"Priority" baggage handling at IAD
 

I have rarely had my "priority handling" bag come off the luggage belt faster than any other bags, so I decided to count how many bags non-priority bags came off before the priority bags at IAD last night. I waited 25 minutes before ANY bags came out, and there were 19 bags on the belt before the first one with a priority tag showed up. There were nearly 50 bags (only a few marked priority) on the belt before my bags showed up. All in all, I waited almost 40 minutes to get my bags.

So the priority tag seems completely useless at IAD. Was this a bad experience, or is this the norm? Ironically, there is a big advertisement for the virtues of priority baggage handling on *A quite close to the UA belts.

Fixed it for you.

It also depends on the way the bag was loaded at the origin or plane change. So IAD may not be the (only) culprit after all.

I've always been curious as to how the priority bags have been handled. From what i've seen, the priority tags are pretty much useless in US airports. The only place where i've reliably had my bags come out first have been in PVG

I was pleasantly surprised to have my bag off the belt and waiting for me in the business/first holding area after I cleared immigration at LHR.

However, upon my return to SFO, the destination bag tag wasnt event attached to my luggage when I found it on the conveyor belt! I have no idea how it got separated, but it feels like I was close to losing my bag. :td: Now I remember why I try not to check my bag, but these new liquid rules makes it real hard for longer trips.

not to create yet another priority bags related thread, but at what point did everyone start expected that "priority" meant "first onto the belt"? i mean.. it has certainly been the case many times.. but by default, unless otherwise specified, i would think that it meant nothing more than "please be sure that this one gets on the plane".

Priority at IAD = your bags are only rifled once before delivery.

This would also be fine... if it was true. Last March, I flew ORD to PWM, and both of my bags had priority handling tags. One arrived on time, but the plane was overweight and the other took two days to show up. As fas as I can tell, the designation really is useless.

True! LHR has there stuff together. I had the same experience, went through fast track (~5 min wait) walk over to conveyor and my bag is right there next to a UA employee under a F/C sign. Nice....everywhere else though its tits on a bull

Well one of my priority bags was rifled through at IAD and they didnt even put back on the TSA lock. Stupid searchers -- those locks aren't cheap. :mad:

Only 25 minutes to wait for bags at Dulles? Lucky you!

In nine years of business flying, I have only seen my bag get "Priority" attention twice ever. Once landing at LHR, once at YYZ.

I don't go to LHR anymore (don't transit there either with the stupid liquid nonsense), but go to YYZ semi-regularly, never happens there anymore.

If UA wants to cut costs, stop bothering with those tags. Like someone said earlier....tits on a bull.

File a claim with the TSA.

What about the FT Priority luggage tag?
 

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but has anyone had special priority handling of their checked bag thanks to the neon yellow FT "Priority" bag tag? Mine was the first off UA 251 IAD-PDX last Thursday night. Coincidence? ;) I couldn't test my theory on the outbound as I had the typical UA orange priority handling tag, and it came out fairly quickly through customs in YUL.

With the FT "Priority" tag and no Star Priority tag, mine was among the last bags to come out at IAD recently. On a positive note, most of the priority bags arrived early on, which was a pleasant surprise. But then again, we'd been waiting for a while before the first bags came, so I guess that bit hasn't changed at IAD. :rolleyes: