Baffling customer service experience at check-in (Fresno / FAT)
Jan 8, 2019, 7:54 pm
#31
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,246
Jan 8, 2019, 10:01 pm
#32
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
True, you are right. Thank you for the correction.
It still behooves me, the passenger who wants to get to where I am going, to show up a bit earlier than the suggested arrival time, rather than cutting it close.
I still say the customer service in this scenario was atrocious.
It still behooves me, the passenger who wants to get to where I am going, to show up a bit earlier than the suggested arrival time, rather than cutting it close.
I still say the customer service in this scenario was atrocious.
Problem is that someone like me with 150+ segments a year can't just find an extra hour per trip to kill at an airport. Thankfully I almost always fly carry-on only w/ mobile BP, but sometimes I have to take a bottle of good bourbon, and sometimes I fly int'l and can't check in online because of a visa or something -- I try to get there early, but sometimes the line is just too &*!% long and there's not a good system to handle it.
Jan 8, 2019, 10:40 pm
#33
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage, SkyMiles
Posts: 2,931
That is completely ridiculous, and shame on the agent for suggesting they can "rebook for a fee" considering it was their fault in the first place. If G4 can check in/check bags for over 100 people in less than an hour for a full MD80/A320, so can AA for a CRJ-900.
Delta, a customer friendly airline, has a much better 30 minute limit to check bags for domestic flights.
Delta, a customer friendly airline, has a much better 30 minute limit to check bags for domestic flights.
Jan 9, 2019, 1:19 am
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,247
The issue IMO, is that AA is being increasingly run by bean counters. People like Carly Fiorina who can't see the damn forest for the leaves, let alone trees, in front of them.
Jan 9, 2019, 10:24 am
#36
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA EXP (owe), BA Silver (ows), AB Silver (owr), WN A+/CP, IHG Spire AMB, Avis First
Posts: 1,414
Sorry you had to experience this
AAs bag checking policies are idiotic. I've been screwed over by it many times, even when the outgoing flight is clearly delayed.
On almost every other carrier I can late check my bag just fine. Not at AA, because very since they switched to this Qik overlay or whatever no one can override the stupid hard bag check deadline anymore, even supervisors apparently.
AAs obsession with timeliness just serves to bite them in some other way (like really pissing off customers). Especially in this case where they probably could accept bags at T-10 and still not delay the flight.
Please write in and complain... that's all we can do.
AAs bag checking policies are idiotic. I've been screwed over by it many times, even when the outgoing flight is clearly delayed.
On almost every other carrier I can late check my bag just fine. Not at AA, because very since they switched to this Qik overlay or whatever no one can override the stupid hard bag check deadline anymore, even supervisors apparently.
AAs obsession with timeliness just serves to bite them in some other way (like really pissing off customers). Especially in this case where they probably could accept bags at T-10 and still not delay the flight.
Please write in and complain... that's all we can do.
Jan 9, 2019, 12:59 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,775
Even though there were only two folks in front of me, it took until 6:25 for me to see an agent. Why the delay:
- First agent for the priority line had spent the entire time helping two customers while on the phone. When I left, this was still the case. Apparently, they were from the earlier AA 2363 to Dallas that was cancelled.
- Second agent had spent the entire time helping a family who appeared to be walk-up customers looking to buy plane tickets. They were talking about itineraries, prices, layovers, fare bucket, etc, very baffling way to spend 45 minutes.
- Third agent left at 6pm, never to be seen again.
- Fourth agent was in-and out. Helped one customer, disappeared for a bit, came back, and eventually helped me.
Please do write a letter to AA (though not as long as your OP), and point out that they wasted a lot of time selling tickets to people during check-in time, thus causing a lot of people to miss their flights.
I know AA doesn't have the best customer service, but that was just ridiculous.
I arrive at the airport 2 hours early and never miss a flight. I find something to do during the wait between check-in and boarding. I know it's considered a "waste" of time by others, but my preference is to avoid missing a flight by getting there later and then running into a situation like this.
Many years ago I flew to Chile, and I got a call that the return flight was cancelled and I had been rebooked on Delta. I decided to head for SCL 4 hours early. I'm glad I did because check-in took three hours!
Jan 9, 2019, 1:25 pm
#39
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,226
American customers also need to go to the airport or mail in a voucher to redeem some vouchers, so it's not a unique problem that doesn't effect American.
Jan 9, 2019, 1:38 pm
#40
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage, SkyMiles
Posts: 2,931
That is totally unacceptable. It's been a while since I've flown Allegiant, so their policies may have changed, but back then the cheapest way to buy a ticket from them was to buy it at the airport. However, you must buy your ticket AFTER the flight departs. Before departure, the agents check in 100 people. Then they go to the gate and board them. Then the agents come back and sell tickets. Then they go home. Makes sense!
As I've said before, it's very sad when the ULCC's have more common sense than AA.
