Snowboards - Oversized?
Aug 8, 2005, 9:10 pm
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: QLA
Programs: SBUX Gold
Posts: 14,507
Snowboards - Oversized?
So I dropped my friend off for her LAX-PDX flight for a snowboarding trip, and the counter agent dinged her for a $50 oversized-baggage fee for her board bag.
I've flown AS several times with no fee. Was I just getting lucky and not being charged, or are they now starting to crack down?
(Aside: Did it matter that she had to use the CS line b/c she missed her flight and had to standby on the next one, rather than just using the regular Bag Check line? I also know that if you use curbside checkin (where available), you can tip your way out of the fee...)
I've flown AS several times with no fee. Was I just getting lucky and not being charged, or are they now starting to crack down?
(Aside: Did it matter that she had to use the CS line b/c she missed her flight and had to standby on the next one, rather than just using the regular Bag Check line? I also know that if you use curbside checkin (where available), you can tip your way out of the fee...)
Aug 8, 2005, 9:19 pm
#2
Moderator Communications Coordinator, Signatures
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: deep within the Eskimo lair
Programs: TubWorld, Bar Alliance, Borratxo Legendarium
Posts: 16,968
it shouldnt have been dinged for oversized, but it could have been dinged for overweight or if there were more than 2 checked pieces total
Aug 8, 2005, 10:10 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 5,953
Originally Posted by IceTrojan
I think she just got a moron/newbie of a CSR. I'll have her call AS to ask for a refund (she's a non-FTer... she must be lead through these things 
)
)
Aug 8, 2005, 10:26 pm
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: unreserved car luggage rack
Programs: Indian Railways Wallah Program
Posts: 6,532
Originally Posted by AS Flyer
Not very nice referring to newbies as "morons". While it may have been a mistake (one that can be rectified by sending a note to CS) we all make mistakes and they aren't all at our own expense....
Aug 8, 2005, 10:28 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 5,953
Originally Posted by cj001f
With all do respect, that is a beyond oblivious mistake for an airline that sells package snowboard vacations!
Aug 8, 2005, 10:35 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,067
Originally Posted by AS Flyer
Not very nice referring to newbies as "morons". While it may have been a mistake (one that can be rectified by sending a note to CS) we all make mistakes and they aren't all at our own expense....
Aug 8, 2005, 10:38 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Portland
Posts: 11,569
Originally Posted by AS Flyer
With all due respect, I can't help but wonder how many snow board vacations we're selling for departure this time of year (none probably) and if this person were indeed new they wouldn't have the benefit of experience in checking snow boards.
Aug 8, 2005, 10:39 pm
#10
Moderator Communications Coordinator, Signatures
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: deep within the Eskimo lair
Programs: TubWorld, Bar Alliance, Borratxo Legendarium
Posts: 16,968
Originally Posted by cj001f
With all do respect, that is a beyond oblivious mistake for an airline that sells package snowboard vacations!
with all due respect, the LAX ticket counter likely checks just as many (if not more) surfboards for the mexico vacations as they do snowboards. surfboards always incur a fee... snowboards don't... hardly moronic ... just a mistake (unless we are missing some info here like it was really an excess bag fee instead of an oversize fee)
Aug 8, 2005, 11:43 pm
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: unreserved car luggage rack
Programs: Indian Railways Wallah Program
Posts: 6,532
Originally Posted by missydarlin
with all due respect, the LAX ticket counter likely checks just as many (if not more) surfboards for the mexico vacations as they do snowboards. surfboards always incur a fee... snowboards don't... hardly moronic ... just a mistake (unless we are missing some info here like it was really an excess bag fee instead of an oversize fee)
They may not be common, but I did book a ski vacation using Alaska equipment in August of last year, PDX-CHC, FWIW. The Alaska counter in PDX sees quite a bit of ski/snowboard traffic all summer as well, especially on weekends.
Last edited by cj001f; Aug 8, 2005 at 11:47 pm
Aug 8, 2005, 11:52 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: QLA
Programs: SBUX Gold
Posts: 14,507
Originally Posted by channa
With all due respect, the phrase used was "newbie/moron." Generally the slash refers to an OR statement, so to be completely accurate, the CSR in question was described as either a newbie or a moron, but not both.
Thank you for understand what that operator ("/") meant.
For clarity's sake, I was saying that such a mistake must have been made by either a) a newbie, in which case it was excusable, or b) by a seasoned employee, in which case he was a moron for applying a charge.
Aug 9, 2005, 1:34 am
#13
Moderator Communications Coordinator, Signatures
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: deep within the Eskimo lair
Programs: TubWorld, Bar Alliance, Borratxo Legendarium
Posts: 16,968
Originally Posted by cj001f
I've never seen a 6'6" snowboard (which is about as small as surfboards get). A 2'*6' object vs. a 1'*4' object. Adult sized vs. Child sized. The two are not easily confused.
They may not be common, but I did book a ski vacation using Alaska equipment in August of last year, PDX-CHC, FWIW. The Alaska counter in PDX sees quite a bit of ski/snowboard traffic all summer as well, especially on weekends.
They may not be common, but I did book a ski vacation using Alaska equipment in August of last year, PDX-CHC, FWIW. The Alaska counter in PDX sees quite a bit of ski/snowboard traffic all summer as well, especially on weekends.
we're talking about the LAX counter, not PDX... and my point was that one piece of sports equipment is allowed to skirt the oversize fee and the other is not. As busy as the counter agents are right now, its not improbably that a simple mistake like that could happen.
Aug 11, 2005, 12:54 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
Programs: DL DM & 2MM, SPG/Bonvoid LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, $tarbucks Titanium
Posts: 14,401
I had an AS agent in YVR tell me it more about the weight of the snowboard bag then the fact that it's a snowboard. ie: overpack your board bag and you'll get the fee.
