mvoight

Gate 11 SEA AA 854 SEA-DFW
Scheduled departure 6:07 PM
Actual departure 7:59 PM

It was a bit crowded as gate 10 also had a delayed AA flight to DFW.
What the agent #1 (the one with the mike) think happened:
Group 2 was called, a women, with a baby, and her family was boarding, and I told the gate agent #2, "I guess boarding order doesn't matter to you"
Note: He was at least 25 feet away from where I was standing with my wife, and a large crowd of group 5+ passengers trying to shove their way in front of everyone.

What actually happened. My wife had said something about the crowd pushing others to get past (we were actually on the side of the priority line and just past the end of the rope). Upon hearing this, I loudly said, "I guess boarding order doesn't matter to you", to the group which was shoving others. Then I started to approach the the counter to board (I am in group 3). Agent #1 then told me he wanted me to step aside so he could have a talk with me. He then told me why the woman with the baby was boarding early. I tried to explain about the shoving, but he said he didn't see her shove me. I had never said anything about that women. He then informed me he was entering a report in my record and would try to see what they could do about my elite status (like, take it away?). He also made me wait until he got his manager to come over. The manager explained to me that I could not tell why people boarded with an earlier group, and mentioned the baby. At that point, I decided it was probably best to not say anything further. As my wife had boarded, and I didn't want to miss the flight.

So, my basic question is, would they take my status, or worse, based on what the gate agent thought I had done?
Does anyone have any experience with this?
I have always been polite to airline employees, and always say "Thank you", when they check me in, give a drink, etc
As a elite flyer over many years I am well aware of why some people are given permission to board before their group, so I did not need an explanation of this from the gate agent's manager. I would have never have said anything derogatory about a women with a baby in a stroller being permitted to board early, as I have seen this many times.

bl-ord

A new kind of de-platforming.
Pretty disturbing.
Please inform us if anything further comes of this.

Tack

I can attest that boarding for AA is frustrating and I feel for you. Lol, there is a “however” coming…saying or loudly challenging the gate agent during the boarding process can be a huge mistake, especially with all the haymakers flying on board lately. I’m not saying you would be that guy, but my guess is ground staff at all airlines, have been instructed to identify any potentially agitated or intoxicated passengers prior to boarding them. I’m an AS retiree with access to their internal web site and that is the AS directive to ground staff. AA boarding is indeed chaos. But I’d wait until I’m on the jet and email a complaint via the app. As far as nicking your status? I doubt it. Cheers.

FlyDeltaMD88

If it means anything the "comments" he said he added only apply to that reservation, not future ones. Unless someone is a repeat offender (and it takes someone much higher up in the company to decide that, not at an airport level) you aren't going to get your status taken away.

bl-ord

"potentially" pretty much identifies the majority of fliers these days who have been crammed into sardine can seats and devoid of promised overhead luggage space.
And what is agitated especially when the gate agents are over worked and lost control of or just ignore the boarding rules until chaos ensues?

Tack

What I read was anyone who “appears” to be intoxicated. Which also covers prescription meds and those that “appear” to be visibly agitated. The AS definition is loose for both. Slurred speech. Unsteady gait. Talking loudly, insulting other customers or staff. And anything that can be construed as acting in a physical or threatening way. Their instructions are don’t board, pull aside and evaluate. You interpret that how you want, but with that much gray area and the whole safety of flight argument? My guess is even someone who might just be voicing frustration at a known problem, like the op did, could have that misinterpreted into a no board for a flight. Not saying I agree with it, just pointing out the tidbit I’ve heard about.

bosman

Perhaps the GA was making an oblique reference to the ultra hush hush "helix score"? Search the AA forum for a handful of references.

shd9

If I were you, I would quietly note down both agent #1 and #2's names and file a complaint with the customer relations to 'enter a report in their employee system'- then I'll see what they can do about disciplining the agents. As the posters suggested above, one isolated incident is probably not going to cost their jobs. But if they have been reported frequently enough, hopefully, there would be some actions against this customer-unfriendly behavior.

This is clearly a power trip retaliating against customers who suggested that they are not enforcing boarding zone rules. If such a cursory remark as 'I guess boarding order doesn't matter to you' is flagged, I think that agent could dismiss all AA's pax one way or another.

BTW you are flying from SEA - why don't you fly AS? Their service is usually much better

Antarius

You'll be fine. I've gotten into it with a few GAs over making up rules and nothing has ever happened

cmd320

Honestly, if this happened to me and it was a flight I didn’t absolutely need to be on, I would press this further. There is absolutely nothing wrong with what the OP said aloud, neither threatening, disturbing, nor offensive to anyone who was doing their job properly. For the GA to escalate this with the customer is not only completely unacceptable but also concerning. It would be another story of the OP were in the GA’s face shouting profanities, but from what I gather here we have a lAAzy and incompetent GA on a power trip.

I suppose when you pay stupidly low wages and hire personnel that lack appropriate education, this is what you are left with.

javabytes

Discount Dougie has already said the beatings will continue until morale improves, something worth keeping in mind when pressing matters at the airport or on board the plane these days. You can weigh all that against where you need to be and how soon you need to get there when deciding to make a stand in the moment, and also know that your complaints afterwards will fall on deaf ears. American is now the airline of “sit down and shut the hell up.”

Carolina2Cali

I know your main question is “Can or will they actually do this?” of which I’ve zero experience. Only ever heard of people losing their points or entire account when “skiplagging”

But I DID come to add that just the other day my agent boarded concierge key first, then group 1, and then groups 1-4 all within about 20 seconds and it created a mad rush. The flight was very on time and no weather around so unless there was a crew member about to “time out” this rushed super early boarding seemed like either a lazy FA to me or they knew they had very few 1-4s? Regardless, I’ve always been of the mindset that explanations and reason help IMMENSELY from creating issues. Keeping people in the dark so as not to scare them -everyone on plane wondering if the crew will time out snd delay or cancel?- might be a good strategy but I think most people would work to be quicker and more efficient and have fun with it had they known. Just my cents.

JJeffrey

Just another GA power trip. Ridiculous but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Ok Mr. GA, go right ahead, "take my status away"!

giporlos

I never say anything other "thank you" to the gate agents now... I recently was waiting in Priority Line (with a FC ticket) for a UA flight... the GA called the next boarding group and I stepped forward and said, "sorry I didn't hear you call FC"... GA murmurred under her breath "how many times do I have to say it" as I walked past... I said nothing and continued on... just happy to board LOL. I did write that up when they sent me a survey... never heard back.

enviroian

Game over.

With gate agents on the power tripping ego they have these days they can ruin your day and you/us the passenger have just about no power.

However I wouldn't be afraid of anything going in "your record". In fact if it was me I would have emailed AA his name and his performance at the gate and how mortified you were.