SonicStar817

BA are consistently inconsistent with it. As a Silver, I've had instances where I was given no priority tags when flying CW and given tags when flying WTP ( and vice versa). Also, just recently my mother (who's Bronze) was given priority tags when flying Y...

Finland Station

For long haul, bags are sorted into 'bins' based on priority (based on barcode scan not any 'priority' tag). The weak link is what happens when the aircraft is unloaded at the destination. Sometimes it works, but regularly it does not.

corporate-wage-slave

Inconsistent only in terms of tag dispensing. The tags cannot be read by the robotics that control the baggage warehouse, so they are purely for decoration. The baggage tag barcode however is read by the robots.

SonicStar817

Very much aware of how it works. However, if it done by class of travel then one shouldn't get them in the first place if flying in any class lower than CW. I only check bags on Long haul and I've had times where when given the tags (quite few times flying WTP), my bags are among the first to come out (along with the other priority tagged ones). I've also had a few occasions when flying CW and had bags delivered last amongst non tagged bags.

Finland Station

I think we can all recognise the phenomenon you describe (which is all part of the charming inconsistency of BA), but for longhaul it really is very unlikely to have anything to do with a 'priority' tag being attached to the bag (unless as a result of manual loading of the bins at an outstation).

corporate-wage-slave

From the first sentence I assume you are also aware that the bags get put into ULDs, the AKE numbered bins you see wizzing around T5. With a small number of exceptions, all BA aircraft at T5 can only take ULD bins. The feed to these bins is by cabin, so CW will have say 5 ULDs. Your bag may be at the top or the bottom of a given ULD. The bar code does the selection by cabin, there is also a sub category for Rush bags, short connections in other words. Status does not enter into this, it's simply not a service BA provides and the robots don't know who you are, just where you are. When the aircraft gets to the destination the ULDs are removed. Ideally they get to the baggage belt for arrival in the correct order, However when you have 6 ground agents handling perhaps 30 ULDs, then it's not surprising that a given ULD doesn't get to the arrival belt in sequence.

SonicStar817

I think you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. I never said it had anything to do with the priority tags. I've had occasions where I've had my non tagged bags come out first along with priority tagged ones as well when in WTP. They even told me at check in that it was going to put in the priority bin despite them having no tags. I'm just saying that the priority by class of travel is inconsistent.

Bongodog1964

Recent experience at MCO and LGW, baby buggies, crew bags etc come off 1st, about 30 or so bags not marked priority then prioroty bags.
As we boarded at MCO we could see a ULD by the bottom of the airbridge with the buggies etc being loaded, obviously this can was the 1st on and 1st off. I assume the non priority bags that appear 1st are the l ones that get checked in last minute and get loaded after the priority bags

Greenpen

I think it was Garuda when I flew J and upon arrival waited for the very last bag to arrive on the carousel and some more. I then queued for ages to report lost luggage and completely confused the clerk as the tracking system showed my bag successfully delivered to the reclaim belt. I suffered a good deal of language difficulties before being told that J luggage was sent to a priority carousel and had been waiting for me for about two hours.


Can can be done!

testycal

In my experience the ground handlers prioritise my bag to arrive last...very rarely have I received bags in priority and more often than not, quite delayed.

henry999

Since no one has mentioned it yet in this thread, I will chime in with a completely tangential anecdote, a story that is well-known in the various Nordic/Scandinavian fora. In that part of the world, there is something known as jantelov, or the Law of Jante. The 'concept' originated in a novel almost 100 years ago but has come to typify the social egalitarianism of the Nordics. It boils down to 'you're no better than I'. In practice, there is a strong belief that baggage handlers in those countries intentionally put 'priority' bags at the end, as a swipe at those who presume to claim preferential status.

Flying Doctor

There was, pre-COVID, a short trial of those travelling in F to or from JNB or JFK being 'guaranteed' their bags within 10 minutes. I never did JFK but I did do JNB and it did work so the bottom line is it can be done (CX for example seems to get priority bags out pretty quickly).
The reality is that baggage handlers are low paid and it is literally back breaking work with all those heavy bags and until there are incentives for getting priority out first etc then it simply will not happen. Hence most of us will try our upmost not to check baggage in.....
FD.

Nick_USA

What's the point in having a 'Priority Tag' when the service clearly isn't?

PJSMITH0

Totally agree it’s more a marketing ploy to give an impression of an enhanced service, plus the feel good factor at check in. However in BA’s defence I have just flown on several AA flights in First/Bus and it’s the same story with AA flyers bemoaning the same situation in the baggage claim. The ones I really feel sorry for are the mugs persuaded to hand in their cabin baggage on flights to Manchester for priority boarding only to find their bags come off last at Man T3,

Finland Station

Completely agree that AA can also be hit or miss, but the equivalent of their shorthaul operation does sometimes come up trumps. I have had several occasions with AA where I have watched a procession of priority bags come onto the belt, even rare moments when my bag comes out first. Whereas, with BA shorthaul, and baring a statistical freak (up there with a lottery win) there will never be an occasion when the priority bags come out first.