Damn you American Airlines

SkyHog

SkyHog

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Feb 23, 2005
Messages
18,433
Location
Castle Rock, CO
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Everything Offends Me
Gah, what a ****ty morning.

I woke up and was waiting for the taxi that I arranged to pick me up at the hotel this morning. The taxi had shown up early and taken the wrong person to the airport. As a result, I was forced to wait for well over 1.5 hours for another taxi to come take me to the airport.

That got me to the check-in area about 35 minutes before my flight departed.

AA Guy: "Sir, we can't check your baggage within 30 minutes of the flight."
Me: I've got 35 minutes, can you verify
AA Guy: Sir, the computer has already locked out, I can't check the bags
Me: What should I do with my bag?
AA Guy: I dunno, mail it?
Me: Can I take it to the gate and check it there?
AA Guy: Security won't let you take it through
Me: I bet I can get it through security, so I can gate check?
AA Guy: You'll never make it through security.

So I left and guess what, TSA let me through with my bag. I get to the gate, and the very helpful lady there greets me.

AA Woman: Sir, you cannot bring that bag on board as carry on.
Me: I know, I need to gate check it.
AA Woman: *SIGH* hold on
AA Woman (over radio): You know that guy you told me about? Yeah, he's here trying to check his bag.
AA Guy (over radio): He never paid to check the bag, make sure you collect.
AA Woman: Sir, I don't have the ability to take a payment down here, you'll have to go back to the front desk to pay to check your bag. You can't make it there and back here, so I'm sorry, you're going to miss your flight.
Me: Now you're just being difficult. Either waive the fee, or find a place to take payment. You're denying me boarding because you're lazy.
AA Woman: Ungh uh! You did not just call me lazy. Sir, I'm not going to take this kind of abuse.
Me: **** you.

So I headed back out through security to the ticketing desk. Different AA Guy, turns out, he's a manager.

AA Manager: Sir, tell me what happened.
Me: (explains story, including the taxi and everything)
AA Manager: I'm sorry. We can get you on standby for the next flight
Me: Will I make my connection to Santa Fe
AA Manager: Yeah, you should, I mean, I can't imagine why not.
Me: Umm...that's kind of important, can you check?
AA Manager: *SIGH* Sir, I've been in this industry for a very long time, and...
Me: Can you say with certainty that I'll make it into Santa Fe by 11:40am?
AA Manager (looking at computer screen): Oh, my bad, it looks like you can't make it in there by then. In fact, if you can't get on the next flight, which is already overbooked, you're not going to make it in today at all. Sorry. Here, I'll go ahead and waive your baggage fee.
Me: Wait, so you'll waive the fee now, but you wouldn't waive the fee to keep me from missing my last flight?
AA Manager: Well, no one asked.
Me: I didn't ask just now either, and you realized it was the right thing to do. Are your employee so incapable of independent thought that they couldn't have done the same thing? You cost me the opportunity to get home to my wife today because of $25.
AA Manager: Sir, we don't, and can't waive baggage fees.
Me: You just ****ing waived my baggage fee.
AA Manager: .... (pause for about 2-3 minutes while he types). Here, you are booked on standby for the next flight, departing at 11:20am for DFW. You will miss your connection, but when you get into Dallas, we will find another plane for you.
Me: That's unacceptable. Get me on a plane to Santa Fe....
AA Manager: *SIGH* ok....one moment.

Seriously, I feel like AA was just ****ing with me to prove a point today. Is this because of that fairy flight attendant to lost his **** on JetBlue? Are airline employees suddenly emboldened to the point that they forgot that they work to serve us?
 
