A question regarding Heathrow staff?
May 2, 2017, 7:59 am
#31
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To the OP, I think it's completely understandable you felt aggrieved with the passport / phone situation. As the oracle Mr CWS suggests, feeding back to BA may be worthwhile here.
May 2, 2017, 8:13 am
#32
Join Date: Aug 2016
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The reason the gate agent held onto the passport and boarding pass was that the customer would not have been boarded before making her baggage compliant. The gate agent would not want to let he customer go behind the gate without being boarded, so to prevent any error - they will hold onto the docs until the customer is ready to be boarded.
This simply ensures that no one gets on board (hopefully) without being scanned. This is a common practice and gate agents regularly hold onto customers boarding cards and passports. For instance, if a customer has been pre-boarded, or in a closed gate, and then want to leave, the gate agent holds onto their docs until they come back. This ensures that they know where the customer is in relation to boarding the aircraft (if they don't return easy to offload them).
As far as the hand baggage is concerned - as previously posted - the airline can take the item with no yellow tag as it is not guaranteed to travel in the cabin. Easyjet for example don't even give you an option -once they have boarded 70 bags, they take the rest - no argument - if you don't give it up - you don't travel - simple.
Hope this helps clarifiy the gate issue! Happy Tuesday
This simply ensures that no one gets on board (hopefully) without being scanned. This is a common practice and gate agents regularly hold onto customers boarding cards and passports. For instance, if a customer has been pre-boarded, or in a closed gate, and then want to leave, the gate agent holds onto their docs until they come back. This ensures that they know where the customer is in relation to boarding the aircraft (if they don't return easy to offload them).
As far as the hand baggage is concerned - as previously posted - the airline can take the item with no yellow tag as it is not guaranteed to travel in the cabin. Easyjet for example don't even give you an option -once they have boarded 70 bags, they take the rest - no argument - if you don't give it up - you don't travel - simple.
Hope this helps clarifiy the gate issue! Happy Tuesday
May 2, 2017, 8:13 am
#33
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Why does BA insist on holding on to a passenger's passport before/during a flight?!
That's just not right.
I am american and I have rights god dammit!
That's just not right.
I am american and I have rights god dammit!
Last edited by wolf72; May 2, 2017 at 8:26 am
May 2, 2017, 8:30 am
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 610
The reason the gate agent held onto the passport and boarding pass was that the customer would not have been boarded before making her baggage compliant. The gate agent would not want to let he customer go behind the gate without being boarded, so to prevent any error - they will hold onto the docs until the customer is ready to be boarded.
This simply ensures that no one gets on board (hopefully) without being scanned. This is a common practice and gate agents regularly hold onto customers boarding cards and passports. For instance, if a customer has been pre-boarded, or in a closed gate, and then want to leave, the gate agent holds onto their docs until they come back. This ensures that they know where the customer is in relation to boarding the aircraft (if they don't return easy to offload them).
As far as the hand baggage is concerned - as previously posted - the airline can take the item with no yellow tag as it is not guaranteed to travel in the cabin. Easyjet for example don't even give you an option -once they have boarded 70 bags, they take the rest - no argument - if you don't give it up - you don't travel - simple.
Hope this helps clarifiy the gate issue! Happy Tuesday
This simply ensures that no one gets on board (hopefully) without being scanned. This is a common practice and gate agents regularly hold onto customers boarding cards and passports. For instance, if a customer has been pre-boarded, or in a closed gate, and then want to leave, the gate agent holds onto their docs until they come back. This ensures that they know where the customer is in relation to boarding the aircraft (if they don't return easy to offload them).
As far as the hand baggage is concerned - as previously posted - the airline can take the item with no yellow tag as it is not guaranteed to travel in the cabin. Easyjet for example don't even give you an option -once they have boarded 70 bags, they take the rest - no argument - if you don't give it up - you don't travel - simple.
