nutwpinut

My bag story. Bag cutoff at Brussels Airport T-60 minutes (~2008). There was unusual traffic that day and we arrived at the airport later than I expected. My parents and I get in line at T-70 minutes. By the time they get through checking in 2 other groups in front of us it was T-58 minutes.

Gist of conversation:
Agent: We're sorry, but you are passed the cut off. It was 2 minutes ago. Where were you?
Me: We've been in line the last 10 minutes.
Agent: No you weren't.
Me in my mind: "What? Were they just blind and only looked what is in front of them and not the line?"
Me: Yes we were, see here's my parking garage ticket (~T-82 minutes). It only takes 10 minutes to get here from the garage.
Agent: Looks at parking garage ticket, sighs a little, and calls for a supervisor.
Agent talks to supervisor and shows the garage ticket.

Supervisor types away. There is conversation between the supervisor and agent. 5 minutes later my parent's bags are checked in...

I'm glad the garage ticket has a time stamp.

JonNYC

^@:-)

platbrownguy

As data points, I have checked a bag on each of the past two Sundays on a 7:40 p.m. DCA-SDF.

In both cases I had already checked in for the flight online, but I had gotten a bottle of wine or something (that I simply would have thrown away if I couldn't check the bag), so I walked up to the counter to see about checking it.

On Feb 19, it was 6:59 p.m. No problem. (Plausibly within TJT's 3-minute window if, perhaps, I didn't look at my phone until a few seconds after I'd gotten there.)

On Feb 26, it was 7:11 p.m. Also no problem. I simply said, "Hey, I know it's past the bag cutoff, but I'm already checked in for my flight" [holding phone w/ mobile BP] "and I wanted to see if there was a way to check a bag anyhow." Agent tapped a few keys, printed the tag, said (not rudely) "you're very late, aren't you?" but seemed like he was more concerned about whether I'd make the already-boarding flight than about the bag. I physically walked the bag around to the drop area by 7:15, was on the plane at 7:22, and the bag was loaded at 7:30.

The agent next to the one who checked my bag had a sort of curious look, so (thinking maybe he was wondering why an EXP would check a carryon-sized roller bag on such short notice) I said that I had a bottle of wine and was seeing if I could save it from the trash bin. The agent said that he could have saved it for me, chuckle.

gcsmith

I had a flight from Atlanta a couple years ago and got there late enough there was no way to check a bag. I walked to the ticket counter, explained this and the agent was nice enough to look it up and said I was right (like 20 mins). I told her I had nothing in the bag that couldn't pass TSA, and though it was a rolling duffel it could fit in xray. She said run and gate check it. Both of us made it :-)

flyerCO

Datapoint- Running late for SAT-CLT-YYZ. Got to skyscape at t-43. Of course he couldn't print tags. He went inside and they printed them no issue by now T-40.

samm

I know this thread is primarily on late checking bags, but I think their policy on checked bags while on standby is also relevant. I posted in the other thread about this, and what I find most interesting is they cannot even seem to get their story straight on Twitter. They have flip flopped on this matter many times (detailed in my other post) and ultimately ended the conversation by saying you can never elite standby if you have a bag checked/ cannot check a bag if you are trying to list for standby.

Here it is: You have to fly with your bags...?

I am not questioning their late check policy (44 min vs 45 min, etc), but am more frustrated I am not able to show up to the airport for an earlier flight and check a bag for this flight (I gave this example point blank and they said nope).

nk15

My recent disaster story, checking bags for a flight to the Caribbean, we hit crazy traffic on the way to the airport (road blocked due to an accident) and made it there probably at T-58 (T-60 bag cutoff), crazy line at the elite check-in and with me running around like a lunatic hoping to skip the line to save the flight (next direct flight to our destination was next day), we made it to the check-in counter at T-55 I believe, we probably got a newish check-in agent, they wouldn't badge in accepting the bags even at T-55 ("system is closed", "cannot override it"), we had to be rebooked in economy with a connection and lose our upgraded seats, pay the fare difference AND they also wanted a $200 change fee, the EXP line was absolutely useless in waiving the fee, it took my partner crying for 30 minutes at the check-in counter to finally waive the $200 change fee, and it took about an hour to sort this mess out at the check-in desk, partly because the check-in agents seemed relatively new and it was very busy.
So, we missed our upgraded direct flight in business and paid double to fly economy with connections.
This is what to expect if you miss the luggage cut-off for international, even for a short hop to the Caribbean, no special treatment for EXPs, no flat-tire rules, no discretionary 3-5 minutes late luggage checking, no complimentary rebooking on the next flight, nothing. The new American is out to get you, lol.

