United forcing to gate check a bag to destination

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Apr 20, 2013, 7:27 pm

#91

Loren Pechtel

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Continited

This happened to me last night in Newark... As I'm boarding with my roll aboard that I always place in the bin, agent singled me out and said the bag had to be checked. I asked if the bins were full already (I'm in boarding group 2) and the agent said no, the bag was just too big. I explained that I always am able to fit the bag into the bin with room to spare, and the agent wouldn't relent. After I argued a little more he said I could try it in the bag sizer and if it fit, I could bring it on... So I try it and it fits perfectly into the sizer and he still said it had to be checked. I thought this was absurd and I brought the bag down the jetway with me, but I tore off the tag and put it up in the bin anyway as usual.

Just curious why the agent would single me out and do this for no reason? Not only did he insist on checking the bag for no apparent reason, but he was quite combative and aggressive about the whole situation. Is there any policy that they are following here?

Once they've made the oops they don't want to admit they're wrong.

Apr 20, 2013, 7:36 pm

#92

PV_Premier

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Continited

This happened to me last night in Newark... As I'm boarding with my roll aboard that I always place in the bin, agent singled me out and said the bag had to be checked. I asked if the bins were full already (I'm in boarding group 2) and the agent said no, the bag was just too big. I explained that I always am able to fit the bag into the bin with room to spare, and the agent wouldn't relent. After I argued a little more he said I could try it in the bag sizer and if it fit, I could bring it on... So I try it and it fits perfectly into the sizer and he still said it had to be checked. I thought this was absurd and I brought the bag down the jetway with me, but I tore off the tag and put it up in the bin anyway as usual.

Just curious why the agent would single me out and do this for no reason? Not only did he insist on checking the bag for no apparent reason, but he was quite combative and aggressive about the whole situation. Is there any policy that they are following here?

its EWR what do you expect

when he asked you for the final destination for the bag tag, you should have said "your mom's house"

Apr 20, 2013, 8:32 pm

#93

SFOPhD

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Continited

Just curious why the agent would single me out and do this for no reason? Not only did he insist on checking the bag for no apparent reason, but he was quite combative and aggressive about the whole situation. Is there any policy that they are following here?

No way to answer this one without reading an employee's mind. There are bad apples in every bunch, and you might have just run into one.

Apr 20, 2013, 10:07 pm

#94

LIH Prem

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is your bag the type that won't fit in the overhead compartment wheels in or wheels out and takes up most of the overhead compartment because it has to go in sideways?

-David

Apr 21, 2013, 9:31 am

#95

mre5765

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Continited

I thought this was absurd and I brought the bag down the jetway with me, but I tore off the tag and put it up in the bin anyway as usual.

You've learned the same lesson I have. GAs are notorious for lacking spatial reasoning. Arguing with such people just demeans yourself. Just accept the tag, and be sure to remove before the FA sees it.

Apr 21, 2013, 4:04 pm

#96

Continited

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Quote:

Originally Posted by LIH Prem

is your bag the type that won't fit in the overhead compartment wheels in or wheels out and takes up most of the overhead compartment because it has to go in sideways?

-David

Nope just a regular roll-aboard that goes in lengthwise, wheels out.

Is this a common thing to be policed like this? I've never experienced it before now but it seems some others have experienced this same thing.

Apr 21, 2013, 4:42 pm

#97

Often1

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Continited

Yours may be the wrong case (bad pun), but I'm thrilled to see GA's being more proactive here and wish FAA had more resources to police the GA's. As others note, there are a lot of people who think that because they can fit their bag into the OH sideways that it ought to be allowed, even though that takes up OH space shared by 4-6 people, meaning that more "legal" bags have to be gate-checked, the push is delayed and so on.

In general, I'm all for zero tolerance on this stuff. If it were better enforced, it would also make the entire boarding process better. Frankly, as in the old days when F boarded last, it would be great to board at leisure, not as part of the scrum to locate OH space.