ccreed50

I was confirmed for a 10:30 a.m. flight from SFO to PVD via ORD on 7/15/2019.
I arrived in SFO to check-in at 7:20 a.m. which was reasonably in advance of departure time. I waited in the check-in line (along with hundreds of others) for 3.5 hours before being called to check in. We were given no reason for the delay, other than something to do with broken TSA conveyors.(?) Meanwhile watching the agents dwindle from 5 to 3 to 2, to even one agent facing hundreds of people who are likely going to miss their flights. (Sorry to the guy who asked to cut in at the front; we're all in the same boat here, bud.)

The ticket agent rescheduled me for standby on the next SFO-Charlotte flight, departing 1:23 p.m., as my original 10:30 flight had flown without me.
I was involuntarily denied boarding that standby flight - AA1956. This flight called for volunteers to not board - 3 accepted. In other words, I was scheduled for standby on a flight that was overbooked, that took 3 voluntary not boarding to get into the sky.
I was rescheduled standby for a 9:41 p.m. flight to Charlotte, and IDB'd for that. Full flight.
I was rescheduled standby for the 11:41 p.m. flight to Charlotte and IDB'd yet again. Another full flight. At this point I'm beginning to feel like that guy in "The Terminal".
I form an alliance with some active-duty military guy in the same pickle and we agree to storm the gate...No, we just grumble about SNAFU like GI's always have.

At midnight, I am now "confirmed" for flights that will put me at my original destination 24 hours overdue, after camping out overnight in the secure corridor connecting terminals 1 & 2.
Call me one unhappy camper.

Thanks to the gate agent who gave me a rare AA blanket for my corridor bivouac. SFO is freaking freezing.

Update; Charlotte 4 p.m. So far so good. Onward to PVD.
Update: Arrived PVD 9:15 p.m. 7/16/2019 Travel time ~38 hours or so

P.S. I started getting traveler tummy in the check-in line, so this whole episode has a really fun sub-plot.

Some advice from more experienced travelers would be appreciated. (I've already decided to never be caught without my authentic, limited edition AA pashmina.)
I'm no AA hater, been flying AA for years, an AAdvantage member...is this just me, or is this wak?

Herb687

How many times can you be involuntarily denied boarding (IDB'd) off of flights on which you are not confirmed?
The answer is zero.

Dave Noble

From reading it, the number of times that you were involuntarily denied boarding was zero

Due to the state of the airport, you were late for check in and missed the booked flight
All of the flights that you were listed for were all as standby - you were never confirmed on the flight and so doesn't seem that any IDB compensation is due

There isn't much you can do when the airport breaks down -

the only thing that seems that would have made a difference to getting away on time is if you had had no luggage and so didn't need to go to a check in desk

The way to avoid sitting at airport all day would perhaps have been to find out what flight you could be confirmed on - get booked on that and then return at a time appropriate to that flight - perhaps more bearable than just sitting and hoping each flight might have a space that you could fill

Gino Troian

sorry to hear... t2 security lines are INSANE in the early morning...

jliehr

mvoight

I am confused, was the 3 1/2 hour wait to check in with AA or to get through security?
If it was with AA, that is something you can complain to them about. If it was TSA, you are out of luck.
It looks like you were not IDB, because you were in standby for all of the flights you did not get on.
DId you check in advance and had a problem dropping off your luggage, or why not check in on your phone, computer, or at a kiosk?

fotographer

feel sorry for the OP, but dont AA now self check-in counters at most if not all of the airport

flyingislove

You were indeed not denied boarding involuntarily, just thrown off standby from flight to flight, though I am sorry for the OP. Your initial check-in process was unfortunate.

cyberjet

CitySlacker

The way I read it, the issue related to the Hold Baggage Screening system controlled by TSA. I am assuming that this caused a backlog of checked in bags to be processed, which delayed processing at check-in counters by AA staff.

There would not be another option to complete bag drop (and in my opinion, is definitely a failure by AA).

I don't believe it caused delays to TSA Passenger Screening checkpoints, so the option to enter the airside area at another terminal would not be relevant.

Although the Hold Baggage Screening failure is not within AAs control, I would expect them to have a Business Continuity Plan to deal with it.

I worked at an airport where this was a common issue. We would tackle it by:
- Checking bags in, then placing them in storage cages to keep checkin desks clear and flowing.
The cages were either taken to alternative screening points (oversized baggage? Another terminal?) for processing or sealed to be processed at a later time.
- Encouraging tagging at self service kiosks to help keep customers flowing.
- Allowing/Encouraging more bags to go through passenger screening points, and gate checked.

Although our BCP ultimately resulted in bags being left behind, all passengers traveled on their original flights. It's a lot easier to repatriate bags, than reaccommodate passengers.

So whilst it may not have been AAs fault, their handling sounds pathetic, and I would be requesting at least some points as compensation.

wetrat0

Very misleading title (how many times can you be IDB). IDB of course requires a confirmed seat on an oversold flight. Once IRROPS start you are not likely to find any agent who will confirm you on a full flight for that reason.

If OP had asxed "how many flights in a day can I stand by and not get on?", the answer is "as many flights as there are in a day."

pt flyer

JJeffrey

OP arrived at the airport 3:10 before the flight which should be plenty of time to account for even the most bizarre of issues. Evidently SFO was a zoo and it still wasn't enough to get through the check-in line due to a broken baggage system. What a mess.

And with tons of pax missing flights, later options most likely quickly filled up, meaning the only thing AA could do is put the OP on standby for these (go to the gate and cross your fingers that some folks don't show up), with the only confirmed space not available till the next day.

Of course it wasn't IDB but still a crappy situation all around.

Exec_Plat

Sucks OP.

But you MUST have known that 'confirmed standby' is an oxymoron. It means nothing.

During IRROPS, I refuse to leave the agent until I have AT LEAST ONE confirmed booking- even if it is days later. Put me on all the standbys you want, but I must have something confirmed.

(Frankly, I would have been on the phone with my travel agent at 8AM, booking back up flights...not waiting like sheeple)

I cannot tell you how often I an listneing to agents tell people, 'well come back tomorrow and they will try and get you on the Xam flight", to which the kettles nod, and say OK. You want to tell them "no, its a trap".....

RetiredATLATC

Maybe you got denied because you're a month early