Last week's flight to Florida:

- Get to the airport when I was able to get there
- Hop in the plane when I felt like it, after having a chat with the line guys
- Took off when I was ready
- Land when I got there
- Returned home when it was time to, with no extra fees for the additional stops in South Carolina or Manchester
- Didn't have to deal with TSA, baggage fees, and I could even carry my pocket knife on the plane with me
- No extra fees for the 13 dogs and 5 cats I had on board

Convenience and happiness: GA
Speed: GA (commercial would've taken close to twice as long)
Cost: Ok, commercial would have won there. But I wouldn't have been able to take 13 dogs and 5 cats with me
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Last week's flight to Florida:

- Get to the airport when I was able to get there
- Hop in the plane when I felt like it, after having a chat with the line guys
- Took off when I was ready
- Land when I got there
- Returned home when it was time to, with no extra fees for the additional stops in South Carolina or Manchester
- Didn't have to deal with TSA, baggage fees, and I could even carry my pocket knife on the plane with me
- No extra fees for the 13 dogs and 5 cats I had on board

Convenience and happiness: GA
Speed: GA (commercial would've taken close to twice as long)
Cost: Ok, commercial would have won there. But I wouldn't have been able to take 13 dogs and 5 cats with me
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, for business travel, I have no choice. Blegh.
 
Although I would have preferred that you avoid the potty-mouth (makes them feel all justified in their abuse), AA's service often follows that pattern. It has a lot to do with the degree of contempt upper management shows for the line staff.
 
They will (and have) hand written luggage tags for me after the computers have locked out. I've had both American and Continental do this for me on occasion. You have to approach them with the right attitude though or they're more than happy to make your life miserable.

While, no, no one at American took any steps to help you. You should be cussing the taxi company, not American. American was just going by the "rules". Any time I show up less than an hour before the flight I consider myself lucky if both me and my luggage arrive at my destination within a week of each other.
 
I have taken quite a few airline flights recently and I have decided that things go much better if you don't check your bag and you check in online beforehand.
 
Everskyward said:
I have taken quite a few airline flights recently and I have decided that things go much better if you don't check your bag and you check in online beforehand.
Click to expand...
Yep. I rarely check luggage. It also helps if one has status on the airlines. All of the airlines treat the unwashed masses pretty poorly, they treat their elite fliers with a little less contempt.

But the real problem is that the airlines have no real competition. They know you will have to fly with them. They know they can treat you like cargo and you will have to take it. If you complain they can black list you as a security risk. The airlines have all the cards and flying public has nothing, we cannot even chose to not fly in most cases.
 
Did you "look for the union label?" during your conversations?
SkyHog said:
Gah, what a ****ty morning.

I woke up and was waiting for the taxi that I arranged to pick me up at the hotel this morning. The taxi had shown up early and taken the wrong person to the airport. As a result, I was forced to wait for well over 1.5 hours for another taxi to come take me to the airport.

That got me to the check-in area about 35 minutes before my flight departed.

AA Guy: "Sir, we can't check your baggage within 30 minutes of the flight."
Me: I've got 35 minutes, can you verify
AA Guy: Sir, the computer has already locked out, I can't check the bags
Me: What should I do with my bag?
AA Guy: I dunno, mail it?
Me: Can I take it to the gate and check it there?
AA Guy: Security won't let you take it through
Me: I bet I can get it through security, so I can gate check?
AA Guy: You'll never make it through security.

So I left and guess what, TSA let me through with my bag. I get to the gate, and the very helpful lady there greets me.

AA Woman: Sir, you cannot bring that bag on board as carry on.
Me: I know, I need to gate check it.
AA Woman: *SIGH* hold on
AA Woman (over radio): You know that guy you told me about? Yeah, he's here trying to check his bag.
AA Guy (over radio): He never paid to check the bag, make sure you collect.
AA Woman: Sir, I don't have the ability to take a payment down here, you'll have to go back to the front desk to pay to check your bag. You can't make it there and back here, so I'm sorry, you're going to miss your flight.
Me: Now you're just being difficult. Either waive the fee, or find a place to take payment. You're denying me boarding because you're lazy.
AA Woman: Ungh uh! You did not just call me lazy. Sir, I'm not going to take this kind of abuse.
Me: **** you.

So I headed back out through security to the ticketing desk. Different AA Guy, turns out, he's a manager.

