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horrible experience with GA in TPA airport

horrible experience with GA in TPA airport

Old Jun 14, 2019, 6:49 am
  #46  
 
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I dont blame you for being upset, flying has become so frustrating for everyone and some of the gate agents are ridiculously nasty--and since they have the power to pull you off a flight you have to put up with it. I got into it with a gate agent and I stopped myself realizing the power she had, but she got back at me by making me check my bag even though I was in first class and was one of 2 passengers there--I try to be as super sweet nice to them as i can always, but some of them come to work looking for a fight, as do some passengers. Im glad the supervisor was able to assist.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 6:56 am
  #47  
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Originally Posted by no1cub17
I'm still confused as to what the issue was with the infant ticket. OP, did AA tell you any more about this? I'm going to guess they just blamed travelocity. Sounds like if you could have checked in normally, you could've entirely avoided this brouhaha. Lesson learned though, always keep some formula and diapers in your personal item!
that was my personal item! we had no other carry on! we had one roller bag and one stroller. the only option was to carry that stuff on our laps..

about the ticketing issue they didnt blame anyone but they kept saying it was ticketed incorrectly. and the frustrating part is he said he fixed the return ticket as well and then i called AA while in spain to make sure the issue was resolved; they assured me it was, however when i got to madrid airport we had the same issue. i anticipated that so we arrived 3 hours early so wasn't a huge issue.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 8:05 am
  #48  
 
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This whole issue stemmed from your arrival late to the gate--which was caused by a Travelocity ticketing issue.
The GA was rude and you should write a complaint about that.
But the fact that traveling internationally with 3 children---you put ALL your personal items in a bag that doesn't fit under a seat---that is not good planning.

I never depend upon finding over head space---that is NOT a guarantee and flights are often full.
Whatever is needed for any of the family members (clothing, diapers, baby food) should be in a carry on that fits under the seat. Each child has their own small backpack with their change of clothes, snacks, entertainment. Adults have a soft bag with wallet, passports, phone, medications, etc.
Plus---you can't access the roller board during take off and landing, or if there is turbulence.

Additionally, checking in online 24 hours prior would have probably given you a heads up that there was a ticket issue. Which may have been resolved over the phone (either with AA or Travelocity) prior to airport arrival. If not---then you know to get to the airport at least 3 hours prior (which I would recommend for international anyway) because you have a ticket issue.

When you calm down---look at the root cause and determine what you can do next time to avoid issues.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 8:25 am
  #49  
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Originally Posted by AA_ORDlady
This whole issue stemmed from your arrival late to the gate--which was caused by a Travelocity ticketing issue.
The GA was rude and you should write a complaint about that.
But the fact that traveling internationally with 3 children---you put ALL your personal items in a bag that doesn't fit under a seat---that is not good planning.

i disagree.

I never depend upon finding over head space---that is NOT a guarantee and flights are often full.

you're right. and i've had issues before with full overhead bins and they gate checked to my next destination.

Whatever is needed for any of the family members (clothing, diapers, baby food) should be in a carry on that fits under the seat. Each child has their own small backpack with their change of clothes, snacks, entertainment. Adults have a soft bag with wallet, passports, phone, medications, etc.

not sure if you travel with kids but having a 4 year old carrying around a backpack means i will be carrying it in the next 5 mins. wallet, passport, and phone stay in my pocket

Plus---you can't access the roller board during take off and landing, or if there is turbulence.

yes. ipads and kids entertainment devices come out immediately upon boarding. they go in the seatback pocket. we keep one formula bottle ready at all times. we have a good system; we travel internationally at least twice a year. we used to do the whole thing where everybody has a backpack but it became an issue when i was carrying everything. we have consolidated into one bag and has been working great for the past few years

Additionally, checking in online 24 hours prior would have probably given you a heads up that there was a ticket issue. Which may have been resolved over the phone (either with AA or Travelocity) prior to airport arrival. If not---then you know to get to the airport at least 3 hours prior (which I would recommend for international anyway) because you have a ticket issue.

when i tried to check in online it gave me a message that traveling with a lap child internationally requires airport check in. didnt think anything of it

When you calm down---look at the root cause and determine what you can do next time to avoid issues.
the root cause is a gate agent that is out of control. he obviously had the ability to gate check but didnt want to.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 8:28 am
  #50  
 
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I have had no problems with valet checking my carryon when the overhead bins are full. Both regional flights and larger planes seem to regularly arrange to valet check bags. It seems a problem of semantics to me. Why do all airline workers and flyer talk regulars expect the world to understand their vocabulary? Leave it on the jetbridge or at the base of the stairs and pick it up when leaving the plane. What am I missing? This is a regular practice on most of my flights.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 8:30 am
  #51  
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Originally Posted by Sweetone
I have had no problems with valet checking my carryon when the overhead bins are full. Both regional flights and larger planes seem to regularly arrange to valet check bags. It seems a problem of semantics to me. Why do all airline workers and flyer talk regulars expect the world to understand their vocabulary? Leave it on the jetbridge or at the base of the stairs and pick it up when leaving the plane. What am I missing? This is a regular practice on most of my flights.
ya exactly. some people here aren't getting that concept. i'm still waiting to find anything anywhere in writing that shows that AA doesn't valet check bags in a situation where the overhead bins are full for economy passengers.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 8:33 am
  #52  
 
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Originally Posted by omaralt
the root cause is a gate agent that is out of control. he obviously had the ability to gate check but didnt want to.
Would you have done anything differently?
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 8:42 am
  #53  
 
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Great thread.
I am going to share this on social media. Valet check for all!! YAY!

