What does Sky Priority mean for checked bags?
Apr 22, 2019, 8:30 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: RDU
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Posts: 179
What does Sky Priority mean for checked bags?
What exactly does the Sky Priority tag mean in DL bag system? Was on CDG-RDU flight yesterday. Breezed through Immigration and waited for the checked bag to arrive. Carousal started moving, bags started coming out, but there didn't appear to be any difference between those with the yellow "Sky Priority" tag and those without. Waited for more than 30 minutes before my single checked bag with the yellow Sky Priority tag to eventually come out, almost the last one out of the 767, apparently without any "Priority" treatment. Anyone can shed some light on this?
Last edited by MonAmQB; Apr 22, 2019 at 9:47 am
Apr 22, 2019, 9:01 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: PHX
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It is all very station-dependent. Many times it means nothing at all. International aircraft that use Unit Load containers for bags often follow a "Last On First Off" system in my experience, so if you check in early, you might be waiting longer at the belt.
I have also seen dedicated SP baggage claim areas roped off and even a baggage handler removing the SP bags and placing them in a special claim area. Although neither has happened in the past 3-4 years. The general trend is that SP tags are losing their "priority" status over the past few years. The good news is that DL's overall baggage handling has improved over that time.
I have also seen dedicated SP baggage claim areas roped off and even a baggage handler removing the SP bags and placing them in a special claim area. Although neither has happened in the past 3-4 years. The general trend is that SP tags are losing their "priority" status over the past few years. The good news is that DL's overall baggage handling has improved over that time.
Apr 22, 2019, 9:49 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: MSP
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My experience has been, domestically at least, most stations are quite sure to get SP bags out first. Don't remember the last time I had to wait more than a few minutes for an SP-tagged bag.
Apr 22, 2019, 9:53 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Apr 22, 2019, 10:07 am
#6
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International arrivals - particularly without port of departure preclearance - are always going to be a crap-shoot. Bags are delivered only after CBP approves them. That may not explain why non-priority-tagged bags arrived first, however.
Apr 22, 2019, 12:38 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2004
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This is a huge understatement. Some stations are pretty iffy, but some totally rock (SAV comes to mind - my SP tagged bags has always been one of the first to arrive.)
We can rag on DL for things that they do wrong, but you are correct - this is one area where DL has substantially improved over the last several years. ^
We can rag on DL for things that they do wrong, but you are correct - this is one area where DL has substantially improved over the last several years. ^
Apr 22, 2019, 1:16 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2018
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PHX, PBI, MCO, ORD, SFO have all been pretty good.
Above is based on if I see multiple non-SP bags from my flight on the belt while SP bags are still being delivered. Not just the 20-minute rule, which affects everyone.
YMMV as with almost everything baggage-related.
Apr 22, 2019, 2:15 pm
#9
Join Date: Nov 2013
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My experience in mainland China (domestic and international) is that the airlines (MU, CZ, MF) take priority baggage seriously and it is almost always first on the belt. A shame about Europe and, often, North America.
Apr 22, 2019, 3:05 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2007
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LAX, JFK (domestic), LAS, and sometimes ATL (around 1/3 of the time) have had some issues with SP bags coming out randomly in my experience.
PHX, PBI, MCO, ORD, SFO have all been pretty good.
Above is based on if I see multiple non-SP bags from my flight on the belt while SP bags are still being delivered. Not just the 20-minute rule, which affects everyone.
YMMV as with almost everything baggage-related.
PHX, PBI, MCO, ORD, SFO have all been pretty good.
Above is based on if I see multiple non-SP bags from my flight on the belt while SP bags are still being delivered. Not just the 20-minute rule, which affects everyone.
YMMV as with almost everything baggage-related.
Apr 22, 2019, 4:57 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Apr 22, 2019, 5:20 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MKE
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I have never had trouble with my bag marked SP until recently. Mine was one of the last bags to come out in TPA last week and also one of the last to come out in MKE the last two times within the last month. PHX wasn’t even that great; my bag came out somewhere in the middle. All bags had the SP yellow tag on them.
Apr 22, 2019, 6:05 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 91
Sky Priority - Thumbs Up
I must be lucky in general. I normally fly Business with KLM from Dubai to Inverness via Amsterdam. My bag normally comes out first or a few behind at Inverness. Perhaps due to the small Embrea KLM uses, and that Inverness is small like a garden shed. Sky Priority works out well for me ususlly, even on the return leg to Dubai.
Apr 22, 2019, 7:42 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ATL
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If you were me this weekend, Sky Priority meant my bag got left behind overnight in SEA on the way to SNA. 
Everyone else's yellow-tagged SP bags came out first at SNA though, so some stations do get those bags out first (at least some of the time).
Everyone else's yellow-tagged SP bags came out first at SNA though, so some stations do get those bags out first (at least some of the time).