Hope this helps clarifiy the gate issue! Happy Tuesday
I am aware of both easyjet (70 bags) and ryanair (90 bags) rules which is why i ensure i am early on in the queue.. i am also a terribly anxious flyer and getting on the plane early and getting settled helps.
Holding personal items is unacceptable to me.
Thanks all for your help. i will be making a complaint but as i see on here, that will probably not do a lot. I will be protesting with my feet and going onto other airlines and avoiding this.
May 2, 2017, 8:37 am
#35
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So you don't think that this could happen on another airline, you really do need a reality check?
If you packed your bag behind him you were the other side of the check in desk between the desk and the aircraft, you would have been on feet away from him?
Your phone and passport were being held until you were ready to board.
Rudeness is never acceptable and as I wasn't there won't pass comment on how your were handled.
If you packed your bag behind him you were the other side of the check in desk between the desk and the aircraft, you would have been on feet away from him?
Your phone and passport were being held until you were ready to board.
Rudeness is never acceptable and as I wasn't there won't pass comment on how your were handled.
Last edited by Can I help you; May 2, 2017 at 8:43 am
May 2, 2017, 8:42 am
#36
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So you don't think that this could happen on another airline, you really do need a reality check?
If you packed your bag behind him you were the other side of the check in desk between the desk and the aircraft, you would have been on feet away from him?
Your phone and passport were being held until you were ready to board.
If you packed your bag behind him you were the other side of the check in desk between the desk and the aircraft, you would have been on feet away from him?
Your phone and passport were being held until you were ready to board.
That's just NOT normal.
May 2, 2017, 8:42 am
#37
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 610
Held where i cant see them? and not looked after? he was focusing on checking in other people. Not on looking after my phone and passport (which i dont expect him to. So i wanted them back).
Im sure you would happily hand over your passport and phone to someone you dont know to "hold"?
He hadnt scanned me in and wouldnt give me them back so i would not leave the area.
Im sure you would happily hand over your passport and phone to someone you dont know to "hold"?
He hadnt scanned me in and wouldnt give me them back so i would not leave the area.
May 2, 2017, 8:47 am
#38
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Of course I would be happy to hand them over to someone needing them to do their job, you were not stopped in the street and had them taken off you?
Because you were aircraft side of the desk the staff member probably wanted to hold on to them to ensure you didn't board the aircraft.
Because you were aircraft side of the desk the staff member probably wanted to hold on to them to ensure you didn't board the aircraft.
May 2, 2017, 8:47 am
#39
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Now I wouldn't like that happening to me either, but I can see this from the agent's perspective.
May 2, 2017, 8:50 am
#40
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It's the OPs disruption of how their passport and phone were kept which frankly I find ridiculous and makes me think that the OP isn't guilt free.
May 2, 2017, 8:54 am
#41
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Many thanks OP on the update with your intention, whilst you may feel that the complaint will 'not do a lot', but hopefully it will; feed back to the individual/their manager and as C-W-S says, if the individual has record of poor customer service action may be taken. If you meant you wanted compensation, I doubt this would be appropriate unless any harm came to your passport or phone whilst in their care.
I'm surprised there were only 14 in front of you, unless you have status undisclosed in which case I apologies. It sounds like you were fortunate that there weren't more pre-boarders (travelers with young children, disabilities) and priority boarders if there were only 14 judging from the complaints on here with the length of boarding/preboarding lines.
I have to admit I'm still a little confused about the story, when you say repack- do you mean remove your medicines or did they also ask you to pack you duty free into your bag as well? You could have course done this when the first member of staff had told you in the queue that you needed to check the roller, would this would have avoided the issue?
In any case, thanks for providing an interesting discussion and best of luck with your future flights on whichever airline you choose.
I'm surprised there were only 14 in front of you, unless you have status undisclosed in which case I apologies. It sounds like you were fortunate that there weren't more pre-boarders (travelers with young children, disabilities) and priority boarders if there were only 14 judging from the complaints on here with the length of boarding/preboarding lines.
