Why is UA's baggage system so poor?
Jul 25, 2013, 7:58 am
#61
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Seattle, WA USA
Programs: Marriott Gold, United Silver
Posts: 263
That makes me feel a little better. I've noticed it a lot more lately than previously. Not sure why unless UA is staffing down (which I've heard rumors of). Oh well. I'll chalk it up to a perk that doesn't really exist.
Jul 25, 2013, 9:56 am
#62
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,129
Has anyone else had issues with the "priority" baggage handling? It used to be one of the perks I liked the most know that on a flight my bag would be one of the first off. Lately it seems that order is completely arbitrary though. Once in awhile I can understand a bag "hiding" but this happens routinely now.
Jul 25, 2013, 10:03 am
#63
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Hyatt GLOB, Marriott Lifetime PLT, UA 1K 1MM.
Posts: 1,728
i've actually been noticing an uptick in baggage delays. i typically only check bags when flying internationally or if i have a LOT of stuff, which is maybe 12-14 times a year.
i've had to check bags twice this month. i'm not sure what happened, but both times it would be even about 30 minutes after deplaning before the carousel would even start moving. and my bag would come out roughly 15 minutes after that. it's at EWR too and, all EWR jokes aside, this is actually the first time in years i've ever noticed this happening. it's now happened to me twice in a month. something seems odd.
i've had to check bags twice this month. i'm not sure what happened, but both times it would be even about 30 minutes after deplaning before the carousel would even start moving. and my bag would come out roughly 15 minutes after that. it's at EWR too and, all EWR jokes aside, this is actually the first time in years i've ever noticed this happening. it's now happened to me twice in a month. something seems odd.
Jul 25, 2013, 10:07 am
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,640
i've actually been noticing an uptick in baggage delays. i typically only check bags when flying internationally or if i have a LOT of stuff, which is maybe 12-14 times a year.
i've had to check bags twice this month. i'm not sure what happened, but both times it would be even about 30 minutes after deplaning before the carousel would even start moving. and my bag would come out roughly 15 minutes after that. it's at EWR too and, all EWR jokes aside, this is actually the first time in years i've ever noticed this happening. it's now happened to me twice in a month. something seems odd.
i've had to check bags twice this month. i'm not sure what happened, but both times it would be even about 30 minutes after deplaning before the carousel would even start moving. and my bag would come out roughly 15 minutes after that. it's at EWR too and, all EWR jokes aside, this is actually the first time in years i've ever noticed this happening. it's now happened to me twice in a month. something seems odd.
SMF is horrible, often 20+ minutes and if you are on the last plane to arrive on the evening bank of arrivals it can be upwards of 45...which always feels great after a t-con or international trip when it's midnight and facing a 1 hour drive home...
Jul 25, 2013, 10:28 am
#65
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
Ive been a 1K for 20 years with UA.....NEVER once have they lost or misconnected a bag of mine UNTIL THE MERGER.... In the 16 months since this stupid "merger" my bags have been lost FOUR times. If that is not PROOF that UA is handling baggage on the cheap and could care a less, I dont know what is.
Jul 25, 2013, 11:53 am
#67
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,581
If airlines and airports could work together to speed up baggage delivery, fewer people might choose to carry on, which would result in fewer departure delays caused by gate checking bags that don't fit, and eventually, a reduction in boarding chaos prompted by fear that overhead space won't be available. @:-)
Jul 25, 2013, 1:41 pm
#68
Join Date: May 2006
Location: New York, London, Sydney
Programs: United GS/2MM, DL*P, VS*G, AA*EXP, Avis CHM, Hertz Platinum, Sixt*D, HH*D, HGP*P, Starwood*P
Posts: 9,847
If airlines and airports could work together to speed up baggage delivery, fewer people might choose to carry on, which would result in fewer departure delays caused by gate checking bags that don't fit, and eventually, a reduction in boarding chaos prompted by fear that overhead space won't be available. @:-)
Jul 25, 2013, 1:53 pm
#69
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,682
I agree with you that it's sad. Very sad. But as someone pointed out a few posts earlier in this thread, if we want to find the culprit, we need to look in the mirror, because, "we", overall, demand the cheapest of everything and reward airlines that try to provide a premium product with bankruptcy. Sure, there are a few here, and I count myself and assume you as well in this group, who are willing to pay for quality, but in large measure, most travel buyers care about nothing but price. Hence, the airlines are optimizing for the environment they find themselves in. Even the trashing of UA is part of this trend. All the destruction was done in favor of finding the cheapest solution, damn the consequences. And, $mi$ek and his regime were apparently given those marching orders by whoever gave them control, by whoever gave him a $14 million bonus based on achieving cost savings (aka synergies), by the BoD who allows this, by the shareholders who allow this, and by the stock market that rewards this. End of the day: These folks are just reacting to overall market forces. And, so we wait 45 minutes for our luggage and consider ourselves lucky when we get it at all.
Wanting stuff cheap wears many faces...
low fares
Easy upgrades
Compensation because my IFE toy doesn't work
....
Jul 25, 2013, 2:01 pm
#70
Used to be 'IAD22066'
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1K AA
Posts: 282
Reminds me of my last flight back to IAD. I was sick of being in the scrum of people who all insist on standing within 10 yards of the conveyor belt. So I stand back a little bit. After about fifteen minutes after the first bag came out, I still didn't see mine. I was finally about to go to the customer service agent when I saw that the staff had pulled it off the conveyor before I had the chance to do so.
Jul 26, 2013, 2:57 pm
#71
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Grand County, Colorado
Programs: IHG Plat, HH D, UA GS, Perm BonVoyed
Posts: 2,013
Gate check bag sent to PDX not PWM
A relative flew this week IAH-EWR-PWM. The EWR-PWM sector operated by Republic (Q400). Ground staff insisted on gate-checking the carry-on.
It eventually showed up in Portland, Oregon not Portland, Maine.
This really doesn't surprise me.
It eventually showed up in Portland, Oregon not Portland, Maine.
This really doesn't surprise me.
Jul 26, 2013, 3:04 pm
#72
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ORD
Posts: 870
Sorry about your lost bag but this made me LOL hard. This is a new low. How difficult is it to load the bag on the plane that's sitting RIGHT THERE?
Flying on commuter routes has become such a nightmare it's unbelievable. Most of my regional flights are either delayed, canceled, or some other sh*t.
Flying on commuter routes has become such a nightmare it's unbelievable. Most of my regional flights are either delayed, canceled, or some other sh*t.
