This is the
#1 thing I'm looking forward in the VX/AS merger. Of any airline I've ever flown anywhere, AS does the best job of baggage handling -- 20 minute max gate-to-belt time (or you get a bunch of FF miles), and pretty good handling of both elite/F luggage, and "special" luggage (pelican cases with big padlocks, in my case). AS check-in agents are also quite familiar with the TSA policies on "special" luggage, too (although the VX SFO team are great at this as well).