I have to admit I'm still a little confused about the story, when you say repack- do you mean remove your medicines or did they also ask you to pack you duty free into your bag as well? You could have course done this when the first member of staff had told you in the queue that you needed to check the roller, would this would have avoided the issue?
In any case, thanks for providing an interesting discussion and best of luck with your future flights on whichever airline you choose.
May 2, 2017, 8:55 am
#42
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 610
Of course I would be happy to hand them over to someone needing them to do their job, you were not stopped in the street and had them taken off you?
Because you were aircraft side of the desk the staff member probably wanted to hold on to them to ensure you didn't board the aircraft.
Because you were aircraft side of the desk the staff member probably wanted to hold on to them to ensure you didn't board the aircraft.
Had he handed this back to me and said "please move away from the queue and repack" (as i have seen both ryanair and easyjet do) and handed my passport and phone i would have happily repacked and approached him again.
HE pointed at the seats behind him. I did not make the choice. As he pointed, i said "ok. can i have my passport and phone" which i asked for politely. He refused. and took them and shoved them under the monitor so i could not see them which made me panic.
Im glad you have more trust in airline staff but i do not.
May 2, 2017, 8:57 am
#43
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Posts: 610
Many thanks OP on the update with your intention, whilst you may feel that the complaint will 'not do a lot', but hopefully it will; feed back to the individual/their manager and as C-W-S says, if the individual has record of poor customer service action may be taken. If you meant you wanted compensation, I doubt this would be appropriate unless any harm came to your passport or phone whilst in their care.
I'm surprised there were only 14 in front of you, unless you have status undisclosed in which case I apologies. It sounds like you were fortunate that there weren't more pre-boarders (travelers with young children, disabilities) and priority boarders if there were only 14 judging from the complaints on here with the length of boarding/preboarding lines.
I have to admit I'm still a little confused about the story, when you say repack- do you mean remove your medicines or did they also ask you to pack you duty free into your bag as well? You could have course done this when the first member of staff had told you in the queue that you needed to check the roller, would this would have avoided the issue?
In any case, thanks for providing an interesting discussion and best of luck with your future flights on whichever airline you choose.
I'm surprised there were only 14 in front of you, unless you have status undisclosed in which case I apologies. It sounds like you were fortunate that there weren't more pre-boarders (travelers with young children, disabilities) and priority boarders if there were only 14 judging from the complaints on here with the length of boarding/preboarding lines.
I have to admit I'm still a little confused about the story, when you say repack- do you mean remove your medicines or did they also ask you to pack you duty free into your bag as well? You could have course done this when the first member of staff had told you in the queue that you needed to check the roller, would this would have avoided the issue?
In any case, thanks for providing an interesting discussion and best of luck with your future flights on whichever airline you choose.
I meant stuffing the food in my backpack. I was unaware that the small boots bag was going to be a problem as i have never had problems taking food onto the plane before but i will put that down to my own naivety.
May 2, 2017, 9:00 am
#44
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So why are you going to another airline if you don't just airline staff, I'm sorry it all sounds very strange to me and I can't help thinking that the way you acted caused you more issues?
May 2, 2017, 9:13 am
#45
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I meant 14 people in front of me for general boarding. With status i would have said there was about 20 people max.
I meant stuffing the food in my backpack. I was unaware that the small boots bag was going to be a problem as i have never had problems taking food onto the plane before but i will put that down to my own naivety.
I meant stuffing the food in my backpack. I was unaware that the small boots bag was going to be a problem as i have never had problems taking food onto the plane before but i will put that down to my own naivety.
If so, it is a shame that they didn't appear to effectively communicate this when they first told you that you would need to check it whilst in the queue beforehand.
To reiterate though, if you felt they were rude, do provide appropriate feedback.
Last edited by navylad; May 2, 2017 at 9:51 am