Originally Posted by
NickB
IMO, this is nonsense. The idea that baggage handlers are going to bother sorting out priority luggage to set them aside to ensure they are delivered last to punish frequent flyers strikes me as pure paranoia. OTOH, that delivery of priority luggage is the most inconsistently-delivered benefit of premium class flying and/or elite status is something that would tend to accord with my own experience. But that is not AF/KL specific but frequently occurs with most European airlines (Asian airlines, OTOH, are usually pretty good at ensuring that priority luggage is delivered first)
Baggage handlers don't have to sort. Bags are loaded in different containers. They simply have to unload containers in a different order from that prescribed by the company.
And I can assure you that this has been a frequent "strong-arm policy" followed by baggage handlers. I could mention two airlines where their ground staff clearly stated that CDG baggage handlers were in conflict with them and taking such action. Admittedly that was a while ago.
In my case that was a nonstop flight, so bag not loaded in special container as sometimes happens in transfer flights. And I could notice that other business pax sitting around me also had their bags delivered last. This does not seem to happen at loading as bags are electronically directed to containers (yes there is still limited human intervention) and I always had my bags delivered first at HKG whether AF, CX or QR.