1353513636

https://twitter.com/united/status/46...251521/photo/1

It looks like UA is now resorting to having people tag their own bags to cut costs. But, how will they make sure people aren't getting more than they should? More specifically:

1) If my friend travels on my miles, they will be treated as a 1K and get Priority luggage tags. Suppose they keep the priority luggage tags, and next time they travel as a kettle and pay $25 to check a bag, they stick on the priority luggage tag. What would stop them from getting their bags first on the belt when they shouldn't?
2) If I have a 65 pound bag, and I tell the machine it weights only 50 pounds, pay $25, and tag it and drop it off, who will make me pay the overweight bag fee? Wouldn't this also create a problem if everyone did this because of weight and balance?

Starblazer

well, apparently KLM is also cutting costs by self-tagging.. The machine weighs the bag to make sure it's within parameters.

lloydah

Did this last week at Schipol. Easy peasy, no waiting and the screen tells you in words of one (maybe two) syllables what to do next. Saved a whole lot of queueing. Quite hi tech, it even stopped to say the label needed turning round to be read by the bar code reader before my luggage was whisked away.

1353513636

Can't I just take some things out before I machine weigh it and put them back in before putting it on the conveyor belt?

joshwex90

Apparently, as per other threads (UA Operations/Gates at BOS), you drop off the bag by an agent when ready who scans to ensure compliance. If the bag is overweight on her scale but the scan shows you not having paid an overweight fee, they make you go back to the kiosk to fix it

Tchiowa

In my experience, in the US the luggage people at the airports are union and want everyone to be equal so they ignore the priority bags. I have arrived at SFO international I don't know how many times and had to wait for my bags. Doesn't happen outside the US. My bags come out in the first group. In the US, not so much.

steveman518

Which would mean no more leeway from friendly agents for excess/overweight baggage
like when the agent at HKG conveniently ignored the fact my bag was 60 pounds, mostly because my relatives absolutely refused to see me leave with a suitcase that wasn't bursting at the seams

DawgmanOH

Lots of International Airports already do this and, to be honest, it does save a bit of time checking in and getting through a queue. As mentioned, you tag it yourself after it prints out, walk the tag and the bag over to another person who then puts it on the conveyor belt, weighs it, tags it with your printout and you are on your way.

I prefer this MUCH more than the "free for all" scrum that is checking a bag at CLE.

3Cforme

Alaska rolled out self- bag tagging fully two years ago. Perhaps the OP can study that implementation - as UA is likely to have done.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...c-airport.html

sbm12

The part where the tag bar code also identifies which bags should have priority or not and their tag won't have that probably helps in this regard as well.

awu25

I've never seen priority tags work in the US. Don't know why there are complaints about this. This should speed up lines to check bags

lloydah

Sounds like KLM is far more simple. You put in into the machine, it weighs it, prints your tag which you wrap round the handle, press a button and the door closes. You get the receipt. You next see your bag when you arrive (hopefully So no carrying it to any agent etc etc.

kale73

Oh! The humanity!

BetsyF

Hey 1353513636, I suggest your friend try it and let us know how it turns out .
My guess is that they scan the bar code and weigh it when it is handed over to check-in agent and if there is any discrepancy it will be caught there. He could plausibly explain being overweight by claiming broken scale but I would imagine trying to put Priority tags on might cause him to have more "splainin" to do.
IME, sometimes the Priority tags work, sometimes not so much.

edcho

They could get first class and do it for future flights as well. To be honest (like many people mentioned before), priority tags mean jack squat. I notice as a GS, I get two priority tags (dunno if this is just standard procedure at some airports) but it usually comes out middle or last regardless.