A show of hands.

A show of hands....

How many of you out there has found your Qantas First (Yellow) and/or Business (Pink) priority baggage tags removed/cut away/torn from your bags upon arrival, when you're flying in Y or PE?

This has happened to me on two occasions when flying Y with QF on an international sector. Bags were tagged with the Yellow (one instance) and Pink (another instance) priority tags but on both occasions these tags were found torn off/cut off upon arriving.

What's particularly interesting was that on one occasion the tags were precisely severed as to have been done by a pair of scissors.

I know that these Yellow/Pink tags are just eye candy, with the barcorde really determining the priority of your bags. I get that nor am I upset.

I am merely wanting to ascertain if:

1) Qantas is knowingly being two-faced, or

2) Does the right hand not know what the left hand is doing at Qantas, or

3) Is there a rogue baggage handler on a one-man mission working deep within the bowels of Melbourne International airport.

It doesnt matter if its QF or its oneworld partners, there seems to be times when priority labelled baggage arrives last. This happens quite often to me regardless of fare class. Makes me mad as hell, which is probably why someone does it. :)

I think you are thinking too much behind it... If you have seen behind the scenes, the baggage belt systems these bags have to go through... you will understand why some of these tags get torn off, and why bags get broken/torn, and then get lost.... I personally would never put anything fragile inside your luggage after being fortunate enough to have seen some of these systems at different airports.  There are so many turns, and sorting arms, that bags can get caught in, and tags to get ripped.

Thanks for the comments guys. I'm not too concerned if bags come out last - c'est la vie!  Nor am I too fussed if priority tags were inadvertently torn as bags get processed.

I'm more concerned at tags that look like they have been systematically removed, in this case with a pair of scissors.

Keen to know if anyone else has experienced the same thing. Sorry to labour on!

I would say a tear on a sharp corner would look like any other tear. I'm curious to know why you are so adament that it was scissors?

Hi highflyer,

Without being to CSI about things, a tear would be more consistent with a haphazard "seperation".

Given the thickness of the tag and how the edges of the tag still sticking within the white baggage labels are perfectly flushed to the edge of the white baggage label, indicates to me that severing did not occur haphazardly. 

I hate to be a bit dim, but I am Watson after all. Are you talking about tags that are stuck to the end of the existing bag tag that is looped around a handle?

I agree with trb this has happened to me on three seperate times, all outbound from oz and all on qf 8 to qf 11 for same day travel.on each trip i flew j bne-syd then pe syd-la.the pain is while bags arrived each time,the pink tag was cut cleanly off,not only does the bag come off in near to last can,its allways on the 2nd carousal,and not on the p/j carousal where it should be.i am aware it has happened to others,and staff at the passenger service company say they have advised QF station management.

Thanks Robert. Appreciate your insights.

It seems more plausible that this is systemic.

Who cares if bags are last to come out. If you travel Y/PE and there are no OW priority bag provisions, then so be it - Suck it up princess!

But what gets my goat is the subterfuge and lack of candour. Why would you have one team (check-in) do one thing and have it reversed by another (unknown party cutting tags off)?

There are thousands and thousands of bags that airlines handle each and every day. The fact that you think someone would grab a pair of scissors, hone in on your one bag and snip it off is absolutely rediculous. All in the name of what? To ruin your day? Please. 

I agree with you aklrunway.

I hear what you're saying and find your comments interesting. Fact remains that experiences by myself and Robert cannot be accounted for in a plausible manner. Thank you however for taking the time to respond to this query. Have a lovely weekend :)

Not sure about the coloured paper tags issue.  But I've had both of the round electronic chip tags torn off my bags.  Pretty sure both times were done on purpose.  They seemed  fairly sturdy.  So I now don't have any as the two were originally issed for free and I'm certainly not paying to have them supplied.

Ring up and ask for new ones to be sent?

Ahah! I have been having the same thought as well. Recently I flew from AKL-LHR on Air New Zealand (via LAX) and then on to CDG with BA, booked on the same itinerary. When arrived in LHR, I had to collect my bags and then transfer them. At this stage the Priority tags were on. Then when I arrived in CDG, the priority tags had been 'cut' off. And to confirm my suspicions, the same had happened to my partners. Hmmm there is something happening here lol