exCPT

First time poster. I am E75K and recently returned from trip with my family (6 of us in total) from FLL to YYZ. At the checkin was told that only 3 bags could be tagged as priority and remaining three bags could not be priority unless I paid $100 per bag and checked them as excess allowance under my profile rather than the $19 USD baggage fee applicable for the remaining three bags for non status passengers. Agent said that she would put priority tags on all the bags but when they were scanned they would likely remove the priority tags from the three non eligible bags which is exactly what happened. On arrival in Toronto three priority bags came out first and then waited 15 minutes for remaining bags. There is no benefit to having priority baggage handling when it doesn't apply to all your checked luggage. None of my family has any status yet they can all gain lounge access and can board in Zone 2 with me so why wouldn't the priority baggage benefit extend to everyone as well.

The Lev

That could be an awful lot of extra Priority bags if ever implemented, which would be to the detriment of the rest of the Altitude community.

Many families will manage with the 3-bag limit, but tough for a large family such as yours.

kevy_boy

How were you able to guest 5 people into the lounge?

YEG_SE4Life

I believe that the GA gave you an option to ensure that, if you called them all yours, would allow you to put priority tags on the bags. It sounds like it was your decision not to call them yours. So the priority tags did apply to all of your bags. Your status allows for 3 bags, that is defined.

Sean Peever

While I am sorry to hear it didn't work well in your situation. It does sound to me like the agent followed the correct policy.

yscleo

How many family members could one be allowed?

hydrogen

Do they actually remove priority tags for those who aren't eligible? Haven't ever heard of AC doing that. Sounds like a lot of work...

xLuther

you are allowed 1 guest / spouse & dependant children if E50K or higher

canadiancow

I think I had that happen once.

I was flying YYZ-YUL-MCO with a friend. I had two bags, he had one. I was SE, he was nothing. We were booked in Y (ugh - the last major booking I had in Y).

The concierge didn't charge us for bags, and tagged them all as priority, but when they came out in MCO, his was missing the priority tag, and came last.

I suspect she had somehow waived the fee because I was entitled to 3, but still checked his under his name, so the barcode didn't show priority, and someone, somewhere, removed the tag.

Otherwise it's an insane coincidence that of the 3 bags we checked, only his lost the priority tag.

As for the OP, I can't say I disagree with the policy.

If I had to wait 15 minutes because eighteen other "priority" people each checked six bags, I'd be marching over to the baggage help desk, loudly proclaiming, "but I'm a diamond member!"

xLuther

the orange priority tags don't mean much, yes allows baggage handlers to spot bags, but the baggage handling scanners read barcode on real tag. That tag marks a bag as priority or regular, unless checked in by actual *G not tagged prioirty

They probably rip them off if dumped into regular pile, so they do not confuse someone further down the line.

superangrypenguin

Correct. The orange priority tags are just for show. The barcode is what matters.*

* the good Dr. who used to be a handler did mention once when the tags are used, but for all intents and purposes, they are for show.

canadiancow

They weren't always for show. And they may not be for show everywhere.

But they are just for show in a lot of places.

PLeblond

Agreed. Many, many airports do not have barcode luggage handling. Those are usually the destinations from where where my bags come out last.

But those tiny airports that use stairs instead of a jetway are totally worth it!!!

fin 645

We have had that experience several times. It was (is) a huge problem with reward travel using someone else's points. AC allegedly solved that problem, but as reported elsewhere, they actually made it worse and there has been silence from AC ever since.

But to reiterate, they really do remove priority taggs, although we once had one bag survive by attaching my SE tag near the priority/baggage tag.

Mauricio23

This just happened to me. Flew EZE-YYZ-YVR. EZE agent tagged all three bags + 2 child seats with priority tags, and they were delivered first, with their tags intact, at YYZ. By the time we got to YVR, however, the priority tags had been stripped from the 1 bag and 1 car seat not under my allowance, and those items came out with the regular luggage.