FAQ - Priority Baggage / Checked Luggage
Apr 13, 2025 | 10:49 am
#47
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 8,119
- Detail on the information contained in a bag tag barcode: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33132270-post46.html
- Detail on the differentiation between bag types (aka segregation): https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32131976-post18.html
- More info on baggage segregation and why delivery takes time - and why it might not result in priority bags getting off first: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/36808758-post2.html
- Another attempt at explaining the above: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34549093-post6.html
- Bonus, on that time when some BA Baggage handler managed to offload 20x boxes of fish cargo in arrivals: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33697771-post3.html
Apr 14, 2025 | 3:37 am
#49
Join Date: May 2020
Programs: Qatar Platinum, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 327
I always thought it's just for show with BA and they don't actually offer priority baggage? Even the Oneworld site clearly states it:
https://www.oneworld.com/travel-benefits
** Priority baggage handling is not currently available on flights operated by British Airways.
No clue why. But I get it fine with Finnair Cathay etc. But never ever with BA. Once in a blue moon the first class bags come out first at T5.
https://www.oneworld.com/travel-benefits
** Priority baggage handling is not currently available on flights operated by British Airways.
No clue why. But I get it fine with Finnair Cathay etc. But never ever with BA. Once in a blue moon the first class bags come out first at T5.
Apr 14, 2025 | 10:40 am
#50
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC, EK
Posts: 357
I agree. Have been seeing the same. I place more value on the fragile stickers to make sure people treat my baggage not like a football etc.
Apr 15, 2025 | 3:13 am
#51
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
Programs: BA GFL, Mucci Diamond!, HH Diamond, Radisson VIP, FB Gold, LH Sen, Hertz Gold
Posts: 6,483
Well this morning, arriving at T5 from SYD, the first bags to arrive were definitely all the yellow tags only and only passengers in F. This might of course have been a coincidence.
Apr 15, 2025 | 3:51 am
#52
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Surrey, UK
Posts: 566
Apr 15, 2025 | 4:45 am
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA Plat, MM *G for life, AY Plat, BA Silver
Posts: 10,529
This suggests that they are intending to sort baggage into containers by bar code rather than label. If that's really the case, then priority baggage should actually work if they can get the handlers to keep the containers in order and if they are actually using containers. So it's still hit and miss. Plus, once BA has thinned the ranks of status holders, why on earth would they exclude them from priority baggage?
Aug 19, 2025 | 2:30 pm
#54
Join Date: Feb 2022
Location: Belfast
Programs: BA Exec - BA GGL/CCR, FB Ultimate
Posts: 137
I admire their adoption to the USA way of loyalty but I'd really appreciate not waiting 1 HR 20 mins for bags at LHR on a domestic leg of which the flight time was longer itself. Oh and despite the oneworld priority tag the bag is last off....
Aug 20, 2025 | 8:27 am
#55
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold; Virgin FF; United Airlines; American Airlines
Posts: 1,800
Your experience with your bag coming off last is not an isolated one, many have experienced that despite the oxymoron of the Priority tag. BA does not prioritise J/F and Gold card baggage unlike my experience with Emirates where priority baggage arrives in the reclaim areas on a separate and dedicated reclaim belt.
Aug 20, 2025 | 9:07 am
#56
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL GfL, AF Plat, LH Sen, AA Plat Pro, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,786
Your experience with your bag coming off last is not an isolated one, many have experienced that despite the oxymoron of the Priority tag. BA does not prioritise J/F and Gold card baggage unlike my experience with Emirates where priority baggage arrives in the reclaim areas on a separate and dedicated reclaim belt.
When it works, it works well. I landed in LHR a couple of weeks ago in F with checked bags and I was in my car 30 minutes after landing. My bags (and those of the other couple of pax in F) were out on the belt in the time it took me to nip to the toilet. No others were unloaded with them.
But yes, the tags are just for show other than that. And for the F baggage to work you need the throwers at the origin airport to put them in the right place as well.
Aug 20, 2025 | 11:01 am
#57
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Some
Posts: 6,658
F baggage (actual F pax) is supposed to go in a separate bin on the plane that gets emptied first. Or so I'm told.
When it works, it works well. I landed in LHR a couple of weeks ago in F with checked bags and I was in my car 30 minutes after landing. My bags (and those of the other couple of pax in F) were out on the belt in the time it took me to nip to the toilet. No others were unloaded with them.
But yes, the tags are just for show other than that. And for the F baggage to work you need the throwers at the origin airport to put them in the right place as well.
When it works, it works well. I landed in LHR a couple of weeks ago in F with checked bags and I was in my car 30 minutes after landing. My bags (and those of the other couple of pax in F) were out on the belt in the time it took me to nip to the toilet. No others were unloaded with them.
But yes, the tags are just for show other than that. And for the F baggage to work you need the throwers at the origin airport to put them in the right place as well.
I haven't flown BA long haul for 3-4 months, but I did about 8 BA F arrivals into LHR in the last year and I don't think once has the F luggage actually come off first.
Aug 20, 2025 | 11:41 am
#58
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, LH SEN, HH Gold, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 5,606
It’s not just LHR where BA doesn’t do priority luggage. I’ve never known it to regularly work to or from any destination. Occasionally by chance priority bags do come out first, so there must be some setup that works if the heavens align.
My AA domestic US flights a few weeks ago did all deliver my bag first, as did all my Lufthansa flights to and from MUC, with the exception of to LHR.
My AA domestic US flights a few weeks ago did all deliver my bag first, as did all my Lufthansa flights to and from MUC, with the exception of to LHR.
Aug 20, 2025 | 12:10 pm
#59
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: LH SEN/BA Gold (headed to Blue)/Marriott Gold/HH Diamond/IC Plat Amba
Posts: 6,527
Its not just LHR where BA doesnt do priority luggage. Ive never known it to regularly work to or from any destination. Occasionally by chance priority bags do come out first, so there must be some setup that works if the heavens align.
My AA domestic US flights a few weeks ago did all deliver my bag first, as did all my Lufthansa flights to and from MUC, with the exception of to LHR.
My AA domestic US flights a few weeks ago did all deliver my bag first, as did all my Lufthansa flights to and from MUC, with the exception of to LHR.
Aug 20, 2025 | 12:50 pm
#60
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold; Virgin FF; United Airlines; American Airlines
Posts: 1,800
I’m flying with BA in a couple of weeks and will be checking baggage in, so will be interesting to see what effect priority tags have on speed of said bags to reclaim at CTA and LGW. Not holding my breath. 🙂