If valet check was available to the OP on mainline, then it should be available for ALL pax upon request (sometimes overhead bins are full when 20+ people still have to board the plane).
That the OP was held up at check-in (due to travelocity's fault) and had VERY necessary items in his carry-on for the kids is as valid reason as whatever anyone else may come up with.

I hope all GAs get the memo.

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Old Jun 14, 2019, 8:51 am
  #54  
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Originally Posted by omaralt
lol i definitely dont deserve a medal.

I"m going to assume that the policy is that you gate check the bag to the final destination (but i would love to see this in writing somewhere). now had the agent said "i'm sorry sir, but we cannot check your carry on to charlotte. here is a plastic bag, please put your diapers and formula in this so you can carry it on the plane. again i really apologize but there is no room left" i would have probable went for it. however he was a huge a** hole. blaming me for being late; even though he knew why (the ticket agent called ahead to let them know we were on the way" and honestly he seemed to take pleasure in knowing how much he was inconveniencing us; the smirk on his face said it all..

having said that i find it absurd that there are a decent amount of people who are ok with this policy. the only thing that i can think is you guys have a case of stockholm syndrome...

i mean think logically for a second. you have one carry on bag (forget the fact that there is a baby involved with diapers and formula) on an international trip. you have a 3 hour connection somewhere followed by an 8 hour flight. you think it's ok for AA to take your carry on and give it to you 10-12 hours later? headphones? toothbrush? all the things you expected to have in the next 12 hours or so will now be delivered to your final destination simply because they dont want to gate check it, even though they are perfectly capable of it?? if you think this is ok then you have been abused for far too long and need to seek therapy

and i completely understand that they want to get rid of hidden city ticketing; but how hard is it to log on and see your ticket? do you really think a family of 5 on an international trip is going to walk away in charlotte? lol

and again i really want to see this policy in writing
AA does not short-check luggage. Neither do almost all carriers. Whether one checks a bag the counter or the gate is irrelevant. It is checked. That is separate and distinct from valet which is the process of dropping & retrieving an item planeside. For mainline and even the larger RJ's that is confined to F pax (when no OH), strollers and mobility equiptment such as wheelchairs.

What OP had was none of those. He was given an exception to AA's baggage rules and is then complaining about it. While the policy may exist to deter hidden city ticket fraud, the likelihood that OP was not engaging in fraud here is not an assessment for a GA to research at the gate.

To the folks who want to turn the boarding process into even more of a mess by delaying departure to accommodate every special person's special situation, consider that the day will come when you miss an important meeting due to a delay.

If OP does complain to AA, the likely result will be that this is held up as an example of why the GA should have stuck to the company policy.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 9:00 am
  #55  
 
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Lol--OP I have 6 kids and have travelled with a 6 month old and 18 month old by myself.
We never had an issue with a child of any age refusing to carry their backpack.
You seem very committed to your roller board method so maybe you should buy MCE so you are guaranteed overhead space?

And the root cause is you arrived late to the gate which meant the overhead space was full. If you had arrived at the gate an hour earlier none of this would have happened.

Like others--I don't know what exactly AA's policy is for gate checking bags all the way through vs. to the connection.
Your roller board is NOT your personal item. A personal item is one that fits under the seat.

The rude gate agent should be brought to their attention.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 9:25 am
  #56  
 
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Originally Posted by AA_ORDlady
Lol--OP I have 6 kids and have travelled with a 6 month old and 18 month old by myself.
We never had an issue with a child of any age refusing to carry their backpack.
You seem very committed to your roller board method so maybe you should buy MCE so you are guaranteed overhead space?

And the root cause is you arrived late to the gate which meant the overhead space was full. If you had arrived at the gate an hour earlier none of this would have happened.

Like others--I don't know what exactly AA's policy is for gate checking bags all the way through vs. to the connection.
Your roller board is NOT your personal item. A personal item is one that fits under the seat.

