Got in to LAX off my ORD flight Thursday night and headed to the luggage carousels to await my checked bag's arrival. Walked past the luggage desk and holding bin where a few bags were waiting those lucky souls whose bags were loaded onto an earlier flight. Didn't see mine, so waiting about 20-minutes for all the bags off our flight to come down. With mine nowhere to be seen I headed to the service deak where my tag receipt was scanned. I was told my bag had indeed come on an earlier flight, but had been stored in a secure area (due to my elite status, I suppose.)

While I appreciate UA's concern about keeping my bag safe, I wish there was some way to advise me when this happens. Or do elites know to check before wasting time waiting for their bags to come down the normal way?