Wayside

Probably the contract of carriage.

wolf72

It's funny. I have never flown an airliner in 30 years that was delayed because of bin spaces being full and bags needing to be sent down to the cargo hold.

This must be an american problem because quite frankly, this "problem" does not happen overseas.

Yes, I have seen gate agents stop passengers from time to time with bags they believe are oversized and should not be going into a cabin bin but..by en-large, what is wrong with UA and their staff?

Does this airline have some sort of problem with training their staff or do they just hire morons (union fault?) or do they just enjoy fighting with passengers all day long?

Bloody joke of an airline./

emcampbe

BE pax (group 5) CAN use the bins - they just CANNOT bring on a full-size carry on - just a personal item. There is a huge difference. I often put my personal item in a bin - though (unless in the bulkhead) I do wait until boarding is pretty much complete and just put it in open space between roller boards - it's always there.

Productivity

This is what I'd like to understand - honestly any number of things can eat out 20 minutes out of air travel. If you booked something that tight, it's on you not on the airline IMO.

Grog

Similar situation last year. It was a UA flight, but on a LH ticket. I wrote to both airlines. Received an e-mail response from UA which included a $100 travel voucher attached. *A Gold (LH SEN).

Of course, it's on the airline if the delay is self-inflicted. Yes, any number of things can eat out 20 minutes out of air travel. But 'any number' didn't. This self-inflicted delay did. I have no patience for someone needlessly separating me from my carry-on or personal items.

Kacee

Yup. Rule 23(B)(2)(c) is a good starting place ("UA reserves the right to check a Passenger’s Carry-on Baggage for any reason").

Plus the complete absence of applicable DOT regulation. But let's not allow reality to get in the way of a good rant over a fairly minor issue

Productivity

United has the right to require checking as per the CoC. Maybe it was a proactive move on the basis of what they thought would happen and it didn't work out that way. Maybe UA has data that says this is when on average they need to start gate checking bags for this route/equipment and were trying to make for an efficient process.

My personal rule is if I have something that must be in the cabin with me, I get into either group 1 or 2 boarding. Anything from group 3 onwards is a gamble in my eyes.

Often1

Not only is this not a solution, but it doesn't work at stations --- an ever increasing number --- where the bag needs to be accounted for and can't be because it hasn't been scanned into the hold.

AA and DL do the same thing.

Now, agent has to board, has the name of the pax and the missing bag tag and checks the OH around the pax. Either the moron fesses up or the aircraft sits there because the alternative is recalculating weight & balance.

That may be fine unless you've got a connection at a hub like DEN or it's a major station such as DEN or ORD and the aircraft loses its departure priority.

Time traveller

I don't know if the GA printed a bag tag from her computer or she hand printed a bag tag in OP's situation and I don't know if that makes a difference. Also boarding at a small airport, the GAs may be contract workers as someone mentioned above.

A couple of years ago, I was flying on a hub-hub transcon and had an exit row seat with with an unsuccessful upgrade as a 1K. Anyway I was at the lounge and got to the gate 30 minutes before departure time. Apparently they started boarding 45 minutes before departure time and everyone had already boarded. The GA told me I had to check my carry-on. I complied with the GA and was given a hand-written bag tag. However I asked the GA nicely if I can check with the FA to see if there were some empty overhead bins still available. I also mentioned that I was 1K (which the GA saw on my BP) and that I usually board early, but I was a bit surprised they started boarding earlier than usual. BTW, I did not act in a DYKWIA manner.

When I inquired with the FA on-board, she said there were still room in the overhead bins. I actually asked the FA if she would write a little note to the GA on the bag tag that this was the case. I didn't want to assume the GA would take my word for it and that a hand written note from an FA would serve as some form of paper document. The GA saw the note and gladly allowed me to take my bag and removed the bag tag she attached earlier.

In my case, I don't know if having status helped the situation or being at a hub, or even a hand-written note by the FA saying overhead bins were still available. My story doesn't change the fact that OP had an unpleasant experience with UA. I want to say that although GAs may have pressure to get the flight out on time, at times they will be reasonable as long as you don't give them a hard time and become argumentative.

dsquared37

What's even funnier is you taking umbrage at any suggestion that local customs (or law) are demeaned by outsiders and then doubling back and doing exactly that yourself.

Airline crew nabbed for drugs?


Like others, I'm curious how this 20+ min wait for the bag caused OP to miss his/her kid.

mduell

Nothing but bad CS here, and not the kind UA will compensate you for.

getagb

You could go to see your son, and then come back to the airport and get your bag. If you don’t take it from the baggage claim they’ll hold it in the baggage office.

CruiserCLE

I think you're in the minority that does this (unfortunately). Just this morning, I watched 3 people in F near me get on, throw their backpack/briefcase up top, and sit down. They were all non-bulkhead people.

All I kept thinking to myself is, this is why we run out of overhead bin space.

Grog

UA "having the right to" and "being right in doing" are two different things. I was in Group 1 when UA did it to me. Second person to board the empty aircraft. Pro-active smo-active--they just don't seem to know what they're doing in this regard. All they did that day was needlessly irritate a *A Gold and end up having to give them $100 for their senselessness.

Productivity

I'll agree group 1 is ridiculous.