horrible experience with GA in TPA airport
Jun 13, 2019, 4:45 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA Executive Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite-Lifetime, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,205
The OP wasn't asking to short check, just valet. I've seen AA do that for passengers in F when there is no space, just as they would for strollers, wheelchairs, etc. The bag is then returned to the jetway upon arrival. I've never seen AA do that for passengers in Y (except for strollers, wheelchairs, etc.). It seems to me the GA followed the policy and got agitated when the OP asked to have that waived, potentially causing a delayed flight during the ensuing back-and-forth and dinging the GA's on-time metrics. The manager waived the policy to resolve the situation.
Jun 13, 2019, 5:00 pm
#18
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AA-EXP
Posts: 615
Please remember that the term "Gate Check" actually means checking the bags at the gate to your final destination.
"Valet Check" should be used to describe checking your bags from the gate to the jet bridge (or planeside) at the end of that flight.
Unfortunately, many gate agents use the wrong term on regional flights.
"Valet Check" should be used to describe checking your bags from the gate to the jet bridge (or planeside) at the end of that flight.
Unfortunately, many gate agents use the wrong term on regional flights.
Jun 13, 2019, 5:16 pm
#19
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
Ok? So you got what you wanted? They gate-checked the bag to CLT.
Guess I'm not understanding what you're asking in this post and I'm no AApologist by any stretch.
GAs can be rude/hateful, but if it ends up with what you asked for, what does it matter? Move on with your life and enjoy the vacation. There are plenty of other things worth getting worked up over in life.
Guess I'm not understanding what you're asking in this post and I'm no AApologist by any stretch.
GAs can be rude/hateful, but if it ends up with what you asked for, what does it matter? Move on with your life and enjoy the vacation. There are plenty of other things worth getting worked up over in life.
Jun 13, 2019, 5:20 pm
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 770
The OP wasn't asking to short check, just valet. I've seen AA do that for passengers in F when there is no space, just as they would for strollers, wheelchairs, etc. The bag is then returned to the jetway upon arrival. I've never seen AA do that for passengers in Y (except for strollers, wheelchairs, etc.). It seems to me the GA followed the policy and got agitated when the OP asked to have that waived, potentially causing a delayed flight during the ensuing back-and-forth and dinging the GA's on-time metrics. The manager waived the policy to resolve the situation.
Please remember that the term "Gate Check" actually means checking the bags at the gate to your final destination.
"Valet Check" should be used to describe checking your bags from the gate to the jet bridge (or planeside) at the end of that flight.
Unfortunately, many gate agents use the wrong term on regional flights.
"Valet Check" should be used to describe checking your bags from the gate to the jet bridge (or planeside) at the end of that flight.
Unfortunately, many gate agents use the wrong term on regional flights.
Last edited by JY1024; Aug 20, 2019 at 11:50 pm Reason: Merged consecutive posts
Jun 13, 2019, 5:23 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,004
^
The OP is pissed that the checkin process was jacked up thus them getting to the plane late and by that time all overheads were full. I get it and I'd be ticked off too.
Last edited by JY1024; Aug 20, 2019 at 11:50 pm Reason: Merged consecutive posts
Jun 13, 2019, 5:29 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 770
im upset that the gate agent was unreasonable and rude. Again I’m not sure of the official policy but he had the ability to gate check my bag to clt but didn’t want to. Didn’t even try.
Jun 13, 2019, 5:33 pm
#23
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: DFW
Posts: 310
AA does not valet (gate deliver) bags on mainline flights as a policy, except for first class passengers, and staff travelers occupying a jumpseat. Even when they do in those cases, it's always a toss up on whether the bags actually get delivered or not, since most mainline rampers are not contractually obligated to bring bags up to the gate. If they did allow, then almost everybody that had to check their bag due to no space would ask for valet, which would slow down turn times and dramatically increase the workload for ground staff already on a tight schedule. Whether the policy is reasonable in all circumstances or not is up for debate, but that is the policy (as explained by other people above as well).
AA's obsessions with D0 is to blame here. You presumably showed up to the gate late, and gate agent is there to get the flight on time and follow policy. If they accommodated your request, it a) sets you up for a service failure if the tamper doesn't deliver the valet bag to the gate as they are NOT required to do so, and presumably you would have been more upset if that happened, b) sets their colleagues up for failure in the future with the inevitable "they let me do it last time", and c) they risk getting called in for not following policy and/or taking a delay. Unsurprising that they were not willing to bend the rules for you and priority was to get you to comply with the stated policy and get you on board.
Ultimately, you were lucky that a manager showed up to the gate before gate closure and was able to make an exception, and that presumably you got your bag delivered to the jetbridge upon arrival, neither of which are policy or guaranteed. I guarantee no amount of anger or indignation would get them to open the door after it closed, and you would have been SOL on missing your connection because you didn't comply with the GAs clearly stated options which do reflect official policy.
next time, you're better off just pulling the items you need for travel out of your bag into another carry on (or bring a soft sided reusable shopping bag or something similar). Being stubborn and digging your heels in when your vacation was at stake seems foolish, and you are lucky that it worked out for you this time.