AA Manager: Sir, tell me what happened.
Me: (explains story, including the taxi and everything)
AA Manager: I'm sorry. We can get you on standby for the next flight
Me: Will I make my connection to Santa Fe
AA Manager: Yeah, you should, I mean, I can't imagine why not.
Me: Umm...that's kind of important, can you check?
AA Manager: *SIGH* Sir, I've been in this industry for a very long time, and...
Me: Can you say with certainty that I'll make it into Santa Fe by 11:40am?
AA Manager (looking at computer screen): Oh, my bad, it looks like you can't make it in there by then. In fact, if you can't get on the next flight, which is already overbooked, you're not going to make it in today at all. Sorry. Here, I'll go ahead and waive your baggage fee.
Me: Wait, so you'll waive the fee now, but you wouldn't waive the fee to keep me from missing my last flight?
AA Manager: Well, no one asked.
Me: I didn't ask just now either, and you realized it was the right thing to do. Are your employee so incapable of independent thought that they couldn't have done the same thing? You cost me the opportunity to get home to my wife today because of $25.
AA Manager: Sir, we don't, and can't waive baggage fees.
Me: You just ****ing waived my baggage fee.
AA Manager: .... (pause for about 2-3 minutes while he types). Here, you are booked on standby for the next flight, departing at 11:20am for DFW. You will miss your connection, but when you get into Dallas, we will find another plane for you.
Me: That's unacceptable. Get me on a plane to Santa Fe....
AA Manager: *SIGH* ok....one moment.

Seriously, I feel like AA was just ****ing with me to prove a point today. Is this because of that fairy flight attendant to lost his **** on JetBlue? Are airline employees suddenly emboldened to the point that they forgot that they work to serve us?
Click to expand...
 
My favorite agent episode involved Continental on a flight from Gatwick, England back to KC via Newark.

My British Air flight into Gatwick was almost 1.5 hours late because of 'mechanical difficulties'. I landed at Gatwick in the BA end of the airport, and had to hoof it all the way to the Continenal terminal at the opposite end where the international flights were.

I got to the gate about 20 minutes before departure and there was one agent lady there behind the desk - they were finished with boarding:

Me: (out of breath) Can I still get on?
her: Sir, you're late. You are supposed to be here 45 minutes before boarding an international flight.
Me: So, can I still get on?
Her: Sir, you are late. You are supposed to .....
Me: I thought it was a simple question: Can I get on the flight or not?
Her: humph - just a minute.

Then she left.

Another agent was off to the side and saw the whole thing. While she was gone he apologized, and got me on board.

By the way - just what do they type on those terminals? They hit keys at 100 mph for 30 seconds, and then say "you're late".
 
SkyHog said:
Unfortunately, for business travel, I have no choice. Blegh.
Click to expand...

Know the feeling. My trip to Florida was personal.

ScottM said:
Yep. I rarely check luggage. It also helps if one has status on the airlines. All of the airlines treat the unwashed masses pretty poorly, they treat their elite fliers with a little less contempt.
Click to expand...

Right, but to get that status you have to "pay your dues", which makes no sense for a service you are paying for.

But the real problem is that the airlines have no real competition. They know you will have to fly with them. They know they can treat you like cargo and you will have to take it. If you complain they can black list you as a security risk. The airlines have all the cards and flying public has nothing, we cannot even chose to not fly in most cases.
Click to expand...

I agree with that to a certain extent. While not a monopoly, it's effectively one since you have a small amount of competition and they all end up offering you similar things. However Southwest is a company that's earning my business. I'd fly them anytime.

For those of us in GA, we do frequently have another option, and several people on here prove that regularly. However a lot of us choose not to take it in many cases due to cost reasons. If you live near a Bravo airport, it's probably hard to justify flying yourself places much of the time. If you don't, much easier. It's also pretty much impossible if you do lots of international travel. In my case, though, I live at a Class D airport with poor commercial service and am generally going to places that have at best a Class C nearby with not much better.

I do agree that in this case the taxi company is to blame, though.
 
ScottM said:
Yep. I rarely check luggage. It also helps if one has status on the airlines. All of the airlines treat the unwashed masses pretty poorly, they treat their elite fliers with a little less contempt.
Click to expand...

