was made)

percysmith

I'm finally revisiting the source of the dispute again.

I've just checked in at T2, on a BR flight with BR stock. Maybe owing to this incident (but also owing to CI pricing) this is my first BR operated flight out of TPE. I actually only paid YQ for it, the fare was a bank promo freebie.

The BR GA processed my and my missus' check in relatively efficiently. I scanned the check in counter for anything suggesting 看行李, there was none.

When she was about done I mouthed something to the missus in Cantonese:

"She's forgetting to say that thing"
"She's not done yet"
"Don't remind her"

Sure enough, when she was done she did clearly state the following:

"請你看好行李過了行李帶才離開"

I'm perfectly satisfied with this statement. I wish they do it consistently for the flights they don't operate but are TPE GA for.

username

I am glad EVA passed your annual inspection this time To have a better sample size, you should fly out of TPE more often. Of course, if they see you doign it all the time, they might stop reminding you

percysmith

I did:

Jun 12: CX TPE T1 - with baggage. No reminder (#63)

Jul 12: CX TPE T1 - no baggage but it doesn't look like they were reminding anyone (#63)

Apr 13: CI TPE T1 - no baggage

Jun 13: CX TPE T1, with baggage. No reminder, the security guy is still sitting there (#65 and #68)

Dec 13: CI TPE T1 - no baggage

They really aren't consistent, esp in T1. No monitors there either and the security guy in T1 is kind of reclused.

changey2

Yeah I was kind of surprised that you have to make sure your luggage pass through the belt

username

When I took statistics in college, the teacher said sample size has to be >= 30 so keep going!

Seriously, the security guy will sit there for the foreseeale future - it is part of the exit and boarding formality. I believe the guy who sits there is from the Aviation Police (or the national service draftee working for Aviation Police).

The process has been there for years and it is really a better system as they can perform the search in front of you. I don't think the Taiwanese would appreciate people go through their bags without them being present.

percysmith

Might need help of others here. As said in #65 I don't actually choose to go to TW - my missus or my friends (and soon my parents) choose to go and drag me along.

In any case I was browsing through the evaair.com FAQ on my return to HKG in respect of a damaged luggage issue, I came across this:

http://www.evaair.com/en-us/frequent...at-the-airport

It doesn't seem to be specific to the THSR - I did get called on my HK mobile in the 2011 incident, so it seems to be the SOP wherever you check in.

Shouldn't the 2011 GA have simply followed the SOP and given me a little less attitude?

percysmith

Today CX T1 at the MPO/Business side without prompting "請往前面等一等，等行李通過檢查後才走". And the agent leaned over and out to point where he meant.