Jan 10, 2019, 2:31 pm
#42
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AA EXP; 1W Emerald; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold; UA dirt
Posts: 7,816
Same thing has happened to me - but in LAX. Got to the ticket counter 55 minutes before schedule departure. Agents were occupied with customers including one group of what looked like five or six cowokers. By the time I got to the counter, it was 42 minutes before departure and agent -refused- to check my bag.
Jan 10, 2019, 4:54 pm
#43
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: PHL / NYC / PSA-BLQ
Programs: AA PPRO, Marriott/Hilton Gold, AMX-Plat, Global Entry
Posts: 3,109
... The agent told me I could only do that through the original connecting airport when I asked for connections through ORD, DFW or CLT. If she routed me through those airports, she would have to charge the fare difference. I then asked if she had heard of the same day change feature for EXP, and she again responded only through the original connecting city. Not wanting to wait, I checked my bags and took the original flight.
Now, once there is an IRROPs situation, that rule goes out the window. And, you're absolutely correct that calling on the phone (EXP line or whatever line you are cleared for) beats the heck out of getting in a physical line unless you can get to the head of the queue.
Jan 11, 2019, 7:49 am
#44
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP 1.0mm, not sure where I am with hotels these days
Posts: 2,795
I believe that SDFC does still require the change to maintain the same route structure as the original routing. So, in that context, the GA was correct.
Now, once there is an IRROPs situation, that rule goes out the window. And, you're absolutely correct that calling on the phone (EXP line or whatever line you are cleared for) beats the heck out of getting in a physical line unless you can get to the head of the queue.
Now, once there is an IRROPs situation, that rule goes out the window. And, you're absolutely correct that calling on the phone (EXP line or whatever line you are cleared for) beats the heck out of getting in a physical line unless you can get to the head of the queue.
Jan 11, 2019, 8:31 am
#45
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: BA
Posts: 609
I am really baffled by how terribly the entire AA ground team handled my flight this past Saturday. I have flown a lot and haven’t had something like this before, so I was looking for thoughts from you all. Is this normal? Was the way they handled it proper?
Scene: Fresno Air Terminal (FAT) for a flight to Phoenix. For those who are not familiar, FAT is a small airport with around 10 active gates. What is important is that the check-in area is shared by all the airlines, and the airline check in desk is noted by monitors rather than fixed signage. This is relevant because there are no kiosks– everything is handled by agents. If you have a bag to check, you must stand in the general line, there is no self-tagging and drop off.
I was taking AA 5885 Operated by Mesa Airlines on a CR9 departing at 7:06pm. This is the last AA flight from Fresno for the day. Also relevant.
I arrived at 5:50pm to the line, which is 1 hour and 16 minutes before departure. I had one full sized bag to check (49lbs). I was the 3rd person in line. So far so good, typical Fresno experience.
Even though there were only two folks in front of me, it took until 6:25 for me to see an agent. Why the delay:
Well, surely an exception to this rule can be made considering it took an unreasonable 35 minutes to check in 3 customers. And there were still 20 people in line behind me who were also going to Phoenix and clearly many had bags (Again, last flight of the night, so it was clear where everyone was going).
Nope. Mind you, the agent was very friendly, but she seemed to have as much leeway to do anything as a kiosk. We asked for a supervisor, which she called, but the supervisor said nothing could be done and no, they couldn’t come to the check in area to speak with any of us.
At this point, the agent said she could print my boarding passes and I could make my way to the gate with my check-in bag and see what they would say there.
Naturally., I had some questions.
Me: “Does TSA let me bring this large bag through?”
Agent: “If you don’t have liquids it’s probably fine”
Me: “What happens at the gate?”
Agent: “I’m not sure but you might get charged”
Me: “How much?”
Agent: “It’ll be more, probably like $50”
Me: “What happens in Phoenix?”
Agent: “I’m not sure”
Perfectly friendly agent, but not exactly confidence inspiring. She gave the impression that this was her first day on the job.
At this point, Agent 2 had finished their sales odyssey with the walk-up ticket sales family and was giving the same news to another gentleman. After giving the gentleman his boarding passes, and instructing him to try his luck at the gate, she disappeared. My agent said her shift was supposed to have ended a few hours ago and she was probably going home.
So I went to the TSA.
Meanwhile, the family members who dropped me off stayed at the check-in area to see if a supervisor would show up, or if there was any change on how the next 19 customers would be handled.
Their report:
The next person to walk up to my agent was told the flight was now closed and they couldn’t check in at all (6:36pm).
Naturally, the 19 people in line were very upset and started shouting.
A couple of them had checked in online and just needed their passes printed.
Some didn’t have bags and just needed to check in.
Others had bags.
The solution the agent offered to the 19 folks in line?
“I can rebook you but there’s a fee and the customer has to pay the fare difference”
Insanity.
