Bad New Eagle Baggage Policy in LAX
Nov 16, 2010, 10:14 pm
#1
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Bad New Eagle Baggage Policy in LAX
Thought I would share to see if others experienced similar situations in LAX...
Traveling with the Mrs., a friend, and our twin babies, AA short-checked our bags from DFW to LAX but not connecting on to SAN. The Eagle GA caught it (thankfully) and called down to baggage claim to get the bags brought over to the Eagle terminal for the next flight. Sounds good... I can swing by the airport later to pick them up if they make the next flight, I told her.
Full stop... "Sir, you cannot travel on a flight without all of your bags." Seriously? After a bit of an argument, I talked her into allowing the rest of my party to catch the flight while I would apparently get to standby for a later flight.
I thought that maybe the TSA had imposed some new rules I was unaware of at the time, but I was subsequently told by a nice AA rep in the main terminal while waiting that this is a new Eagle crackdown to improve baggage handling stats and reduce bag misses (and their implicit delivery cost). Seriously??? Look, I was not looking for AE to have to deliver my bags when they arrived later and, in fact, I told the GA the same. Yet, both she and two Eagle supervisors insisted that I could not travel without my bags. Period.
Well, I was luckily the last person cleared on the next flight after a couple no-shows. Great -- at least I made it home. Well, not only did my bags not make the flight; they did not even locate them until 10AM the next day. And, they then got the great opportunity to pay the delivery service to send them to me later in the afternoon.
So, congratulations on your wildly successful new baggage policy, Eagle. Seems like a winner to me...
Have others experienced similar problems on Eagle or mainline recently?
Traveling with the Mrs., a friend, and our twin babies, AA short-checked our bags from DFW to LAX but not connecting on to SAN. The Eagle GA caught it (thankfully) and called down to baggage claim to get the bags brought over to the Eagle terminal for the next flight. Sounds good... I can swing by the airport later to pick them up if they make the next flight, I told her.
Full stop... "Sir, you cannot travel on a flight without all of your bags." Seriously? After a bit of an argument, I talked her into allowing the rest of my party to catch the flight while I would apparently get to standby for a later flight.
I thought that maybe the TSA had imposed some new rules I was unaware of at the time, but I was subsequently told by a nice AA rep in the main terminal while waiting that this is a new Eagle crackdown to improve baggage handling stats and reduce bag misses (and their implicit delivery cost). Seriously??? Look, I was not looking for AE to have to deliver my bags when they arrived later and, in fact, I told the GA the same. Yet, both she and two Eagle supervisors insisted that I could not travel without my bags. Period.
Well, I was luckily the last person cleared on the next flight after a couple no-shows. Great -- at least I made it home. Well, not only did my bags not make the flight; they did not even locate them until 10AM the next day. And, they then got the great opportunity to pay the delivery service to send them to me later in the afternoon.
So, congratulations on your wildly successful new baggage policy, Eagle. Seems like a winner to me...
Have others experienced similar problems on Eagle or mainline recently?
Nov 17, 2010, 1:15 am
#2
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I guess you will check baggage tags in the future. 
Nov 17, 2010, 3:47 am
#3
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I do not understand that logic neither. If the tagged bag was late they have to put the bag on a later flight to deliver to my destination. While that is I travelled without my bag or my bag travelled without me beinbg on board situation. So what is fuss that you can not travel without your bag on board???
Could someone here to clear the logic for me.
If AA or other airlines have to enforce that I can not travel without my bags, in case of baggage handler error that my bag got delayed, surely AA had to fly me back to where the bag was stucked and make sure I can travel with my bag, isn't it????
Could someone here to clear the logic for me.
If AA or other airlines have to enforce that I can not travel without my bags, in case of baggage handler error that my bag got delayed, surely AA had to fly me back to where the bag was stucked and make sure I can travel with my bag, isn't it????
Nov 17, 2010, 4:59 am
#4
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I always assumed this was a security concern, and not just on AE; they've never let me standby for an earlier flight with checked luggage because "I need to travel with my luggage."
As a matter of fact, this past Saturday I was told I was too late at check in to guarantee that my checked bag would made it on my flight and I therefore had to standby for the next flight to make sure I traveled with my bag.
It's very frustrating, but like I said, I've always thought it was a security issue (they want to make sure there is noting dangerous in the checked bags and that's why you are avoiding flying in the same plane as the bag).
As a matter of fact, this past Saturday I was told I was too late at check in to guarantee that my checked bag would made it on my flight and I therefore had to standby for the next flight to make sure I traveled with my bag.
