SkyPriority Pink Tags?
 

When boarding a couple in front of me on a Delta Connection flight today, the gate agent made special note that she needed to affix “priority” pink tags to their bags. She noted that the tags were new as of the last day or two and that their bags should be among the first off the plane.

I didn’t have a pink-tagged bag, so I didn’t get one. Is this a new, quietly-released SkyPriority benefit? If it is, seems like a cool benefit to me, especially since those with SkyPriority are generally among the first to deplane.

Sorry for the bad pic—I was trying to snap it before the handler took the bag at the bottom of the jetbridge.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...57d43dc20.jpeg

It’s only going to be a benefit for a month or two until everyone has one of these and then just re-uses them every time they fly.

This of course also assumes the baggage handlers actually observe these.

I haven't pink-tagged in a while, but don't these have a barcode that has to be scanned?

IMO this is the bigger question, yeah.

Unless something has changed, not to my knowledge, or at least they weren't ever checked. Perhaps the new ones do, but in the past I've reused the same pink tag across many different flights.

The picture doesn't seem to be branded SkyPriority, it just says "priority gate claim bag" -- I wonder if it will just be for F (and maybe DM).

AA has different valet tags for F for when they can't find space for your carry-on (I think they are also pink), though I can't remember if they are exclusive to regional jets or also show up on E190s and A319s. They are useful so you don't have to wait at baggage claim.

They do scan the barcode, among other things so that they don't end up giving you a checked bag that has a valet tag left on it from a previous trip.

I did a search, and found this thread from 2017: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delt...scanned-3.html
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So I wasn't completely tripping :) but maybe they've moved away from this.

... or alternate thought, if they scan the pink tag when they give you one, in your case if you're reusing one they may think it's already been scanned and leave you alone, but if they were to issue a new one, they'd scan it?

Interesting thought. I’m now trying to figure out if I’ve flown a regional since 2017. I know I’ve flown on some E-Jets but I don’t use a pink tag on those.

These are the tags for items like strollers/car seats, etc. They were placed so that handlers knew these items needed to be brought immediately to the jetway, not to wait send up immediately and do not sent to bag claim. They were given out even on mainline, unlike pink valet tags that only were used on regional flights.

Either GA was mistaken or they're using them as she states. However I'm willing to bet she's mistaken. If these were going to be used as she said I'd wager DL would made tag say Skypriority.

All these tags are scanned. It may not attach the number to a specific passenger in system, but they're scanned on/off the plane. Like all bag tag numbers, the number can be reused.

A little more than half of the stations scan the pink tag and attach it to the reservation in my experience. 10 years or so ago I did have a lost pink tag item that wasn't scanned. I did get it back but it took a few days. I have no idea about the issue at hand.

Good idea. In the past early to board F passengers doing a gate check ended up waiting for last to have their bags packed deep in the hold, to be delivered to the jetway This way even though the F passengers bag is the first down the chute it will be set aside so that it is last to be boarded and first to be delivered to the egressing F passenger on landing.

I have traveled several times in recent years with car seat/stroller and they always got normal pink tag bags, though the handlers seemed to get these up first (presumably, they know what they are based on what they look like.

I want to say it has been the past one and a half years or so that I have always had to scan my boarding pass a second time to “attach” the bag tag to my reservation. I think it also shows up on the “find my bags” part of the app if I’m not mistaken.

I didn’t see these special tags on the second leg of my journey, though that was a CRJ2 flight.

Delete

most of the Delta airports I fly through have the RJ gate check bag "elevator" - everyone gets their bag at the same time. obviously this is useless at those airports.

Even flying in first on a CRJ I have to wait for the last of the plane getting their bags and on their way to a connection while I'm still waiting for my bag