Sweeping generalization. Most. Not all, and not all the time. You do need elite status just to be treated the way all passengers should be treated.

But the real problem is that the airlines have no real competition. They know you will have to fly with them. They know they can treat you like cargo and you will have to take it. If you complain they can black list you as a security risk. The airlines have all the cards and flying public has nothing, we cannot even chose to not fly in most cases.
Click to expand...

I get exceptionally good service from AA out of IAD on travels to LAX. It helps that I've done the route enough over the past few years to know most of the crews and agents. But is also helps that JetBlue, Virgin America, and United have non-stop flight competition (with JetBlue and Virgin having superior onboard experiences).

As an example, on Monday our flight was delayed a bit. As I was leaving the club, the agent told me that it had just been posted that we'd be making a fuel stop in Tulsa (in a 757.... sigh). At the gate, they announced the same and noted that it was because the spoliers were broken and they had a choice of either unloading 30 passengers, canceling the flight, or making a fuel stop. They chose to get everyone to the destination, albeit it late.

Good things: good information from the agents, very helpful to the concerns of folks, flight wasn't canceled, all passengers were allowed to fly, AA had ground personnel waiting on arrival at LAX to personally escort the folks connecting to Cathay (in another terminal) to their flight avoiding much of the TSA hassle.

Bad things: broken airplane, fuel stop, "low, slow" flight was bumpier, 1:45 delay in arrival.

It's better than UA has typically done in the past, although I have received some aggravation from AA personnel at JFK and ORD. I will say that I was very impressed with a recent tour UA & MWAA gave our group at IAD - they are taking steps to improve the experience from UA at IAD. Unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily extend to the call centers.

YMMV
 
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I quit flying the airlines when we bought the Aztec. Car to car it's often faster, with 4 or more people aboard it is often cheaper, no checking bags, no connections, no transfers, no customer service problems. 8hr range w/reserve gets us outwards of 1200nm, so there isn't much east of the Rockies we can't get to non-stop. If the person sitting next to me talks, sings, or snores too much I can unplug their headset. If the kid behind me kicks my seat, I can unplug his O2. If the weather is so bad I can't fly, I'd rather drive.
 
alaskaflyer said:
Someone still flies on American? (Or United?)
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, out of Savannah, the choices are quite limited.

So - looks like I'll be spending the night in Dallas now. I can think of worse places to be stuck.
 
I certainly don't fly commercially as much as a lot of people here.

With that in mind, though, I've found that politeness and a nice greeting do wonders - I've never had a problem that wasn't easily and quickly resolved. That includes both the airlines and security.
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
I certainly don't fly commercially as much as a lot of people here.

With that in mind, though, I've found that politeness and a nice greeting do wonders - I've never had a problem that wasn't easily and quickly resolved. That includes both the airlines and security.
Click to expand...

I was very, very polite and friendly and joking with them until they made it clear that they had no desire to help me.

Luckily, I got a confirmed seat to Dallas just now using the same technique. Apparently this woman actually wanted to help. The manager and two employees this morning did not.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Last week's flight to Florida:

- Get to the airport when I was able to get there
- Hop in the plane when I felt like it, after having a chat with the line guys
- Took off when I was ready
- Land when I got there
- Returned home when it was time to, with no extra fees for the additional stops in South Carolina or Manchester
- Didn't have to deal with TSA, baggage fees, and I could even carry my pocket knife on the plane with me
- No extra fees for the 13 dogs and 5 cats I had on board

Convenience and happiness: GA
Speed: GA (commercial would've taken close to twice as long)
Cost: Ok, commercial would have won there. But I wouldn't have been able to take 13 dogs and 5 cats with me
Click to expand...
The airlines haven't given up on stopping your subversive ways.
 
SkyHog said:
Unfortunately, out of Savannah, the choices are quite limited.

So - looks like I'll be spending the night in Dallas now. I can think of worse places to be stuck.
Click to expand...


Perhaps one of our intrepid members would show you one of the finer spots for dinner.

