Why is UA checked bag claim so slow? (EWR,ORD, SFO, IAH, ...) [Consolidated]
Jan 6, 2016, 6:53 am
#76
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
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Maybe I've been lucky since Jeffy left, but in that time, I've never had to wait more than 30 minutes from touchdown to getting my bag at IAD. That typically means 5 min or less at the carousel for me given taxi, deplaning, moonbuggy or train, etc.
Jan 6, 2016, 8:44 am
#78
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,455
My experience with DL has been shockingly good - at hubs and non, consistently less than <20 minutes per their g'tee (including oversized items like skis). AA is certainly not whom I look to as the standard here.
Jan 6, 2016, 9:28 am
#79
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,005
I got my bags in LAX first thing as they came off the ramp. From touch down to clearing customs and re-checking took all of 30-35 minutes. Excellent service here and actually getting 'priority' bags off first.
Jan 6, 2016, 9:37 am
#80
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,153
I would say that Alaska is the standard with the original 20 minute guarantee that they truly respect. "Below the wing" for them in the state of Alaska it is AS employees, everywhere else (including their hubs of SEA/PDX/LAX) they contract with 3rd parties to provide the service.
Jan 6, 2016, 9:43 am
#81
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1k, SPG Plat 100
Posts: 619
At hubs, I've taken to picking up my rental car first and parking in short term to grab my bags. If I'm not driving, I'll grab coffee or a drink to burn time. It usually takes 40 minutes for my bag to come off, so might as well make use of the time.
Jan 6, 2016, 9:02 pm
#82
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 324
Well here at MRY we may suffer from 1 in 10 flights to SFO being cancelled or being excessively late from LAX but we do get our bags in about 10 minutes each time! Take that you big city yokels! Most of the time our bags make it fine through SFO or LAX - I've even had one make a 20 minute connection at SFO, which is much faster than I've ever seen a bag make it to the carousel there.
Jan 6, 2016, 9:21 pm
#83
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Alaska deserves credit for their performance and the marketing value being first to offer a guarantee, but their biggest hub pales in size and complexity to DL at ATL or AA at DFW.
Jan 8, 2016, 3:34 pm
#84
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1k, SPG Plat 100
Posts: 619
By contrast, I was quite impressed with UA last night in that they started the carousel 18 minutes after the flight landed. I even got my bags 1 minute later, marking the first time UA has been sub-20 min for me in the last year.
Jan 9, 2016, 8:35 am
#85
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: United Premier 1K 1MM; AA Plat Pro; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Platinum; Avis President's Club
Posts: 2,529
Now I think your lucky. Last 2-3 years my wife and I have had to wait at least 15-45 mins at the baggage claim and that does NOT include deplaning, train etc... time.
Jan 9, 2016, 9:08 am
#86
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,055
50 (!) minute wait in EWR this week coming from FRA. Bag was almost last on the belt with a nice red priority tag ... UA clearly values their BF passengers 
Jan 9, 2016, 10:05 am
#87
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,005
That said, I did get my bags quickly at EWR a few days ago, but I saw loads of non-priority bags on the same flight on the belt first (inbound flight was from LAX).
Jan 9, 2016, 10:46 am
#88
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
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I don't think the baggage folks at EWR give two hoots about the priority tags. Getting my bags off an NZ flight in SYD with *A priority felt like it was truly being given priority.
That said, I did get my bags quickly at EWR a few days ago, but I saw loads of non-priority bags on the same flight on the belt first (inbound flight was from LAX).
That said, I did get my bags quickly at EWR a few days ago, but I saw loads of non-priority bags on the same flight on the belt first (inbound flight was from LAX).
Jan 9, 2016, 11:55 am
#89
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,138
Law of averages, maybe. There was a period in late 2014 and early 2015 where almost every single time I flew they delayed or lost my bag, and the times they didn't, it took 45-60 minutes to get it at IAD.
Jan 9, 2016, 12:20 pm
#90
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP, lowly UA 1K; Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold; National EC, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,214
I will just chime in and say had very bad luck at the end of the year at both IAH (int'l) and SFO. Priority tags were all mixed up and each time it took 30+ minutes from door opening to the first bag coming off.
At SFO I am particularly unimpressed that they can't seem to spread out the bags over multiple carousels. There were 3 flights from IAH, IAD and ORD all landing around midnight and they were all on a single carousel while the rest of the floor was basically empty due to the late hour. It was a true madhouse for no good reason.
At SFO I am particularly unimpressed that they can't seem to spread out the bags over multiple carousels. There were 3 flights from IAH, IAD and ORD all landing around midnight and they were all on a single carousel while the rest of the floor was basically empty due to the late hour. It was a true madhouse for no good reason.