It's very frustrating, but like I said, I've always thought it was a security issue (they want to make sure there is noting dangerous in the checked bags and that's why you are avoiding flying in the same plane as the bag).
Nov 17, 2010, 5:31 am
#5
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I think there's some confusion on the GA's part, the TSA requires passengers to travel with their bags on international segments. I don't believe it applies to domestic segments. That being said, whenever I ask at the AC to standby for an earlier flight, the AAngels always look at me and say "no bags, right?"
Nov 17, 2010, 5:37 am
#6
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I always assumed this was a security concern, and not just on AE; they've never let me standby for an earlier flight with checked luggage because "I need to travel with my luggage."
As a matter of fact, this past Saturday I was told I was too late at check in to guarantee that my checked bag would made it on my flight and I therefore had to standby for the next flight to make sure I traveled with my bag.
It's very frustrating, but like I said, I've always thought it was a security issue (they want to make sure there is noting dangerous in the checked bags and that's why you are avoiding flying in the same plane as the bag).
As a matter of fact, this past Saturday I was told I was too late at check in to guarantee that my checked bag would made it on my flight and I therefore had to standby for the next flight to make sure I traveled with my bag.
It's very frustrating, but like I said, I've always thought it was a security issue (they want to make sure there is noting dangerous in the checked bags and that's why you are avoiding flying in the same plane as the bag).
Nov 17, 2010, 7:00 am
#7
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Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (Android; Opera Mini/5.1.22460/21.549; U; en) Presto/2.5.25 Version/10.54)
This is rubbish. This summer my SAT-DFW leg was so severely delayed that I was going to miss the last flight to ORD. I deboarded the plane and my bag went on without me because it was an inconvenience to AA to get it off the plane.
This is rubbish. This summer my SAT-DFW leg was so severely delayed that I was going to miss the last flight to ORD. I deboarded the plane and my bag went on without me because it was an inconvenience to AA to get it off the plane.
Nov 17, 2010, 8:34 am
#8
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Lots of flailing around going on in this thread by those who don't understand the policies.
Positive bag match means that you absolutely must travel with your bags. AFAIK, positive bag match is done today only on international flights.
On domestic flights, you do not necessarily have to be on the same plane with your bags, but it should not be within your control to fly on a different plane (for obvious reasons). You must demopnstrate a willingness to fly with your bagson the flight. AE may have reasoned that the OP could have requested the bags be checked short, so that they would miss his flight. He was allowed to take the subsequent flight because he could not know if the bags were on there or not, but would probably assume they were.
Seems silly to me in the age of suicide bomber, but then I'm not a highly trained Director of Homeland Security.
Positive bag match means that you absolutely must travel with your bags. AFAIK, positive bag match is done today only on international flights.
On domestic flights, you do not necessarily have to be on the same plane with your bags, but it should not be within your control to fly on a different plane (for obvious reasons). You must demopnstrate a willingness to fly with your bagson the flight. AE may have reasoned that the OP could have requested the bags be checked short, so that they would miss his flight. He was allowed to take the subsequent flight because he could not know if the bags were on there or not, but would probably assume they were.
Seems silly to me in the age of suicide bomber, but then I'm not a highly trained Director of Homeland Security.
Nov 17, 2010, 8:41 am
#9
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I had a similar experience 2 weeks ago coming out of Richmond to Indy the other day. I never check bags (golf trip with clubs this time around), so I was not really paying attention. When I got on my flight I realized I had only gotten my boarding pass for the RIC/ORD leg of the flight. When I looked at my checked stub it only had the bags going to ORD. I talked to a very nice lady at the G AC and she got it all straightened out. My bags were not able to be retrieved for my flight, but they were put on the next flight and delivered to my home the next day. I am not sure what the issue at LAX is, but this does not seem to be a system wide policy.
Nov 17, 2010, 10:50 am
#10
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Nov 17, 2010, 2:03 pm
#11
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I don't think there is anything written in stone but airlines typically not will accept your checked luggage without you being onboard. There are many instances where flights are delayed because bags needs to be pull off of the plane. TSA's infinite wisdom is that if your bags are going to blow up, you should at least blow up with it. 
That said, airlines regularly flies lost bags around the country without the owner being on the plane. GA can and does look the other way and allow bags to fly without owner if they deem you or your bag is not a threat to the plane's safety.
That said, airlines regularly flies lost bags around the country without the owner being on the plane. GA can and does look the other way and allow bags to fly without owner if they deem you or your bag is not a threat to the plane's safety.