Just wanted to post my experience from this morning in terminal A at EWR. Arrived in on SFO-EWR on time, transitioned over to terminal A for my eventual EWR-BDL. Since we arrived with enough time, I got myself and my companion on the standby list for the earlier flight. Once everyone had boarded, the gate agent indicated that there were two no-shows. He took us down the jetway, checked on the plane to make sure the seats were available, and then asked us to gate check our bags. We boarded and found that there was only one seat available, not two. Flight attendant called the GA back, who then realized his mistake. He said he'd accommodate us on the original flight, but that he wasn't going to be able to get our bags off the plane. I was pretty pissed, but acted calmly and said that while I didn't want to make trouble, I wanted the bags off the plane, and that I'd just wait on the plane until they were removed. He told me if I didn't get off the plane, he'd call security, so I relented. Back at the gate, he did get us back on the original flight and gave us a $100 TC for the trouble. I asked him why he wasn't able to get the bags off the flight and he said it would cause a 5-6 min delay for which they would be fined.

Anyway, the guy admitted his mistake and tried to make it right, but my bags are no longer with me due to his mistake, and I'm sitting here in EWR. While it'll probably work out fine, pretty annoying.

Thanks for letting me whine a bit, this holiday morning.

Look on the bright side... you got $100 and you won't have to wait for your bags in BDL as they'll be waiting for you. ^

I think you did OK. You got $100 and the bags will be in BDL when you get there.

The part about the FAA and a fine was BS, though. They just didn't want to delay the flight.

<Raises hand>
Can I send my bags on an earlier flight and get $100?


Seriously, they do sometimes mis-count the number of pax boarded.
So the confusion about the number of empty seats does happen.

While I too would have been annoyed by the "fire drill" and separation from luggage, one of you could have gone on the earlier flight (with the bags).

I am assuming since you used the term companion that the other person is an adult. Obviously, if the other person is a child then you can't separate.

Good luck getting to BDL.

I guess it's true, no good deed goes unpunished. The GA did everything he/she could to get you on the flight. Under similiar circumstances, I would have thanked the GA for making every attempt and wouldn't have expected my bag to be pulled.

Last thing I'd want to do on a holiday is delay 50 or 100 people (and the airplane itself) just so I wouldn't be separated from my bag for a couple of hours.

That's just me though. Maybe others feel differently.

The GA made an honest mistake, 'fessed up to it, you kept your original seat and got $100.

People make mistakes, that's just life. At least in this case you didn't get scr*wed because of someone else's error.

A long time ago, I was flying MIA-SFO on AA. In those days planes still had smoking sections and I obviously did not want to sit among the smokers.

AA gave me a seat assignment in smoking but told me they would try to accommodate me.

At one point, the lead flight attendant comes back to me and asks me to follow him up to a seat in non-smoking. Then he must have blanked out as he walked me right up to first class.

Realizing his error, he walked me back to coach, but by this time AA was boarding standbys and not only were all the seats in non-smoking filled, so was my original seat.

Despite my protests, I was told I was the one who had to get off the plane ("what about the standby in my seat, for which I have a boarding pass?")

When I raised a stink they threatened to call the police, so I got off.

The kicker? When I got to the service center and explained what had happened, I was told I had voluntarily gotten off the plane, and that my ticket was thus void.

Since I was flying home, I was forced to buy a full Y one-way ticket (which was some seriously big money).

They even threatened to charge me a "storage fee" for my bag at SFO (which didn't happen, of course).

Ahhhh, AA at MIA...well known for its touchy-feely customer service.

You did OK

P.S.: As a million-mile flyer on AA, after a series of similar incidents on the airline I simply stopped flying AA.

Thanks for the perspective folks. I guess I just worry that my bags, unattended, could be stolen or gone through. I make a point of not checking luggage. This was my carry-on, but because I was the last to board the plane, the overheads were full and they made me gate check. Hence the frustration.

The GA did his best and despite it being his mistake, at least he fessed up.

^^ plus the OP got $100. Give thanks!

If you stopped flying AA, why does your profile show "AAdvantage"?

Since TWA Fan 1 is a million-miler on AA, he has lifetime Gold status on AAdvantage.

Exactly. And you believe that he "simply stopped flying AA", apparently decades ago, even though his supposed Gold status lets him pre-select exit row seats?

Clarification: I used to fly AA as exclusively as possible. Now, I only fly them as is suits my purposes, usually 1 a year, sometimes less.

But I will not go out of my way to avoid AA if it is the best deal.

I will say that in the post Crandall era, though, the worst excesses of AA's customer service have been reigned in.

My philosophy on air travel is I simply fly the most convenient routing with the best fare. I do not let the frequent-flyer proram run my life.

We actually do get fined for delays. I am a FA and mostly international get the more heftier fines. Just an FYI.

A sort of good deal for the OP. The only thing that would have me Worrying is the bags were Gate Checked,. meaning they will be put onto the jetway for pick-up, what happens when no one claims them? How do they find their way to the baggage office if thats where they go?

Now if the GA made sure BDL was called and informed of what took place I would have felt much better

Had it been with reg checked bags I know they wouldnt be a problem, but I never myself had my gate checked bags go and I stayed behind

Ohh, It's not that bad, You got a 100$ and you won't have to wait for your bags to arrive- if they make it.