Long wait for bags - just de riguer nowadays?
Jan 18, 2006, 2:29 am
#31
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Alaska!
Programs: Alaska Air MVP - Yeah, you're jealous, I can tell
Posts: 84
Along with shl1108 I've had problems with baggage. The last two times I've flown DCA-ANC I've been standing at the baggage carousel and have waited and waited only to find out that my bags were off on a little adventure of their own and AS would let me know hopefully by the morning where the bags are. I've flown Alaska for as long as I can remember and would like to stay a customer but I'm seriously contemplating switching carriers just to test things out and see what the service is like.
Jan 20, 2006, 8:51 pm
#32
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Programs: AS MVP, Elevate, AAdvantage, Mileage Plus
Posts: 1,992
AS and QX have more baggage carrousels in use at SEA than in the past. QX, I believe, usually comes in on 12, while AS now comes in on 13, 14 and lately some flights coming in on 15 as well according to the monitors. Hopefully spreading things out a bit will at least help to relieve crowding, if not result in faster baggage delivery times.
Jun 20, 2012, 5:41 pm
#33
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: AS Million Miler, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Nexus / Global Entry
Posts: 844
Thread revival... Is it just me or is Seatac in particular just plain slow?
Is it a Menzies thing?
It seems as if 50% of the time I check a bag into Seatac it is right down to the wire on the 20 minute mark. Part of the time I don't bother trying to get the certificate as it is not really worthwhile from a time standpoint.
I did learn that oversized baggage is not covered by the guarantee.
Surprisingly slow bag delivery in SEA - even at 12:30 AM.
On the way up to ANC - honestly my bag beat me to the carousel and I was sitting up front.
Crazy.
Is it a Menzies thing?
It seems as if 50% of the time I check a bag into Seatac it is right down to the wire on the 20 minute mark. Part of the time I don't bother trying to get the certificate as it is not really worthwhile from a time standpoint.
I did learn that oversized baggage is not covered by the guarantee.
Surprisingly slow bag delivery in SEA - even at 12:30 AM.
On the way up to ANC - honestly my bag beat me to the carousel and I was sitting up front.
Crazy.
Jun 20, 2012, 5:48 pm
#34
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 2,732
I consider 20 minutes pretty darn good, especially since it's measured from the time the aircraft parks at the gate. By the time I get off the plane, stop at the restroom, and make my way to baggage claim, my bag is almost always there. Average seems to be about 13 minutes from gate park time.
I don't really buy the argument that the 20 minute guarantee isn't worth your time. Once 20 minutes has elapsed, go to the baggage counter and collect your cert. If you're still waiting for your bag you have to be there anyway, so it's not a waste of your time. $20 a pop is pretty generous, especially considering no other airline has such an on-time guarantee backed by compensation.
I don't really buy the argument that the 20 minute guarantee isn't worth your time. Once 20 minutes has elapsed, go to the baggage counter and collect your cert. If you're still waiting for your bag you have to be there anyway, so it's not a waste of your time. $20 a pop is pretty generous, especially considering no other airline has such an on-time guarantee backed by compensation.
Jun 20, 2012, 5:53 pm
#35
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: AS Million Miler, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Nexus / Global Entry
Posts: 844
Fair enough. When I'm picking up my bag and we're at 24 minutes and I've been away for a week I'd rather just leave. 
It just seems to me that most everywhere I fly besides Seatac seems to be faster.
I do like your plan though - right to the counter at minute 20 next time.
It just seems to me that most everywhere I fly besides Seatac seems to be faster.
I do like your plan though - right to the counter at minute 20 next time.
Jun 20, 2012, 6:09 pm
#36
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Juneau, Ak
Programs: Alaska Airlines
Posts: 112
We came in yesterday 6/19/2012- - approx. 4:45 pm- had time to walk from "D" gates- stoped at the restroom- got to the carosel- and there were the bags, all of them- I thought it was great service. took more time to get the bus to the car rental area, all that took more time than when the rental agencies were on site. Progress I hear- rlb
Jun 20, 2012, 6:21 pm
#37
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: AS Million Miler, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Nexus / Global Entry
Posts: 844
We came in yesterday 6/19/2012- - approx. 4:45 pm- had time to walk from "D" gates- stoped at the restroom- got to the carosel- and there were the bags, all of them- I thought it was great service. took more time to get the bus to the car rental area, all that took more time than when the rental agencies were on site. Progress I hear- rlb
I hope my next flight baggage experience is that smooth.
Jun 20, 2012, 9:13 pm
#40
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: AS Million Miler, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Nexus / Global Entry
Posts: 844
Jun 21, 2012, 12:31 pm
#42
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Snohomish, WA
Programs: AS MVP Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,796
Jun 21, 2012, 4:15 pm
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,654
Jun 21, 2012, 11:36 pm
#44
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
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Wirelessly posted (beckoa's PWP wondrousdevice3.0: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9810; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.0.0.583 Mobile Safari/534.11+)
Its a bit of a shocker to get off from HNL into BLI pour 
Jun 24, 2012, 4:56 am
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
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Posts: 23,195
) on a recent Q200 flight. Turns out the idea is far from original to AS.