TSA /checked at the gate luggage?? need info

[dinosaur]

Solutions to the TSA 'problem' anyone?

Bring back the 'sizer boxes'?

Using colored tape in the bag check-in wells
with carry-on deminsions?

Bueller? Bueller?

 

[ClueByFour]

If everybody on a 733 or 734 brought on a 20" roller that would fit in the sizer, you would still end up gate checking stuff.

 

[flyin2low]

When your bags that you brought out to a commuter plane are surrendered to a ramper they are not considered to be "gate checked". It is still a "carry on" bag that is placed into the back bin [due to the cramped cabin] . You still get it back on the ramp at your destination. That is if the ramper remembers to put a yellow tag on it at your departure city.

 

[tadjr]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 1/6/2003 3:56:01 PM wheels wrote:
[P]Don't they mean bags that are too big to be carry on's?...[BR]That won't fit in the overheads?..[BR][BR][BR][/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][/P]No, they mean [STRONG]ANY[/STRONG] bag taken from the passenger and checked at the gate for [STRONG]ANY[/STRONG] reason. Whether they just got tired of carrying it around and want to send it to baggage claim at the other end, if it is too big to fit onboard for any reason [STRONG]OR[/STRONG] you just happen to be the last to board and there is no overhead space left and you're on the bulkhead. The bag has to go back to the main checkin area to be rescreened which means you just missed the flight unless you can make room for it somewhere in the cabin.

 

[Ramperman]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 1/4/2003 613 PM trvlr64 wrote:

This was a posting on Flyertalk.com..............is this true?
The poster said in another message that the Flight Attendants were told this in an internal email.

Thanks
............................

Just received some disturbing info from the company, and thought I'd share. Here's the heads up...

TSA will no longer allow bags to be checked at the gate. Passengers will be required to return to the ticket counter to check bag(s), almost certainly causing a missed flight. Flight attendants have been advised to take all possible measures to assist in finding space to avoid this problem.

This policy does not apply to gate checked assistive devices (wheelchairs, walkers) nor strollers.
.............................

If this is true shouldn't it be made public just like the new checked baggage screening policy that just went into effect??


----------------
[/blockquote]
TSA will no longer allow bags to be checked at the gate. Passengers will be required to return to the ticket counter to check bag(s), almost certainly causing a missed flight. Flight attendants have been advised to take all possible measures to assist in finding space to avoid this problem.

If the airlines would only enforce the carry-on policy and size of carry-on, they would not be having this problem.

 

[wheels]

Thanks tagjr....

 

[Oliver Stone''s Apprentice]

The TSA ruling (as I have come to understand it) still allows gate checks in an involuntary situation (i.e. bins are full). They won't allow someone to bring bags to the gate and request that they gate check the bags.

 

[flyin2low]

Carry on bags are not "checked" bags. I don't see any kind of destination tag being placed on them. This not what the TSA is talking about. There is a difference between bags that a passenger want s to check at the gate and bags that are legal dimension that they would like to carry on, but can't due to the space. This is for commuter planes, not mainline aircraft.

 

[Lilninj]

Wow,

I'ts amazing to see so many people speak to something of which they have not read the rule on. TSA has not gotten into the gate checking biz. The rules they speak of are only for the actual Checked Baggage at the curb or counters. Beyond that, if allowed past the security checkpoint, it is the airline's responsibility to handle their space limitations. Either way, it is screened by x-ray and/or explosive trace detection and the ever popular physical searches.

My personal opinion on the matter is that the TSA should be given the authority to prevent larger bags from coming through the checkpoints period. That way the airlines will be happier. Not the passengers who want to bring lamps, boom boxes, huge paintings, etc etc etc in the cabin, but they have to get a dose of reality anyway! TSA already limits the number of bags to be carried on but cannot enforce that rule directly on the passengers, just by delegating the airlines to do that function. Who knows when that will change, but I assume eventually in the interest of uniformity of screening throughout the country that TSA will take that function back and enforce it at the checkpoints. Pilots and FA's being exempted of course.

