higgsjoa

This. Has nothing to do with the time of day. Last few flights I've checked bags into SFO, they only used 1 or 2 carousels. Over the holidays, there were passengers from literally 12 flights (according to the monitor) waiting for bags on the same carousel. Why have 10 carousels if UA isn't going to use them?

DENviaLAX

This is the biggest factor right now. Staffing levels aren't good in a lot of places and sometimes they simply don't have enough people to work the flights right away. And that's just at the hubs and mainline flights with actual UA employees. The UAX operation almost everywhere is contracted out, as are most of the line stations. And staffing there is even worse.

As far as priority bags are concerned, a lot of the success rate there depends on how load planning had things put on the plane. And especially with wide bodies where everything is containerized, if bags get mixed up at the originating station, the guys offloading it aren't going to bother wasting time trying to dig through the cans to send up all the priority bags first. It'd end up taking even longer to get the bags that way. I'd rather have my priority bag be the last one up and get it in X amount of minutes, then have to wait an extra 10 min just to say I got mine first.

MojaveFlyer

BOS 6 PM last Sunday took 35 minutes. No other flights' bags arriving at the time. Priority meaningless. Last time into BOS took 30 minutes, and priority came out first. This is really crazy, I can't fathom any excuse. No wonder we all fight to stuff our carry on into the bins.

Emirates202

In my experience IAH hasn't been too bad, at most 20 minutes. But LGA and EWR are worse, probably tied for the same amount of time. Except for international.
At LGA it's usually at least 35-40 minutes after I arrive at the belt, and of course the first bags out are never priority ones.

EWR seems to get priority right on some occasions, but for international flights it still takes way too long. Arrived from BOM a full 1 hour early last month only to have to wait an hour for the bags. Customs line snaked around the entire area but boy was I glad I have GE.

TennisNoob

Impressed my bag was already there when I got off gate E21 today from LAS-IAH.

IAH-LAS was not so impressive. 20 minute flight delayed followed by 40 minutes at the carousel.

LaserSailor

Don't forget to collect your 2500 DL miles

Jose Verde..I love connecting home to an outstation...you get the hassle free benefits of checking and at ALB your bag beats you to the carousel, 5 minutes from gate to car.

FlyHighInTheSky

I've had amazing luck at IAD this year for international flights. This one time arriving from GRU, I was first to GE kiosks, zipped through to Baggage area just as my bag came around the far corner of the belt right next to the GE customs line. Grabbed it and walked right out.

Moonbuggy to parking shuttle in less than 3 minutes. It brought a tear to my eye...

MojaveFlyer

I generally find LAS to be pretty fast and to do a good job with priority bags. Of course by the time you hike from the train to the bag carousel you've chewed up a bunch of the clock.

TennisNoob

I find LAS security to be an nightmare w/ carousel at top it makes matters worse.

Might of been bad luck this time around. Broken carousel followed by improperly sorting bags. (non-premier first)

IAH though slow sorts bags well. I give them good credit there.

lindaiah

Agree - but I wish UA didn't use a carousel so far away from the train. Seems like every time I'm there, nothing is going on with the closer carousels (other airlines, I guess, but I never see them being used), and we've got to walk all the way down nearly to the end for the UA bags, then halfway back to get to the exit for the taxi line.
Just grousing. I'm always happy to be there...

At IAH on 12/27 I waited 30 minutes for my bag at Terminal B, which is much longer than usual. This was after huge flight delays all day due to the horrendous weather, so I wasn't surprised. I think they were very understaffed as well.

exerda

That's a pet peeve I have, too. Why is it that UA, even at some of their bigger stations and hubs, puts their check-in areas and baggage claim areas so far from the gates? At IAD, the train dumps you off near baggage claim #10 or so, while most UA mainline flights use claims #1-4 (which are likewise at the far end of the terminal from most parking options).

EWRMAN

Waited 45 mins to get bags and car seat at EWR Tonight. FWIW Priority bags were first. Anyway about to get Lyft and baby does a huge stinky nappy. Classic timing. Have to laugh

laxmillenial

My bags beat me to baggage claim at SFO. Sat in F, landed in the 60ish gates, and walked to baggage claim to find my bag already spinning around as it was the 4th bag off the flight.

I was very impressed and let the baggage claim agent know. She smiled and thanked me for the compliment.

halls120

UA cares about our health. They want us to walk as much as possible, in order that we fit better in the 17" Y seats.

JacobVB27

Exerda,

I guess you don't see the signs for the United baggage claim going right when you get off the trains. They do dump off near 5/6 when people follow the signs for the United baggage claim.

What do you mean far from most parking options? Each parking lot that has a shuttle( Economy, Daily, even hotels) stop close to Door 6 down the ramp which is pretty close to the Unite BC area.