Alaska no longer handle 20min baggage claims over email?
Jul 9, 2018, 4:07 pm
#16
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“I am pleased to make a one-time exception to add the miles into you and < your wife’s > accounts for the May request and for today's request. The Baggage Service Guarantee does require the traveler to obtain a voucher from the baggage office where the delay of more then 20 minutes has occurred. This voucher is able to then be redeemed online and assists the baggage department with their record keeping. Please be sure to request the voucher anytime in the future that you or she are experiencing a delay of this kind.”
my reply:
“Thank you for the prompt resolution ... while I understand the way Alaska has designed the baggage guarantee claim process, please note that it’s not really a customer-friendly process: when a passenger has ALREADY waited longer than expected, the need to find a baggage service agent to process a voucher adds MORE time to an already extended trip (in May our flight was already ~30 min late and we had a 3-hour nighttime drive to our actual destination; last year an agent at BWI explicitly told me she didn’t know where the forms were!).”
Jul 9, 2018, 4:16 pm
#17
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
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Posts: 5,950
email from AS Customer Service:
“I am pleased to make a one-time exception to add the miles into you and < your wife’s > accounts for the May request and for today's request. The Baggage Service Guarantee does require the traveler to obtain a voucher from the baggage office where the delay of more then 20 minutes has occurred. This voucher is able to then be redeemed online and assists the baggage department with their record keeping. Please be sure to request the voucher anytime in the future that you or she are experiencing a delay of this kind.”
Yeah, that was more or less the response I got from Twitter, except they declined to make the one-time exception, asking us to get the voucher from the airport instead. (I think they had given me that warning before.)
my reply:
“Thank you for the prompt resolution ... while I understand the way Alaska has designed the baggage guarantee claim process, please note that it’s not really a customer-friendly process: when a passenger has ALREADY waited longer than expected, the need to find a baggage service agent to process a voucher adds MORE time to an already extended trip (in May our flight was already ~30 min late and we had a 3-hour nighttime drive to our actual destination; last year an agent at BWI explicitly told me she didn’t know where the forms were!).”
“Thank you for the prompt resolution ... while I understand the way Alaska has designed the baggage guarantee claim process, please note that it’s not really a customer-friendly process: when a passenger has ALREADY waited longer than expected, the need to find a baggage service agent to process a voucher adds MORE time to an already extended trip (in May our flight was already ~30 min late and we had a 3-hour nighttime drive to our actual destination; last year an agent at BWI explicitly told me she didn’t know where the forms were!).”
Jul 9, 2018, 4:30 pm
#18
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 103
What is the actual policy on times? Do you need to show when your bag comes off? I have never bothered collecting the voucher since even if my bag is 30 minutes, it doesn’t seem worth the hassle. A lady on one of my flights says she collects them on most flights. If any bags are still coming out after 20 minutes she just goes to claim the voucher. She didn’t say if her bag had already come out, just if any are still coming out she claims the voucher.
Jul 9, 2018, 4:42 pm
#19
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email from AS Customer Service:
“I am pleased to make a one-time exception to add the miles into you and < your wife’s > accounts for the May request and for today's request. The Baggage Service Guarantee does require the traveler to obtain a voucher from the baggage office where the delay of more then 20 minutes has occurred. This voucher is able to then be redeemed online and assists the baggage department with their record keeping. Please be sure to request the voucher anytime in the future that you or she are experiencing a delay of this kind.”
my reply:
“Thank you for the prompt resolution ... while I understand the way Alaska has designed the baggage guarantee claim process, please note that it’s not really a customer-friendly process: when a passenger has ALREADY waited longer than expected, the need to find a baggage service agent to process a voucher adds MORE time to an already extended trip (in May our flight was already ~30 min late and we had a 3-hour nighttime drive to our actual destination; last year an agent at BWI explicitly told me she didn’t know where the forms were!).”
Jul 9, 2018, 5:16 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS
Posts: 2,293
We have gone to AS Baggage Office when our bags were 30 minutes. (June 14. The service agent in baggage office said she would not give voucher. Employee who does it was at lunch. She told me to apply online for the credit. So, it seems AS is not consistent with policy or, as many have reported, no baggage service agent anywhere to be found.
Jul 9, 2018, 5:26 pm
#21
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Delta lets you request in the app -- you have some like 3 days to enter the request. Miles post in a couple days max. There's no manual intervention required if the bag scans validate the claim. The bag tag number is tied to the PNR. They have the plane's arrival time and bag's scan to the carousel against the bag tag number. It's fully automated.
Jul 9, 2018, 6:54 pm
#22
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
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Delta lets you request in the app -- you have some like 3 days to enter the request. Miles post in a couple days max. There's no manual intervention required if the bag scans validate the claim. The bag tag number is tied to the PNR. They have the plane's arrival time and bag's scan to the carousel against the bag tag number. It's fully automated.
