Cofyknsult

Hi All,

This looks almost too stupid to be true... Unfortunately, it is.

EXP travelling LGA-CLT-CHS (Charleston) this morning on AA ticket, AA flight numbers, codeshare of US metal. I checked in online yesterday, was not offered an upgrade, so I enquired about availability when I checked my bag this morning. I eventually did not upgrade on 1st flight but did on the 2nd in CLT. My request was therefore transmitted. No problem there, many thanks.

Bag was 54 Lbs. Instructed by agent to remove 4 Lbs or pay $ 100. Having nowhere on me to put the 4 Lbs, I respectfully pointed out my EXP status and right to 3 bags of 70 Lbs to which I got this wonderful reply that "We USED to allow it but AA visited us last week to INSIST that these are their policies and we MUST enforce them. We have no choice". I did not relent, asked for a supervisor who confirmed all the agent had said but finally gave in as an exceptional gesture NOT TO BE REPEATED."We allow 70 Lbs ONLY for confirmed FC which you do not have, Status is irrelevant. Be aware of it for the return flight".

The merger has been in the works for 15 months, LGA is not an offline outpost, and I am not making up the story. Is there something I do not know or is this ludicrously wrong ? In the past 15 months, I have made great efforts to avoid US as much as I could in favour the "old AA", going as far as adding connections. However the merger is now almost fully consumated, there is a single operating certificate, travelling to CHS without using US dba AA is excessively difficult and the AA/US differenciation shrinks every day. What is the solution?

AA-Flyer-SAN

Quite simple. You pull up the webpage and show it to them:

Overweight baggage charges
We’re pleased to say that your bag can weigh up to 70lbs./32kgs at no extra cost if you are:

First Class
Business Class
Executive Platinum
oneworld Emerald
If you are checking more than 3 bags charges will apply.


http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInforma...overweight.jsp

Cofyknsult

I meant the solution to the woeful inadequacy of those agents.

AA-Flyer-SAN

Unfortunately, we tend to know the rules better than most GA's, TA's, and FA's. I've been the one to tell the AAngels at the AC of new rules, policies, and incentives. We are the best instructors. That's why it's always good to have a smart phone available to show them or a supervisor.

ThreeJulietTango

Contact customer relations? Maybe a tweet, since AA seems to be quicker to respond to public shaming.

AA has recently become very strict about overweight baggage, though. Gone are the days of 51-pound bags being accepted at no additional charge, at least in Miami.

krlcomm

Please (PLEASE!!!!) take a minute or two to report this incident to AA (via aa.com)... No report = no action... Things like this should not happen.

Cofyknsult

Done... I have however noticed that the location of AA Customer Service has moved from DFW to PHX Airport. I would not hold my breath on the effect of my report. "Birds of a feather..." etc...

I hope we are not moving towards a necessary selective use of AA where the "Old Part" works well and the "New Part" becomes something to avoid.

krlcomm

Probably right about effect of one report unfortunately but a whole bunch of reports might get some action...

milesandmoremiles

The agent at LGA was actually correct. EPs don't get the additional weight allowance on baggage unless they are confirmed into First Class on US operated flights. It does not matter how you were ticketed, all that matters is what "airline" you were flying on.

The baggage policies between AA and US have not been aligned yet. So if you want to complain that the baggage policies have not been aligned yet, go ahead. But don't complain about the agent because they were just doing their jobs and enforcing the established policy.

Also, to the person that linked to the baggage policy online. That is to the AA baggage policy not the US baggage policy what would apply here.

Cofyknsult

SAD,... Got a quick computer-generated reply... of course THEY were right and I SHOULD have been denied the bag... The Customer Service has gone down the US drain, as I feared... And it is probably only the beginning.

milesandmoremiles

Not always. This is a prime example of where the frequent flyer doesn't always know everything. Just long as some of the posts quoting AA policies that don't even apply.

People need to get over this "AA was so great prior to US merger" thing. AA has not been a great airline for years. Service at AA has been mediocre long before the merger. Not saying US is a great airline, it isn't. But AA hasn't been either for a long while.

sosfo

The check in agent was right--US Airways' policy for overweight bags applied to the US Airways operated flight. That means overweight exemptions are for passengers confirmed in F. There is no exemption to the overweight fee for status at this point. Looks like the policies might be valid on booked/ticketed after 4/23/15, but which ones are still ambiguous.

I'd also add that in a merger, policies are all over the place so what may seem like the answer may not actually be correct. So to answer OP's original question of what can be done? Your homework.

http://www.usairways.com/en-US/traveltools/baggage/baggagepolicies.html

GalleyWench

I didn't think the baggage policies were merged yet and I also thought overweight bags on US were only exempt if you were confirmed f/c. Maybe I'm missing something?

Cofyknsult

Nothing is all Black or White and the old AA was far from perfect. But few will disagree that US was and remains at the bottom of the barrel, somewhere near Spirit and Frontier.

Cofyknsult

What happens on 4/23 ?