Meanwhile, I made my way through TSA (ghost town), and completed the 3 minute walk to the gate. Nobody blinked an eye at me bringing a 49lb rolling suitcase there. In fact, TSA agents made it sound like this was normal. Myself and the other gentleman checked our bags at the gate to our destination, no questions asked. No fee either.
Oh, and only at this point were the other passengers getting off the just-arrived airplane. (Around 6:55pm)
My flight departed at 7:24, 15 minutes late.
My questions/thoughts:
Scene: Fresno Air Terminal (FAT) for a flight to Phoenix. For those who are not familiar, FAT is a small airport with around 10 active gates. What is important is that the check-in area is shared by all the airlines, and the airline check in desk is noted by monitors rather than fixed signage. This is relevant because there are no kiosks– everything is handled by agents. If you have a bag to check, you must stand in the general line, there is no self-tagging and drop off.
I was taking AA 5885 Operated by Mesa Airlines on a CR9 departing at 7:06pm. This is the last AA flight from Fresno for the day. Also relevant.
I arrived at 5:50pm to the line, which is 1 hour and 16 minutes before departure. I had one full sized bag to check (49lbs). I was the 3rd person in line. So far so good, typical Fresno experience.
Even though there were only two folks in front of me, it took until 6:25 for me to see an agent. Why the delay:
- First agent for the priority line had spent the entire time helping two customers while on the phone. When I left, this was still the case. Apparently, they were from the earlier AA 2363 to Dallas that was cancelled.
- Second agent had spent the entire time helping a family who appeared to be walk-up customers looking to buy plane tickets. They were talking about itineraries, prices, layovers, fare bucket, etc, very baffling way to spend 45 minutes.
- Third agent left at 6pm, never to be seen again.
- Fourth agent was in-and out. Helped one customer, disappeared for a bit, came back, and eventually helped me.
Well, surely an exception to this rule can be made considering it took an unreasonable 35 minutes to check in 3 customers. And there were still 20 people in line behind me who were also going to Phoenix and clearly many had bags (Again, last flight of the night, so it was clear where everyone was going).
Nope. Mind you, the agent was very friendly, but she seemed to have as much leeway to do anything as a kiosk. We asked for a supervisor, which she called, but the supervisor said nothing could be done and no, they couldn’t come to the check in area to speak with any of us.
At this point, the agent said she could print my boarding passes and I could make my way to the gate with my check-in bag and see what they would say there.
Naturally., I had some questions.
Me: “Does TSA let me bring this large bag through?”
Agent: “If you don’t have liquids it’s probably fine”
Me: “What happens at the gate?”
Agent: “I’m not sure but you might get charged”
Me: “How much?”
Agent: “It’ll be more, probably like $50”
Me: “What happens in Phoenix?”
Agent: “I’m not sure”
Perfectly friendly agent, but not exactly confidence inspiring. She gave the impression that this was her first day on the job.
At this point, Agent 2 had finished their sales odyssey with the walk-up ticket sales family and was giving the same news to another gentleman. After giving the gentleman his boarding passes, and instructing him to try his luck at the gate, she disappeared. My agent said her shift was supposed to have ended a few hours ago and she was probably going home.
So I went to the TSA.
Meanwhile, the family members who dropped me off stayed at the check-in area to see if a supervisor would show up, or if there was any change on how the next 19 customers would be handled.
Their report:
The next person to walk up to my agent was told the flight was now closed and they couldn’t check in at all (6:36pm).
Naturally, the 19 people in line were very upset and started shouting.
A couple of them had checked in online and just needed their passes printed.
Some didn’t have bags and just needed to check in.
Others had bags.
The solution the agent offered to the 19 folks in line?
“I can rebook you but there’s a fee and the customer has to pay the fare difference”
Insanity.
Meanwhile, I made my way through TSA (ghost town), and completed the 3 minute walk to the gate. Nobody blinked an eye at me bringing a 49lb rolling suitcase there. In fact, TSA agents made it sound like this was normal. Myself and the other gentleman checked our bags at the gate to our destination, no questions asked. No fee either.
Oh, and only at this point were the other passengers getting off the just-arrived airplane. (Around 6:55pm)
My flight departed at 7:24, 15 minutes late.
My questions/thoughts:
- Why were no AA agents empowered to make exceptions to the 45-minute and 30-minute cutoffs, especially at such a small airport where it takes 3 minutes to reach the gate, knowing that the delays were caused by the agents and the inbound flight wasn’t even on time?
- Knowing the 45-minute and 30-minutes rules were apparently written in stone by God himself, and seeing 20 people in line for the last flight of the night, why didn’t the agents take any initiative to prioritize the check-ins versus the other customers?
- Why were the folks who had already checked in online but simply needed a printed boarding pass not helped?
- Why was no one else given the option to walk their bags to the plane?
- Why were the agents so unsure of the rules?
- Why is it preferable to leave 20 of the 75 pax behind, than provide any help at all?
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 11, 2019 at 8:53 am Reason: Redaction at member request