Originally Posted by
fastair
The DoT frowns on people who are not qualified to check luggage, actually doing it, and the application of the tag is the official "checking a bag". Many agents may try to cut corners at many stations and hand them out like candy...this is a very grey area, and the process that is taught is that a trained (and re-certified annually after taking a very boring class and test) must tag the bag. This would rule out passengers, flight attendants, and yes, even pilots as they do not take this test. A CSR, ramp serviceman (although there may be union issues with that as it is a CS job) and the outsourced baggage checking people are the only ones that UA gives permission to tag a bag.
Thanks for the explanation. We've flown a variety of UX "partners" and have experienced almost everything, from tags handed out by pro-active GAs roaming the waiting area, to stern GAs with time on their hands refusing to issue one at the counter but handing them out as we present our BPs at boarding and thus creating a minor logjam, to baggage handlers snapping them on at the cart next to the plane, to having to fight to get a tag at all once in MIA - "Don't worry, the bags never get lost," chirped the FA to me.
As with some other experiences, it's consistently inconsistent.
Cheers,
Fredd