Lilninj

 

[tadjr]

[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 1/9/2003 12:08:14 PM Lilninj wrote:
[P]Wow,[BR][BR]I'ts amazing to see so many people speak to something of which they have not read the rule on. TSA has not gotten into the gate checking biz. The rules they speak of are only for the actual Checked Baggage at the curb or counters. Beyond that, if allowed past the security checkpoint, it is the airline's responsibility to handle their space limitations. Either way, it is screened by x-ray and/or explosive trace detection and the ever popular physical searches. [BR][BR][BR]Lilninj[/P]----------------[BR][/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P]Then someone at US must have read the rule wrong because F*SBS/GATE/CHECKED states otherwise. I've been trying to get a clarification from management on this, to no avail, but the way it is written in FOCUS is ANY bag checked at the gate must go back to the counter to be screened if the station has 100% inspection in place. It doesnt differentiate between bags checked at the gate counter or bags checked from the airplane, it states "gate checked" bags. It even goes so far as to exempt assist devices checked at the gate and exempts commuter "carry on" gate checked bags from the process. If you can provide a clearer interpretation of the rules it would be appreciated. Maybe someone at US who reads this can clarify and correct the FOCUS reference if its incorrect and post something in the CSBRF to clarify since the last note stated otherwise. We have received no briefing on this matter other than what is in FOCUS. [/P]

 

[CLTBWIDAYSYR]

The following is the actual email in question. You read it and decide.

Date: Friday, 3 January 2003 17:38 ET
To: USLMX.F/A,
USLFA.SPV
From: deleted
Subject: New Gate Checked Bag Procedures

Recent security rules put in place by the TSA now require that any gate
checked bag must undergo the same security screening that is used for baggage
checked at the curbside or ticket counter. This means that customers must take
the item back to the ticket counter to be checked so it can undergo security
screening, which may cause them to miss their flight.

To help alleviate the problems this may incur, please make every effort to
assist customers in finding approved locations for carry-on items such as
under the seat, valet closet and overhead compartments. The person you help
may be yourself as this new rule applies to non-revenue customers as well.

Any items which are returned to the customer immediately upon deplaning such
as assistive devices, wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, etc. are not considered
a gate checked bag and do not require this enhanced baggage screening.

 

[ClueByFour]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 1/9/2003 12:08:14 PM Lilninj wrote:

Pilots and FA's being exempted of course.

----------------
[/blockquote]

Of course, that's where it falls apart.

 

[speedbird86]

One possible reason for this may be that the equipment being used at the passenger check point may not be the same kind of equipment being used for bag screening behind the sceens. The equipment used at passenger check points may not detect explosive substances which would explain some very strange procedures there. Also some airports are still using the same passenger screening equipment prior to 911. Some airports have changed or are going to upgrade passenger screening equipment. You still see the trace detection (sniffers) equipment being used at some airport and not at others. The ones that don't have in most or all cases I've seen have upgraded equipment.

Checked baggage screening on the other hand is done with new high tech equipment capable of detecting just about anything they program it to detect.

So if a bag was taken to the gate to be checked, it would miss the high tech screening that all other checked bags from curbside and ticket counters went through thus creating a crack in the system.

This is the only reason I can figure.

I do agree TSA should be in charge of what, what size and how many go through the check point. Some pre 911 passengers would literally hide carry on baggage somewhere in the terminal, then go check in with the proper amount and then go and pickup the steamer trunk to carry to the gate and then onto the plane. Result was not enough space, gate check baggage, delayed flight and everybody pissed off.

 

[Lilninj]

I suggest to all concerned that you should address your concerns to the headquarters for TSA in Washington. As any bag handler for any airline will tell you, they would cringe at the sight of a bag down below an aircraft that shows no indication that it had been screened. So, there is logic to what is happening according to the previous posts although I am not aware of any directive to the airlines regarding it. I also have not seen it myself at the airport as yet. When you write the TSA, I suggest that you offer a solution to forcing the passenger to go back to the counter. That of course would be to have a bag handler bring it back to the checked baggage screening stations themselves and bring it to the plane afterwards. I'm sure that would all depend on staffing levels and how close that station is located to the plane but it is one possible solution.

I just thought of another way for airlines to immediately alleviate the problem you discuss. That would be to have the Ticket Checker enforce the size and number limitations before the passengers arrive at the checkpoints. That is not controlled by the TSA. That is controlled by the airlines via representatives such as Huntleigh. Since the airlines are dealing with identical policies regarding carry on bags, why not enforce it there? It would certainly cause less trouble for those passengers since they have not gone through the checkpoint yet. Just a thought, although I don't expect to see it happen since US Airways management doesn't do too many things that make sense but doesn't cost a lot of money.

Take it easy,

Lilninj