AA's obsessions with D0 is to blame here. You presumably showed up to the gate late, and gate agent is there to get the flight on time and follow policy. If they accommodated your request, it a) sets you up for a service failure if the tamper doesn't deliver the valet bag to the gate as they are NOT required to do so, and presumably you would have been more upset if that happened, b) sets their colleagues up for failure in the future with the inevitable "they let me do it last time", and c) they risk getting called in for not following policy and/or taking a delay. Unsurprising that they were not willing to bend the rules for you and priority was to get you to comply with the stated policy and get you on board.
Ultimately, you were lucky that a manager showed up to the gate before gate closure and was able to make an exception, and that presumably you got your bag delivered to the jetbridge upon arrival, neither of which are policy or guaranteed. I guarantee no amount of anger or indignation would get them to open the door after it closed, and you would have been SOL on missing your connection because you didn't comply with the GAs clearly stated options which do reflect official policy.
next time, you're better off just pulling the items you need for travel out of your bag into another carry on (or bring a soft sided reusable shopping bag or something similar). Being stubborn and digging your heels in when your vacation was at stake seems foolish, and you are lucky that it worked out for you this time.
Jun 13, 2019, 5:45 pm
#25
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 468
The issue of AA’s horrid IT system taking an agent 90 minutes to check in an infant shouldn’t really be glossed over.That is another problem that needs to be fixed.
Software, in general, sucks. AA’s is far worse. Stuff like this shouldn’t happen, but with software it gets passed off as just a glitch and deemed acceptable.
Having an agent fight through those issues does put the best face on a bad situation.
Though, this is for another thread.
Software, in general, sucks. AA’s is far worse. Stuff like this shouldn’t happen, but with software it gets passed off as just a glitch and deemed acceptable.
Having an agent fight through those issues does put the best face on a bad situation.
Though, this is for another thread.
Jun 13, 2019, 5:50 pm
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 770
The issue of AA’s horrid IT system taking an agent 90 minutes to check in an infant shouldn’t really be glossed over.That is another problem that needs to be fixed.
Software, in general, sucks. AA’s is far worse. Stuff like this shouldn’t happen, but with software it gets passed off as just a glitch and deemed acceptable.
Having an agent fight through those issues does put the best face on a bad situation.
Though, this is for another thread.
Software, in general, sucks. AA’s is far worse. Stuff like this shouldn’t happen, but with software it gets passed off as just a glitch and deemed acceptable.
Having an agent fight through those issues does put the best face on a bad situation.
Though, this is for another thread.
agreed. Their systems suck. However in the ticket agents situation he did everything he could do to fix the situation and was apologetic. He did everything he could to fix the situation
in the gate agent situation he did the exact opposite
Jun 13, 2019, 7:00 pm
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
The GA broke the rules to help OP.
Neither AA, UA, nor DL short check bags. They all check to the final destination. AA offers valet check to F pax on mainline flights as a special service. OP was not an F pax.
OP asked for and received special treatment. That is fine, but it is entirely wrong to bash the GA.
I'm quite happy that AA (by the way DL & UA) also obssess about ontime departures. It helps people get to meetings on the other end, get home, and make their connections. I see that as a generally good thing.
If OP complains and AA does follow through, the GA will learn an important lesson, e.g. that no good deed goes unpunished. Next time, he and his colleagues will remember that.
Neither AA, UA, nor DL short check bags. They all check to the final destination. AA offers valet check to F pax on mainline flights as a special service. OP was not an F pax.
OP asked for and received special treatment. That is fine, but it is entirely wrong to bash the GA.
I'm quite happy that AA (by the way DL & UA) also obssess about ontime departures. It helps people get to meetings on the other end, get home, and make their connections. I see that as a generally good thing.
If OP complains and AA does follow through, the GA will learn an important lesson, e.g. that no good deed goes unpunished. Next time, he and his colleagues will remember that.
Jun 13, 2019, 7:14 pm
#28
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Olde Dominion
Programs: DL Silver - uh huh!
Posts: 948
So ‘no good deed goes unpunushed’ Is hardly the lesson the GA would learn - unless it’s the supervisor who gets taken to task.
Jun 13, 2019, 7:18 pm
#29
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
Ok? So you got what you wanted? They gate-checked the bag to CLT.
Guess I'm not understanding what you're asking in this post and I'm no AApologist by any stretch.
GAs can be rude/hateful, but if it ends up with what you asked for, what does it matter? Move on with your life and enjoy the vacation. There are plenty of other things worth getting worked up over in life.
Guess I'm not understanding what you're asking in this post and I'm no AApologist by any stretch.
GAs can be rude/hateful, but if it ends up with what you asked for, what does it matter? Move on with your life and enjoy the vacation. There are plenty of other things worth getting worked up over in life.
Jun 13, 2019, 7:21 pm
#30
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SAN
Posts: 284
Being forced to gate check my carry on all the way to the final destination where I will be connecting to an international flight has been one of my concerns. I did not realize that airlines can refuse to valet check your carry on even if your are connecting to an international flight.
Even though it has never occurred to me these days I adjust my routing to either get a direct flight out of the country or to a point where the local segment is on a small aircraft and all carry-ons are valet checked so you can claim it before boarding the international flight.
Even though it has never occurred to me these days I adjust my routing to either get a direct flight out of the country or to a point where the local segment is on a small aircraft and all carry-ons are valet checked so you can claim it before boarding the international flight.