Originally Posted by jgilbs

I say they should have extended it because it really was an exercise in semantics. Whats the difference if she was on the same PNR or not, the bags were going on the plane somehow, either in the baggage hold or the passenger compartment, depending on how we rearranged them. Also, I was told by a Customer Service Rep that they WOULD be allowed, and planned my travel around that. No mention was made of the fact that we were on separate PNRs and thus ineligible. Had I been told that, I would have cancelled and rebooked as a single PNR, as when I called United Customer Service the first time, I was still within the 24 hr cancellation window. Again, this ends up being totally semantics - she was travelling with me at the same time and place. It really shouldnt matter at that point how the reservation was booked - the agent was going strictly by the letter of the law, not the spirit of the law. This is why Customer Service Reps exist - to identify minor issues such as this, and resolve them - not berate you for not knowing how the intricacies of Airline ticketing work.

The issue could have been entirely avoided or made moot by better customer service. Had I been informed of the issue up front, I would have chosen to rearrange bags, and all would have been fine(even if the kiosk had mentioned that ski boot bags are free would have been helpful). Instead, I was checked in by an Airserv rep who said nothing to me (literally no words. When I asked about her bags, he literally just pointed across the way at the United rep). This is literally Customer Relations 101. They weren't going to gain or lose revenue either way on this situation - by allowing an exception, it would have provided a better customer experience at NO COST to United. Instead, they turned it into a negative one, and with other issues such as devaluing the premier program, has me trying American for my next flight.