It seems GlobeGround, the company handling STAR ground facilities at AMS, are no longer tagging Business or STARGold baggage with the red Priority tags. The Business class check-in agent insisted this was a new practice, and she even refused to use the tags on my last segment which had just been removed from my two bags. At all other stations where check-in was handled by STAR partner staff, I had no problem having the tags affixed this past week over in Europe.

So what gives? Has anyone else experienced this either in Europe or elsewhere?

And while I am on the subject, STAR facilities and handling at AMS is pretty pathetic. Their contractor doesn't have enough Economy check-in positions open, and baggage delivery to carousels is ultra-slow. Lost/Misdirected baggage procedure is also a pain with few agents on hand to handle the process. [Both SK and BD have their own check-in staff and desks, but these cannot be used if not flying on these carriers. LH, OS, AC, UA and others are handled by GlobeGround.]

BD Lounge, used by STARGolds, is also extremely far from the pier and gates used by STAR partners.

In short, AMS is a pathetic station for STAR, almost as bad as SIN [for non-SQ travellers].

I flew out of CPT 2 weeks ago on LH in First Class. Guess what? LH said that they ran out of PRIORITY luggage tags!! So, we had not tags at all for our flight to LHR via FRA.

I think I better bring my own supplies next time!

The good news is that the bags did come out fairly quickly in LHR.

But in YYZ, the story is entirely different last week. Flew LHR-VIE-YYZ in Biz. Bags were one of the last to come out - along with other "PRIORITY" tagged passengers who were not too happy at AC's Ground Handling capabilities.

[This message has been edited by Guy Betsy (edited 05-31-2002).]