kanderson1965

As a nod to Uncle T's dislike of discussion of bag tags in general threads, I have created this thread to discuss everthing regarding BA bag tags, therby keeping other threads especially the DYKWIA threads from being cluttered with this subject. All BA bag tag related content is welcome, even abuse for me creating this thread is welcome. I am especially interested in obscure facts relating to BA bag tags.

headingwest

Whenever I see somebody displaying those bag tags I think 'prat'. Of course they might actually be very decent, but I just can't help my thoughts.

Presumably even if the airline offers priority baggage, the bag label attached by the check-in agent would serve the purpose...so I just don't see why people have to show off the status bag tags. It's like 'look at me, I'm important'.

Tobias-UK

The psychologists around might suggest that says more about you than it does about the person using a luggagee tag

headingwest

Quite possibly!

ppp909

Well, you must think I'm a prat then as I have tags on the various bags I use, including carry-ons. Sometimes I check them in when I know I'm not in a hurry at the other end (usually because I'm with my daughter and have had to check her pushchair in anyway) or when I just can't be bothered with the scrum and would rather wait until last call to get on. Easy enough if you don't need to use the overheads.

I'll admit I don't have a tag on my laptop bag. I've seen others who do.

T8191

This prat also has the tag on his carry-on ... I've been helped in queues a couple of times on the strength of it, I think.

BLHD

It's the strength of your good looks and charming persona actually Uncle T.

Ned1968

To be fair, they are luggage tags, so attaching them to luggage kind of makes sense. Hold luggage gets tagged and identified by the airline at check in. If you get separated from your cabin/hand luggage having a tag with your details on it might be useful. When BA send me luggage tags I don't think "damn - wish they were bronze, now people are going to think I'm a ****". I think "how useful - luggage tags".

headingwest

Just to be clear, I'm not actually saying that those who use the tags are prats - it's just the thought that goes through my mind!

How can you get separated from your cabin baggage?

mlafqtv

Regardless of their colour, the bagtags are useful - far better than having a label that gives your name and address for everyone to read! And yes, I have my contact details (not address) inside each piece of checked baggage.

In some peoples eyes I must be a sad prat , as I have them on the various cabin and and hold bags I use in my travels: some are bronze, others silver and others gold - if they become damaged they can easily be replaced!

crazy8534

This comes up quite a bit and I noticed even in myself that I was developing a sort of inverted snobbery with a mental 'tsk tsk' every time I saw anyone's bag tags; but then I started thinking that maybe I was being a bit silly about it. I have family and work colleagues who would consider anyone who didn't put on the bag tags that the airline gave you for free was completely barking! I think mostly people just get them in the post and think "Ooohh, shiny shiny" and plonk them on without a second thought.

But then there's the other side: how often on here do we hear about frequent travelling folk being irked by being turned away from F check-in or the FastTrack security or priority boarding lanes? I dare say that there are a few GGL/CCRs around who really are known so well by BA staff that they could be plucked-out of a hotel-booking/IRROPs line anywhere in the world but for the rest of us our only chance is that a kindly staffer sees your bronze tag and takes pity....

LondonElite

They would be far more useful if they were made of something other than the flimsiest plastic material that breaks after on trip to the hold. I don't think I've bothered with them since they stopped using the ones they used to emboss.

Wozza2404

Personally I'm also guilty of "judging" people who have them on their hand luggage. I know it's irrational, but I genuinely find myself watching people with bronze/silver/gold tags for amusement; in the hope they'll start some DYKWIA behaviour. Why I feel this is justified is because they often do engage in such behaviour! Particularly once boarding begins.

On my hold baggage I have one of the nice QR luggage tags which are in a kind of metal brace so they don't get damaged. No indication of status or anything on it (I believe they are generally only given to J/F pax, but that's not something that stands out).

For hand baggage, I have business cards in the front zip pocket.

What's interesting to me is why BA chooses to issue Bronze/Silver/Gold/GL/Prem luggage tags, in varying designs. If all luggage tags were blue, with your BAEC number and maybe a small OW logo indicating OW status on the back of the card, I'd use it. The fact BA (and most other airlines) choose to do it the other way must mean they believe most status pax appreciate the little ego boost they get from strolling through the airport with their shiny tags on display?

flibbly

... or because it allows staff to identify FFs and their status at some distance, as per Uncle T's comment about being plucked from queues in the past.

As a "tag on hold baggage only" kind of guy, I don't benefit from this though unfortunately.

Wozza2404

I thought about that, and in years past I think that may have been the case. In all my travels, however, I have never seen anyone plucked out of a queue because of a bag tag. The biggest flaw to this must be that until you've approached the person, you don't know if their status is expired or not purely based on a shiny card on their luggage.

Not saying it doesn't happen, as clearly Uncle T has had a differing experience. But any time I've been selected for anything, it has been an announcement calling me to some desk or another. Or in the case of CCU 3 people actually walking through the departures area shouting my name; which was all a bit odd.