...well except that someone needs to file the claim first. That part is manual
Jul 9, 2018, 7:55 pm
#23
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SEA, SFO, formerly ANC
Programs: AS 1MM/MVPG, AS Lounge, DL SkyClub (Life), Hertz 5* -- AA, DL, UA
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It's usually not easy to find an Alaska agent on the baggage claim area at SFO or SJC, so I usually just go home, send an email (or use the online form) to claim my miles. This time I did the same thing but they replied my email asking me to call the Central Baggage Service at 1-877-815-8253. The call went smoothly, it's just some added hassle 
What about the baggage rep with the barcode reader - at least at SEA - where they "clock in" as many bags as they can arriving down the chute? AS knows if they are on time or not, by the bag.
Per a suggestion from FT, I sometimes start a timer on my phone when the forward door opens, then check it when bag arrives. Once I showed timer to a baggage agent - she was a bit surprised, but handed me the voucher.
Once, at PHL, the bags were so late that the agent stood at the carousel to hand out the vouchers. But that's a small operation for AS.
Jul 9, 2018, 8:05 pm
#24
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
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I don't know about SJC. It may matter which terminal at SFO. At Int'l, office with vouchers is just a few feet down the hall outside carousel area. At T2, it's along the inside wall, as with most airports. In any case, I rarely find need to request a voucher - didn't realize it could be done any way other than in person - since guaranteed time usually met (and I almost always check a bag).
What about the baggage rep with the barcode reader - at least at SEA - where they "clock in" as many bags as they can arriving down the chute? AS knows if they are on time or not, by the bag.
Per a suggestion from FT, I sometimes start a timer on my phone when the forward door opens, then check it when bag arrives. Once I showed timer to a baggage agent - she was a bit surprised, but handed me the voucher.
Once, at PHL, the bags were so late that the agent stood at the carousel to hand out the vouchers. But that's a small operation for AS.
What about the baggage rep with the barcode reader - at least at SEA - where they "clock in" as many bags as they can arriving down the chute? AS knows if they are on time or not, by the bag.
Per a suggestion from FT, I sometimes start a timer on my phone when the forward door opens, then check it when bag arrives. Once I showed timer to a baggage agent - she was a bit surprised, but handed me the voucher.
Once, at PHL, the bags were so late that the agent stood at the carousel to hand out the vouchers. But that's a small operation for AS.
Edited to add: I've gained around 15k+ miles at SFO in the last 4 months by doing this...
Jul 9, 2018, 8:21 pm
#25
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 1,445
If I check a bag, I usually start my timer as soon as the seatbelt light turns off, as that indicates we've arrived, and ground crews are starting their work to unload bags. It's only maybe a minute or so until the door opens, but I've used the stopwatch to show agents in the past as well. Most of the time, though, I just grab my bag and go on my way, and find my stopwatch running 23 days later.
Jul 9, 2018, 8:30 pm
#26
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not 100% true; more importantly < and unsurprisingly > completely irrelevant
I haven’t checked a bag on DL since they put the guarantee policy/process in place
I haven’t checked a bag on DL since they put the guarantee policy/process in place
Jul 9, 2018, 8:37 pm
#27
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Jul 9, 2018, 10:04 pm
#28
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
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Posts: 1,158
I got a similar reply last month. In my case I’d flown into ATL, there was no AS baggage office, and I didn’t want to tie up the check-in counter agents who were dealing with long lines. They still said, “you should have found someone at the airport.”
my reply:
“Thank you for the prompt resolution ... while I understand the way Alaska has designed the baggage guarantee claim process, please note that it’s not really a customer-friendly process: when a passenger has ALREADY waited longer than expected, the need to find a baggage service agent to process a voucher adds MORE time to an already extended trip.”
“Thank you for the prompt resolution ... while I understand the way Alaska has designed the baggage guarantee claim process, please note that it’s not really a customer-friendly process: when a passenger has ALREADY waited longer than expected, the need to find a baggage service agent to process a voucher adds MORE time to an already extended trip.”
Jul 10, 2018, 12:45 pm
#29
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVPG, Alaska Lounge, HHonors Silver, Bonvoy Gold, National Executive
Posts: 455
If I check a bag, I usually start my timer as soon as the seatbelt light turns off, as that indicates we've arrived, and ground crews are starting their work to unload bags. It's only maybe a minute or so until the door opens, but I've used the stopwatch to show agents in the past as well. Most of the time, though, I just grab my bag and go on my way, and find my stopwatch running 23 days later.
Jul 10, 2018, 7:16 pm
#30
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I run a stopwatch (on phone) from the chime of the brake, until I see both my bags come off the belt.