What is really annoying is that AA treats the Caribbean as international to charge you change fees and not use flat-tire rules, but they treat it as domestic for lounge access, two different interpretations to fleece the customer....

Dave Noble

Even if there was a discretionary allowance of 3-5 minutes, what was particularly special about your situation that a special exception should have been made?

Details on AA's late arrival standby policy is given in the thread https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...er-thread.html - this is only for domestic flights and not for international services

Do you have travel insurance that would cover you for your missed flight ? if not and so choosing to self insure, the risk of having to pay change fees, fare differences et al ( assuming fare allow changes ) is something that is not there to be borne by the airline

The airline isn't out to get you - it had no involvement in your failing to comply with the check in requirements

nk15

It was a traffic accident that backed up traffic for a while...Just a little special, but not special enough. Credit card travel insurance (or any travel insurance) doesn't cover things like this.
I have to disagree, big change fees are revenue tools, they are waiting for the percentage of those unfortunates who can't make their flights to collect some money...

Dave Noble

some travel insurances do cover things like this

The change fees are something which you agreed to in exchange for a fare at the price paid., The airline does offer fares with no change fees

nk15

Yes, but I have this thing called "common sense" that doesn't let me buy fully flexible tickets, lol.

Dave Noble

If your common sense doesn't let you buy flexible tickets, then surely that same common sense would expect that you would be required to pay change fees/fare differences should you need to make changes rather than suggesting that the airline is out to get you when you need to make a change?

nk15

No, my common sense says change fees are too high, and also doesn't think it is reasonable to pay a change fee for missing the baggage cut-off for 5 minutes, due to a road accident. But I don't make the rules.
I do accept some responsibility for my lateness though, it's just so frustrating having to pay several hundred dollars for 3-5 min lateness. It was my first missed flight, btw.
And because this wouldn't have been an issue for a domestic flight, it is upsetting when it happens to a 3-hour "international" flight.

Often1

You misunderstand. The reason for the baggage cut off is that this is the time AA believes is required for the bag to make its way to TSA, be screened, delivered and loaded on the aircraft without delaying the aircraft and without subjecting AA to the costs associated with the Montreal Convention which include delivering the bag to you and reimbursing your necessities during the day or two it is delayed.

The problem with the 3-minute supervisor override is that it's 3 minutes, not 4 minutes and you were at a minimum of 5. You also have to be lucky enough to find a supervisor right at the position because the clock is ticking against you.

Change fees are not the cost of changing your ticket. They are a penalty assessed for making the change. They protect the fully flexible brand as nobody in their right mind would pay for flexibility if they could have it for free.

This may well be covered by insurance because of the underlying reason for the delay. I would start there.

But, blaming AA for enforcing the fare rules which you yourself chose seems a bit harsh unless AA caused the traffic issue.

Dave Noble

What makes your case so special that the rules should not apply to it? The change fee was something that you agrred to at time of booking and you seem to have felt that that benefit of a lower fare outweighed the risk of having to pay a fee should you choose to make the change

Baggage acceptance cut off times are clearly stated - if you arrived within the allowed time, then you should have been allowed to check it in ; if you arrived 1 minute later than that , then should expect to be unable to check the bags in

Otherwise , if 5 minutes is ok, why would 6 minutes not be ok - it is only 60 seconds later - theni iterate until time of departure

There are recommended check in times and then check in cut off times ; there is a big gap between the time that AA recommends that a passenger arrives at the airport and the time that baggage acceptance ends. If it was not for the traffic problem, woud you have arrived at the recommended check in time?