My experience in C or F is that generally you get a priority sticker and your luggage comes out promptly. The system generally seems to work.

But airlines sometimes promote "Priority Baggage Handling" if you have elite status but flying in Y. If this applies to you, how is your luggage labelled and does it work?

My experience as an elite (with the airline or a partner),
but not in C or F is:

Singapore Airlines
You get a bright orange Priority sticker PLUS maybe others.
It works.

BMI
Priority sticker.
It works.

Air France
Priority sticker + business class sticker (even though I was in Y)
It works.
(A while back)

EVA
Club sticker. Sometimes "Priority" applied.
Club sticker usually doesn't make any difference. Priority does.

My theory is that with all the different stickers floating around, only something labelled as "PRIORITY" really will be treated as such. Or is it encoded in the bar code and it gets sorted that way?

Anyone know how baggage handling works?

Maybe they keep the priority bag to the side and load it last so that it might be unloaded first.

I read in the newspaper that during one period of labor unrest at Continental Airlines, the baggage handlers purposely delayed priority bags because they thought the elite level members were the ones who travel Continental more and, if these passengers got made at the airline, would fly on another airline. That's evil. That's also short sided because lost of such valuable business hurts the baggage handlers. It doesn't hurt Gordon Bethune or his successor.

Emirates just puts the Business Class Priority tags on all Silver and Gold Members. In Dubai, I would say 95% of the time the bags come out first....Other countries, it's hit and miss.

Continental. Yes, it works.

They attach a blue Priority tag to the regular luggage tag, not to the suitcase. They do leave those bags on the side of the plane and load them last. [If it's raining, they stay on a covered cart until last minute.]

I see that being done every time I can look out the starboard window if I'm sitting over there.

Northwest--Priority hit and miss

I rarely check a bag, but my experience has been uneven with UA, on which I'm a 1P. Of the times I checked a bag last year, it seemed like my priority-tagged bag came out among the first...but there was an occasion on a DEN-ORD flight (nonstop) that UA did not get my priority-tagged bag on the plane out from DEN on my early afternoon flight, or on any of the other flights going DEN-ORD that day. I think it finally came the following morning, but because UA didn't want to pay a courier to make a special run from ORD to downtown, the bag didn't arrive until after I had checked out of my hotel. After my meeting, I had to go back by the hotel to pick up my bag on the way back to the airport. Wasn't too happy about that.

I usually fly Continental and always have a "Priority" tag on my checked luggage. Sometimes it comes out early, sometimes not at all. I haven't seen a major benefit. Also, an associate of mine had her "Priority" labeled bag left on an exposed baggage cart at IAH during a thunderstorm; everything inside was soaked, including her work papers.

Cathay Pacific: regardless of class of flight top tier (Diamond) get First Class priority on bags; mid-tier (Gold & Silver) get Business Class priority (unless flying F, obviously). It works.

Your first problem is that you are assuming that a labor union would apply long-term logic to problem resolution.


United: it's hit and miss. Elites plus anybody flying F/C are supposed to get an orange baggage tag. MCI always applies the tag. SEA never applies the tag unless I'm actually flying an F segment - I've overheard 1K's arguing about it and not get it. SFO didn't apply it when I was 2P, but does now that I'm 1P.

On the receiving end, it works about half the time. More internationally...less domestically.

United

Bright Orange "Priority" sticker.

It works mainly at hubs...but you're SOL at non-hubs.

United:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

On US they rarely put on the tag. When they do I haven't noticed any difference so I don't really care one way or the other if they put it on there.

On Northwest only the top level elites receive priority bag tags (as it's a Skyteam Elite + benefit) when flying in Y. SEs and GEs do not rec'v any priority handling unless in FC.

Works a treat on AA, bags are taken off belt for you and by the time you are through passport control they are in a special area waiting for you to pick them up with a porter there for good measure. A bright orange tag and a oneworld tag are attached to the luggage label.

I have found that NW's priority baggage tags do not help, at least here in HNL. It is very hit and miss. The only caveat to that is if I am flying international with NW. Then the bags are first out.