Nasty gate agent
Mar 13, 2016, 2:50 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Venice, Florida
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,607
Nasty gate agent
Yep I've just become one of those terrible passengers people shake their heads at. As I was boarding first class at lga today, the gate agent said in a very loud obnoxious tone" you will want to remove this old tag from your bag" I didn't understand what she said and kept boarding when she repeated herself again and ripped the tag off ... I should have just smiled but she was so nasty that I just looked at her and said " why didn't you just say I had to rather than I wanted to?" Well all of a sudden my bag didn't fit the sizer, 2 of them start telling me how I have to check the bag and I realized this could escalate quickly and I just let them take the bag. I should never have spoken back to her and my bag does in fact fit in the sizer but I couldn't risk an argument. The lesson is no matter how nasty someone speaks to you, just smile and take it. It's not the end of the world but I have had issues with baggage claim in Charlotte before and quite honestly, if I know I was checking a bag I would have packed some liquids I left behind. Thank god it's my last flight for a while... I prefer to drive when I can to avoid such shenanigans.
Mar 13, 2016, 2:54 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
From the sound of it, they'd already decided your bag needed to be checked. That's almost certainly why they asked you to remove the tag. Your question didn't have anything to do with them checking your bag.
Mar 13, 2016, 3:08 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Venice, Florida
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,607
No I was literally at the door of the aircraft when the woman ran up all of a sudden and said your bag doesn't fit- after I smarted off to the lady- all I could think of was " uh oh I don't need to get booted off this flight but it was so obviously done in spite because I told several steps before she had this revelation.
Mar 13, 2016, 3:24 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: Hilton-Diamond Lifetime Platinum AA UA, WN-CP, SPG Gold.
Posts: 7,377
I would have looked, and removed the tag, most of us knows the bag needs to be checked, and try to sneak it on the plane...including me...
It was her job, been there..
Remove it and say Thank you, bet you cold have forgone the gate check...
It was her job, been there..
Remove it and say Thank you, bet you cold have forgone the gate check...
Mar 13, 2016, 3:27 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Venice, Florida
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,607
Agreed. I should have smiled sweetly. But sometimes the nastiness gets to you. I suppose they have a tough job and maybe it gave her a charge to get a little tiny " revenge". It just bothers me when people abuse their " power". I'll be little Mary sunshine from now on😍
Mar 13, 2016, 4:39 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2003
Programs: American Airlines Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 3,790
Correct. Do not argue with airline staff; do not do anything other than smile and move to the next person if you don't get what you want from one.
Then again, I couldn't believe that I politely went back-and-forth with a FA who wanted me to gate-check the same bag that I have traveled with on hundreds of trips on regional jets, and I won!
Then again, I couldn't believe that I politely went back-and-forth with a FA who wanted me to gate-check the same bag that I have traveled with on hundreds of trips on regional jets, and I won!
Mar 13, 2016, 4:44 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW-In Plano & CDG-In the 11th
Programs: DL Diamond, AA revenue negative, Bonvoy Titanium +, Avis likes me
Posts: 3,209
Diminished expectations
You were flying out of LGA-were you expecting a chorus of angels and rose petals on the jetway ... or ... the shoddy, passive-aggresive, hostile, that new yorkers seem to be so proud of?
I go to NYC once a month on business. Because of the OP's experience, and so many more, I fly into in/out of JFK or EWR. On occaision, I have flown into PHL, and taken the train.
LGA ... creates a vaccuum
Some here may differ, and YMMV.
I go to NYC once a month on business. Because of the OP's experience, and so many more, I fly into in/out of JFK or EWR. On occaision, I have flown into PHL, and taken the train.
LGA ... creates a vaccuum
Some here may differ, and YMMV.
Last edited by Dallas49er; Mar 13, 2016 at 4:52 pm
Mar 13, 2016, 4:56 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW-In Plano & CDG-In the 11th
Programs: DL Diamond, AA revenue negative, Bonvoy Titanium +, Avis likes me
Posts: 3,209
Mar 13, 2016, 5:09 pm
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Not sure I understand the sequence here.
1. OP had a carry-on which fit the sizer.
2. OP had an encounter with a GA which was less than pleasant.
3. OP's carry on now did not fit the sizer.
If that's the case, somebody is due a Nobel in physics and I would led the rest of the issue slide.
Perhaps what really happened is that OP had a non-compliant carry-on and although the GA could have handled things better, the bag was going to be gate-checked so the old tag had to go.
Bear in mind that AA has cracked down on non-compliant carryons of late, especially in the first few boarding groups.
1. OP had a carry-on which fit the sizer.
2. OP had an encounter with a GA which was less than pleasant.
3. OP's carry on now did not fit the sizer.
If that's the case, somebody is due a Nobel in physics and I would led the rest of the issue slide.
Perhaps what really happened is that OP had a non-compliant carry-on and although the GA could have handled things better, the bag was going to be gate-checked so the old tag had to go.
Bear in mind that AA has cracked down on non-compliant carryons of late, especially in the first few boarding groups.
Mar 13, 2016, 5:20 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW-In Plano & CDG-In the 11th
Programs: DL Diamond, AA revenue negative, Bonvoy Titanium +, Avis likes me
Posts: 3,209
Once again the rocket surgeons in Operations or Marketing or Revenue Management or Senior Management devise a program (scheme for my English cousins) that is designed to aggravate/infuriate/(insert feeling here) people who are in F, EXP, CK. Great thinking!
Last edited by Microwave; Mar 15, 2016 at 2:50 am Reason: Removed colour