The rude gate agent should be brought to their attention.
I don't mean to be rude, but have you read any of this thread? OP likely couldn't check-in online because of the lap infant on a booking from Travelocity, and then once they did get to the airport it took 90 minutes to do the check-in process. I'd be miffed about this as well if I got to the airport 2 hours early and this sort of thing happened
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Last edited by bscooter26; Jun 14, 2019 at 9:30 am
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 9:25 am
  #57  
 
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A lot of people talk about policy, rules, etc. in this situation. I get it, AA has rules; however, the blind following of these rules is why AA gets bad press a lot of times. AA needs to give their employees flexibility to handle situations such as these before they get out of control either through a viral video, the news, etc. (refer to the OKC trip DL "saved").

IMO, the OP was reasonable here. He was travelling with an infant. He packed a carry-on to cover the needs of his infant for an overnight flight. You look at most airline baggage policies, and they make it clear to pack essentials in a carry-on. AA could not accommodate the bag as a carry-on to CLT, so the OP asked to pick it up in CLT so he could at least have it as a carry-on the overnight flight. Given the situation, I see that as a reasonable request. DL can seem to handle reasonable requests, why can't AA?

Also, I must be missing something on short-checking, because I have done this several times in the past on CO, DL and B6. If your connection falls out of certain time window, your bag can be short-checked and you can then re-check it in. The airlines have a bag-matching mandate so if he did not get on his flight to MAD, his bags would be offloaded.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 9:30 am
  #58  
 
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Originally Posted by Sweetone
I have had no problems with valet checking my carryon when the overhead bins are full. Both regional flights and larger planes seem to regularly arrange to valet check bags. It seems a problem of semantics to me. Why do all airline workers and flyer talk regulars expect the world to understand their vocabulary? Leave it on the jetbridge or at the base of the stairs and pick it up when leaving the plane. What am I missing? This is a regular practice on most of my flights.
Really? Were you in F when this happened? Because in my experience (at least in Y), if the overhead bins are full on a mainline flight, any overflow bags are gate-checked, meaning they are white-tagged and sent on to the passenger's final destination, where they will then be retrieved at baggage claim. I always thought this was the policy, so it sounds like the GA was correct (albeit rude about it), and a special exception was made for the OP.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 9:32 am
  #59  
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Originally Posted by arc727
Really? Were you in F when this happened? Because in my experience (at least in Y), if the overhead bins are full on a mainline flight, any overflow bags are gate-checked, meaning they are white-tagged and sent on to the passenger's final destination, where they will then be retrieved at baggage claim. I always thought this was the policy, so it sounds like the GA was correct (albeit rude about it), and a special exception was made for the OP.

again some keep saying this is policy and some are saying it is not. Can you please show me in writing where you see that this is policy?

ive reached out to aa in Twitter. Ill post their response

Originally Posted by EBiafore99
A lot of people talk about policy, rules, etc. in this situation. I get it, AA has rules; however, the blind following of these rules is why AA gets bad press a lot of times. AA needs to give their employees flexibility to handle situations such as these before they get out of control either through a viral video, the news, etc. (refer to the OKC trip DL "saved").

IMO, the OP was reasonable here. He was travelling with an infant. He packed a carry-on to cover the needs of his infant for an overnight flight. You look at most airline baggage policies, and they make it clear to pack essentials in a carry-on. AA could not accommodate the bag as a carry-on to CLT, so the OP asked to pick it up in CLT so he could at least have it as a carry-on the overnight flight. Given the situation, I see that as a reasonable request. DL can seem to handle reasonable requests, why can't AA?

Also, I must be missing something on short-checking, because I have done this several times in the past on CO, DL and B6. If your connection falls out of certain time window, your bag can be short-checked and you can then re-check it in. The airlines have a bag-matching mandate so if he did not get on his flight to MAD, his bags would be offloaded.
and that really is the main issue. AA should allow agents the flexibility to do these things. somebody who wants to valet check simply because he wants to? sorry sir we cant do that. a family of 5 who are traveling internationally and the overhead bins are full; sure no problem.

and the funny thing is for those who are talking about how the agent simply wanted to get the flight moving asap; it would have been much quicker to simply valet check my bag. my wife was on her hands and knees with the bag open and items spread everywhere while she was trying to figure out what we absolutely needed in the next 12 hrs or so and what could wait, then repack the bag, and then find a bag to carry all that stuff in. he was willing to wait the 10 mins or so for that.. so no, it wasn't about D0 or whatever

some of you really need to get your head out of AA's rear end and realize that justifying this behavior simply allows it to continue. you guys have been beaten and abused by them for so long you are willing to put up with this and make excuse for them.. completely insane..

oh and btw i did purchase MCE seats. paid almost $500 to select our MCE seats in advance... so doesn't that entitle me to overhead space?
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Last edited by JY1024; Aug 20, 2019 at 11:54 pm Reason: Merged consecutive posts
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 9:55 am
  #60  
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Originally Posted by omaralt
oh and btw i did purchase MCE seats. paid almost $500 to select our MCE seats in advance... so doesn't that entitle me to overhead space?
Not if you are boarding late in the process according to this thread No denied boarding compensation if reserved overhead bin space is unavailable
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