drat19

More advice for the Kettles.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24761262/

I believe I've stated my opinion about it in the thread title. Y'all's turn - discuss.

obscure2k

Moving to Newsstand
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

alanR

It used to be said that if you can still hear a whine after the engines have stopped it's obviously a Qantas flight.

Looks as if the bug has moved continents

mikeef

Man, he earned his $2 per word.

Mike

BNA_flyer

He mentions that AA EXP's won't have to pay, but does not mention that this applies (for now) to Plat and Gold members as well. I do not like his suggestion that passengers intentionally carry on too-large bags and/or drag their a**es any more than they already do during boarding...the civil-disobedience aspect of this may be lost on AA's FAs and on fellow passengers.

At some point it will be nearly as cost-effective to have FedEx carry your stuff, depending on where you're going and for how long. I'm in the middle of moving, and on my weekly trips back to BNA, my wife and I have been checking four empty suitcases one way and checking them full the other way, as we get the last of our possessions out of the house we're selling. If we had to pay to check these bags, we'd just ship everything instead.

oldpenny16

"Play the victum card" Gads!

I've already heard plenty of that in the check in lines since the May 12 rules went in.

"Carry the maximum on board!" "Move slow". This guy is an idiot!

The TSA screeners are going to be the first line of defense on people taking on too much baggage. You know how nice they are!

I've already heard from a gate agent "one SMALL personal item and one bag per person".

joer

One thing I found interesting is that airline apologist Joel Widzer, who thinks that Northwest's "Coach Choice" program that demanded $15 from everyone including elite level flyers for the least terrible seats in coach is/was a good idea, thinks that this is a bad idea:
How much do you want to bet that in a few days American will rescind this asinine fee and try to spin it as a benefit?


Added August 28, 2008: Howdy, people from I'm Joel Widzer's Wikipedia entry! I do believe that this is the first time that anything I've typed has been used as a reference on Wikipedia! I'm so excited!

(I linked to a permanent link of the current version in case the page changes any time in the future)

alanR

Here's an idea - get rid of the payment - but instead replace it with a DEDUCTION of $15 for the 1st bag & $25 for the 2nd per leg IF YOU DON'T TAKE THEM.

Flaflyer

"show em your elite AA FF card". Real practical advice for the Kettles, Mr. Elliott. And you get PAID to write that stuff? Amazing.

BNA_flyer

I must have been asleep when I read that this morning, because it didn't register at the time:

If you have the status, it will be on your boarding pass (and PNR).
If you don't have the status, you won't have the card, or the note on your boarding pass.
If you have to be told "show 'em your elite AA FF card," you won't know what he's talking about anyway.



Not to mention, most of AA's elite will only rarely check a bag for a typical trip to begin with.

Does he understand at all how the logistics of the airline industry work? Does he think that I get the opportunity to pick an exit row when I'm flying in Y because I call up and ask every time, or because no one thinks to choose them? No, it's because AA's system (and DL's) notes that I have status and lets me make that choice--just as it notes that I am Platinum-level and prints PLATINUM on my BP automatically. At the moment, I don't know where my AA card is and don't really care.

My dog could write more coherent advice.

RustyC

I think part of the problem has to be Elliott's editors. Am sure they're prodding him to dumb it down and write just about everything as a list article. The schoolmarmish, file-under-duh approach also unfortunately affects local newscasts.

drat19

Well said and I'm sure you're right about all of that. ^

BLI-Flyer

And I've been behind people who show their AA Platinum MasterCard and expect elite level benefits!

ohioflyer

This actually works at SXM!

sefrischling

He states that Exec Plats are exempt, when Gold and up, or the equal level from another OW carrier will work.

I'm sure mos kettles aren't Gold, but Gold is easier than Exec Plat.