Non working crew members and non-revs ???????????????
new c/o bag sizes
- Thread starter tea42
- Start date
It's true, not rumor. Mr. Kirby was asked to check his bag then took it on board, called LAS Station Manager, the Station Mgr called a shift manager, who went to the agent....etc. Seems Mr. Kirby was not aware of the policy change. Agent didn't get in trouble, but got very little support from local management.
I've been at T/C last 4 days, and boy it's been mostly brutal. F/C, Pref & Star Alliance members either mad or grateful. I've had the hardest time with garment bags, as length and width have exceeded 45 without depth. Have made everybody check them. We have lovely laminated measuring tapes in our lovely money bags. I can't tell a 20 in roller, from a 23 in roller, from 25 inches, and everytime I think the bag looks okay, I pull out that lovely tape measure and prove myself wrong.
We've been told to "catch" the bags at the counter, but also told if they get to the gate, we will gate check them without charge. So not only are we not going to be consistant system wide about enforcing the guidelines, we won't be consistant from T/C to gate in regards to bag charges.
To tie in with baggage issues, I have to mention the PETC problems we get on a weekly basis. Either the kennels are too big, or our passengers "best friend" is 25 lbs, 14in tall and crammed into a carryon sized kennel unable to stand, barely sit, and not be able to turn around.
SS255
Veteran
So now he knows how his customers feel, because if it weren't for this board and Flyertalk, I would not be aware of the policy change, either.
Can't wait to see this week's FAQ's!
Onestep2flt
Senior
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2007
- Messages
- 386
- Reaction score
- 155
If the Kirby incident is true, there is your problem. The President of your company either does not know his own rules or believes he is above them. I think this is one of the biggest problems your airline faces. Your management team implements things before even they understand them!
After being asked and told of this policy by more than one employee and then did not comply, I would certainly believe that would have been grounds for Mr. Kirby to not get his ride on the airplane. He made it on to the aircraft which is another problem in itself though. This is a great example of why this takes place in the first place. Agents try to do their jobs, but they run into troubles like this example on multiple flights a day. You can only do so much before it just becomes emotionally draining to be belittled by people before you just throw your hands in the air and give up. Of course you would have thought that the flight attendants would have been more than happy to back the agents up in this matter as well. Guess like the president of your company they did not know the new rule either.
I am just not sure why your management team can not seem to do one thing right the first go of it.
After being asked and told of this policy by more than one employee and then did not comply, I would certainly believe that would have been grounds for Mr. Kirby to not get his ride on the airplane. He made it on to the aircraft which is another problem in itself though. This is a great example of why this takes place in the first place. Agents try to do their jobs, but they run into troubles like this example on multiple flights a day. You can only do so much before it just becomes emotionally draining to be belittled by people before you just throw your hands in the air and give up. Of course you would have thought that the flight attendants would have been more than happy to back the agents up in this matter as well. Guess like the president of your company they did not know the new rule either.
I am just not sure why your management team can not seem to do one thing right the first go of it.
phllax
Veteran
One could ostensibly argue that because pax are no longer provided a truncated Contract of Carriage on a ticket jacket, and it's quite hidden on the website, that they have not been properly informed (FYI - they did update the contract of carriage with the new dimensions.)
Dont call me Shirley
Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2002
- Messages
- 3,270
- Reaction score
- 306
tea42
Advanced
No problem! Those large rolling garment bags are not allowed per the FAA. Yet when an agent tries to enforce that, he or she gets told "well I have been allowed to take it on before and I travel with US every week." The common gate agent response is, "well I am just enforcing the rules" and then said Pax takes the employees name and then the employee gets upset because he or she is just enforcing the rules and doing their job. I have a friend that has had that happen several times to her.
Have had the above happen to me also....am kind of surprised the first did not back me up when pax complained....??? Why did they not tell the complaining pax about the size requirements??? And that we are just doing our job? I will never understand this....as gate agents if we do not have the crews doing their part---whats the point? Maybe that FA was looking for an above and beyond---lord knows we never see them.....
Have had the above happen to me also....am kind of surprised the first did not back me up when pax complained....??? Why did they not tell the complaining pax about the size requirements??? And that we are just doing our job? I will never understand this....as gate agents if we do not have the crews doing their part---whats the point? Maybe that FA was looking for an above and beyond---lord knows we never see them.....
As long as the agent is politely enforcing the rules, they should NEVER even have to answer for ANY complaint about doing their job.
As a matter of fact, if a complaint comes in that the agent made them check their bag (of course its always going to be small enough that it fit on every other airplane they ever flew on), they should be given an A&B from management for enforcing the rules and not acquiring a fine.