I hear they serve a really good dessert at one place - it's sauced with aged Balsamic Vinegar ;)
 
Matthew said:
By the way - just what do they type on those terminals? They hit keys at 100 mph for 30 seconds, and then say "you're late".
Click to expand...

I don't have YouTube here at work, but the ticket counter scene in Meet the Parents was CLASSIC ticket agent typing. :D
 
Some local pilots are having a beer at a local watering hole about 1900 today. PM if you want me to pick you up. or call two one four four one five four eight four eight.

Wayne
 
wabower said:
Some local pilots are having a beer at a local watering hole about 1900 today. PM if you want me to pick you up. or call two one four four one five four eight four eight.

Wayne
Click to expand...

I don't know what time I get into Dallas, but I just might take you up on that!
 
SkyHog said:
Unfortunately, out of Savannah, the choices are quite limited.

So - looks like I'll be spending the night in Dallas now. I can think of worse places to be stuck.
Click to expand...

Drive the 2 hours to JAX and WN has a boat load of direct flights.
 
I declare, I think Nick is upper management material. Allow me to join those who've given advice to the future CEO: avoid the potty mouth.
 
Status, at least in an alliance, doesn't always help. And lack of status doesn't always hurt.

Example. Last month I had an SEA-PHL-FLL-SEA trip. SEA-PHL-FLL on US Air (Star Alliance). FLL-SEA (through DFW) on AA (no status). I am Star Gold through UA. SEA-PHL my wife and I had reserved adjacent seats when I bought the tickets 3 months in advance. When we got to SEA we were told that was only a "request" and wound up a row apart on opposite sides of the plane. I would up with a woman in the aisle seat with a 1 month old in her lap and a 5 year old in the center seat. Baby screamed for at least an hour before and during take-up and a while into the flight. Not US Air's fault, but if my wife and I had been seated together as requested I wouldn't have been stuck in that window seat for 4+ hours. I wasn't about to wake that baby once it fell asleep (and stayed asleep for decent and landing - AMAZING!). Star Gold and they pulled that.

AA on the way home charged me to check our bags (I expected that) and for $10 each moved us to zone 1 for boarding. Well worth the $10. Flights arrived on time and we had time to get dinner at DFW between the flights. I have no compliants with AA on this trip, but Useless Air can take a hike. Only if I have no other reasonable options...

While we're talking about different airlines - LH has long been on my list of airlines to avoid for 1 single reason - there is no legroom in cattle car. Well, a year or so ago they fixed that and my last few flights on LH have been fine. Their service has been great all along, so now I'm not dreading coming from from Amsterdam on them next month.

UA - flew them SEA-SFO-LIH yesterday. Friendly FAs, good service and my favorite seat in coach in a 757-200 - 9C. With my wife in 9B. Legroom? It doesn't get any better on any airplane in any class. And we're got those seats for the return on the 22nd. Premier Executive does have its advantages. While the boarding was progressing in SFO one person asked if we had paid the extra $67 for those seats. "Nope. I fly too much, so no charge." Only thing that would have been better would have been if a high school classmate had been flying right seat that day. But the pilot was so smooth in her transitions and maneuvering leaving cruise and lining up for final approach into LIH that my wife commented on it at lunch today. I had to agree. An outstanding job.

Air Canada - Star Gold boards with 1st class, etc. On the red carpet. Come on, UA, you can equal that, can't you?:D

Sorry you had problems, Nick, but I agree, this all started out with a lousy taxi company. I'd vent on them.
 
Ghery said:
Status, at least in an alliance, doesn't always help. And lack of status doesn't always hurt.
Click to expand...

You're right, though it's been a while since I could compare on the majors. I'm currently DL Platinum, AA EXP, and CO Platinum/Star Gold. UA has tended not to treat the CO folks as well as their own, though a bit of that is changing with the merger. JetBlue does pretty well with everybody, though I have yet to try drinking a beer while jumping on the escape slide ;). And VirginAmerica is just good.
 
I think it means, Nick, that Richard considers you to be a smart and articulate fellow, one who is likely to go far in the advancement of your career and life, but that cussing out the help won't much help that progress.

But I shouldn't put words in Richard's mouth.
 
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