Gate agent counting duty free purchases as carryon at POS (AA policy)
Aug 18, 2019, 8:13 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: CMI, ORD, NYC
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 92
Gate agent counting duty free purchases as carryon at POS (AA policy)
Traveled POS-MIA earlier this week and the gate agents were counting duty-free purchases as part of the carry-on allowance. They were checking bags at the gate if you had a carryon.
I boarded in group 3 and the agent who scanned my boarding pass didn’t notice but there was another agent on the plane. The agent told me I needed to fit my duty free under the seat with my backpack. It couldn’t and I said I’ll put it up in the overhead and I’ll wait for a flight attendant. The agent didn’t reply but seemed to have an annoyed look on their face. Not really a fan of the agents at POS anyway.
Ive travelled many times with duty free on AA and other carriers but this is the first time I’ve had someone tell me it counts as carryon. Has there been a change in the rules or they just being finally being enforced?
I boarded in group 3 and the agent who scanned my boarding pass didn’t notice but there was another agent on the plane. The agent told me I needed to fit my duty free under the seat with my backpack. It couldn’t and I said I’ll put it up in the overhead and I’ll wait for a flight attendant. The agent didn’t reply but seemed to have an annoyed look on their face. Not really a fan of the agents at POS anyway.
Ive travelled many times with duty free on AA and other carriers but this is the first time I’ve had someone tell me it counts as carryon. Has there been a change in the rules or they just being finally being enforced?
Aug 19, 2019, 3:16 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
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Doesn't the person who hands you your duty-free purchases usually stand on the jet bridge beyond the point at which the GA scans your boarding pass? How would the GA know that you had such items at all? Or is it different at POS?
Aug 19, 2019, 4:10 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2014
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Ive seen this where there is no separation of arriving and departing passengers, ie in the US a lot. It’s more common to take your purchases with you directly from the duty-free shop in non-US airports.
Aug 19, 2019, 4:44 am
#4
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Whether an item is taxable has nothing to do with one's carry-on allowance. The space OH and underseat is limited and thus this is a zero-sum game. With the exception of certain carefully excepted items, the limit is two items of specified dimensions.
The fact that duty free is sometimes distributed after the gate reader is a matter of logistics, not AA rule.
Bottom line, for every person bringing a third carry-on with them, there is someone who must gate check something (presuming full flights and the like).
The fact that duty free is sometimes distributed after the gate reader is a matter of logistics, not AA rule.
Bottom line, for every person bringing a third carry-on with them, there is someone who must gate check something (presuming full flights and the like).
Aug 19, 2019, 8:40 am
#5
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Traveled POS-MIA earlier this week and the gate agents were counting duty-free purchases as part of the carry-on allowance. They were checking bags at the gate if you had a carryon.
I boarded in group 3 and the agent who scanned my boarding pass didn’t notice but there was another agent on the plane. The agent told me I needed to fit my duty free under the seat with my backpack. It couldn’t and I said I’ll put it up in the overhead and I’ll wait for a flight attendant. The agent didn’t reply but seemed to have an annoyed look on their face. Not really a fan of the agents at POS anyway.
Ive travelled many times with duty free on AA and other carriers but this is the first time I’ve had someone tell me it counts as carryon. Has there been a change in the rules or they just being finally being enforced?
I boarded in group 3 and the agent who scanned my boarding pass didn’t notice but there was another agent on the plane. The agent told me I needed to fit my duty free under the seat with my backpack. It couldn’t and I said I’ll put it up in the overhead and I’ll wait for a flight attendant. The agent didn’t reply but seemed to have an annoyed look on their face. Not really a fan of the agents at POS anyway.
Ive travelled many times with duty free on AA and other carriers but this is the first time I’ve had someone tell me it counts as carryon. Has there been a change in the rules or they just being finally being enforced?
Aug 19, 2019, 9:18 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: CMI, ORD, NYC
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 92
Whether an item is taxable has nothing to do with one's carry-on allowance. The space OH and underseat is limited and thus this is a zero-sum game. With the exception of certain carefully excepted items, the limit is two items of specified dimensions.
The fact that duty free is sometimes distributed after the gate reader is a matter of logistics, not AA rule.
Bottom line, for every person bringing a third carry-on with them, there is someone who must gate check something (presuming full flights and the like).
The fact that duty free is sometimes distributed after the gate reader is a matter of logistics, not AA rule.
Bottom line, for every person bringing a third carry-on with them, there is someone who must gate check something (presuming full flights and the like).
Last edited by peaches070; Aug 19, 2019 at 9:24 am Reason: clarified statement in ()
Aug 19, 2019, 9:21 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Posts: 5,187
I have never seen it either and if airlines started counting DF items that strictly then most passengers would stop buying the DF and the airport revenues would be badly hit. Furthermore, the foreign carriers would not count them and the passengers would start to move to them too.
Aug 19, 2019, 9:50 am
#8
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Traveled POS-MIA earlier this week and the gate agents were counting duty-free purchases as part of the carry-on allowance. They were checking bags at the gate if you had a carryon.
I boarded in group 3 and the agent who scanned my boarding pass didn’t notice but there was another agent on the plane. The agent told me I needed to fit my duty free under the seat with my backpack. It couldn’t and I said I’ll put it up in the overhead and I’ll wait for a flight attendant. The agent didn’t reply but seemed to have an annoyed look on their face. Not really a fan of the agents at POS anyway.
Ive travelled many times with duty free on AA and other carriers but this is the first time I’ve had someone tell me it counts as carryon. Has there been a change in the rules or they just being finally being enforced?
I boarded in group 3 and the agent who scanned my boarding pass didn’t notice but there was another agent on the plane. The agent told me I needed to fit my duty free under the seat with my backpack. It couldn’t and I said I’ll put it up in the overhead and I’ll wait for a flight attendant. The agent didn’t reply but seemed to have an annoyed look on their face. Not really a fan of the agents at POS anyway.
Ive travelled many times with duty free on AA and other carriers but this is the first time I’ve had someone tell me it counts as carryon. Has there been a change in the rules or they just being finally being enforced?
But why would an airline not count duty free purchases as carryons? You are carrying them on, yes? Your interpretation would then be that you get the published carryon allowance plus all duty free items? What about airports where you can buy large duty free items? A case of wine, perhaps? OK to carry that on in addition to your regular allowance?
Aug 19, 2019, 9:57 am
#9
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: CMI, ORD, NYC
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 92
But why would an airline not count duty free purchases as carryons? You are carrying them on, yes? Your interpretation would then be that you get the published carryon allowance plus all duty free items? What about airports where you can buy large duty free items? A case of wine, perhaps? OK to carry that on in addition to your regular allowance?
Aug 19, 2019, 10:00 am
#10
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: CMI, ORD, NYC
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 92
Just received a reply to my DM to AA on twitter.
So basically it all comes down to the gate agent and how much duty free you're traveling with.
You can bring 1 personal item and 1 carry-on bag on board. If you have more items than this, you may be asked to check it or you can consolidate into one of your bags.
Aug 20, 2019, 1:48 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2016
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On Delta, ANY purchase in the terminal does not count towards the carry on allowance. I assume this is Delta being a good partner for their in-terminal options; a robust terminal is always better for passengers. Never leads to a problem on Delta, and I don't see a bag of duty-free purchases displacing a rollerboard.
Aug 20, 2019, 6:35 am
#13
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Aug 20, 2019, 7:45 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2013
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I have never seen it either and if airlines started counting DF items that strictly then most passengers would stop buying the DF and the airport revenues would be badly hit. Furthermore, the foreign carriers would not count them and the passengers would start to move to them too.