This is a problem I have with the FAA telling the airlines they have to have a rule AND enforce it. It should be the FAA telling the airlines what they can and cant have for baggage rules, it should be uniform across the entire USA and the FAA should be the ones enforcing it. This would automatically eliminate the "Whats your name, I'm writing a letter" aspect of customers trying to bully their 3 bags onto a plane. Imagine having 150 people all trying to get 3 bags on (doesnt ever happen, but play along) times how many flights a day an agent works and it gets to the point that you do say, why am I even bothing to attempt this? I know its an agents job and its required, but if you heard the same things being spewed at you day after day, flight after flight, at some point you get to the point where you just go numb.
Imagine working at a grocery store selling all kinds of goodies and having to have each customer fit thru an aisle sizer and weight scale at the register and having to tell them if they dont fit your mandated requirement from the government that you're going to have to take their Ding-Dongs and HoHos and see how that goes over!
As a matter of fact, if a complaint comes in that the agent made them check their bag (of course its always going to be small enough that it fit on every other airplane they ever flew on), they should be given an A&B from management for enforcing the rules and not acquiring a fine.
This is a problem I have with the FAA telling the airlines they have to have a rule AND enforce it. It should be the FAA telling the airlines what they can and cant have for baggage rules, it should be uniform across the entire USA and the FAA should be the ones enforcing it. This would automatically eliminate the "Whats your name, I'm writing a letter" aspect of customers trying to bully their 3 bags onto a plane. Imagine having 150 people all trying to get 3 bags on (doesnt ever happen, but play along) times how many flights a day an agent works and it gets to the point that you do say, why am I even bothing to attempt this? I know its an agents job and its required, but if you heard the same things being spewed at you day after day, flight after flight, at some point you get to the point where you just go numb.
Imagine working at a grocery store selling all kinds of goodies and having to have each customer fit thru an aisle sizer and weight scale at the register and having to tell them if they dont fit your mandated requirement from the government that you're going to have to take their Ding-Dongs and HoHos and see how that goes over!
The station I worked in had a lot of commuters, still does. Crew bags all met the sizing requirements so they fit in the sizing box whether the employees were in uniform or not. Most non-revs that are employees or dependants know the bag size requirements too. The only time it was ever an issue was with someone traveling on a guest pass....and that was only once in awhile.
You fail to mention 1 carryon and 1 personal item and the big international crew bags
In the airline business ever thing is not verbatim
The point on the whole thread is the size dimensions has change and few are aware
Including NRSA and less not forget NRSP VP’s
Well, SK just thinks it's ok to do whatever he wants. We all know that.
Our station was not international, it was domestic. And since I am a West flight attendant and was an AWA gate agent we didn't have to deal with international crew bags. The 1 + 1 has been around for a long time. To me it is a given....nothing new.
The size dimensions have changed and it is posted at USAirways.com...although from what I've heard the grammar used in the explanation of the new size requirement is not exactly stellar. If pax choose not to read the website info when making their rez, that is their choice. But it is there. Just like the requirements for cabin pets, UM's and everything else.....that people choose not to read.
I am not happy about charging for bags, or drinks, or pillows & blankets. But I am extremely happy the carry on bag size has been reduced. The carry ons have been way out of hand size wise for a long time and when we started charging for checked bags it became even worse. The hubs seem to be doing ok with the changes and I have seen the oversized bags checked at the gate....some of the field stations need a little more help in getting this implemented.
Our station was not international, it was domestic. And since I am a West flight attendant and was an AWA gate agent we didn't have to deal with international crew bags. The 1 + 1 has been around for a long time. To me it is a given....nothing new.
The size dimensions have changed and it is posted at USAirways.com...although from what I've heard the grammar used in the explanation of the new size requirement is not exactly stellar. If pax choose not to read the website info when making their rez, that is their choice. But it is there. Just like the requirements for cabin pets, UM's and everything else.....that people choose not to read.
I am not happy about charging for bags, or drinks, or pillows & blankets. But I am extremely happy the carry on bag size has been reduced. The carry ons have been way out of hand size wise for a long time and when we started charging for checked bags it became even worse. The hubs seem to be doing ok with the changes and I have seen the oversized bags checked at the gate....some of the field stations need a little more help in getting this implemented.
So the latest in lovely LAS? After the Kirby incident, a manager sent out an email stating the Ticket Counter agents were being "Monsters" for enforcing the new carry on policy, and basically told us to "error on the side of the passenger" if the bags were just a little over. Now, what's a little over? 46" okay, but not 47"? Or by the decibles of the passengers voice as to whether maybe 48" or 49" okay? First shove down our throats about how it's our responsibility to make sure to comply and help the gate agents, then tell us were wrong when we do so. Oh, not wrong, just "Monsters"
Furloughd4now
Veteran
Show the email and we will believe. Don't and we will assume you just want the easy way out. I don't believe this for a second 😛h34r: Remember you have to enforce Company Policy Per FARs ...
