TSA /checked at the gate luggage?? need info

trvlr64

Veteran
Aug 20, 2002
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www.usaviation.com
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
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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.
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If this is true shouldn''t it be made public just like the new checked baggage screening policy that just went into effect??
 
Yep. Since 100% baggage screening is in effect, any bag checked must be subject to that screening even if it has gone throught the passenger screening checkpoint. Don't look for the logic in it. US (and the OAs)is trying to get the TSA to change this, but it is currently a requirement.

The fight for overhead space could get very intense. US company policy says the passenger must take the bag back to the baggage checkin point (ticket counter) and miss their flight.

Just another joy of traveling.
 
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The fight for overhead space could get very intense. US company policy says the passenger must take the bag back to the baggage checkin point (ticket counter) and miss their flight.

Just another joy of traveling.
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[/blockquote]

That is a bit of an understatement.


Does this mean no gate checking on express flights as well? This seems particularly bad for US. I fly them even though I almost always have connections to where I am going. Now, if Im late on a connection (happens a lot) I perhaps miss the flight even if I am there before it leaves. That is really going to make me reconsider taking a connecting flight on US versus direct on another carrier. This wont likely have an effect until traffic picks up a bit later in the year, but it will be a nightmare at that point. I hope that at least US is training counter and gate people to be VERY strict about the carry on requirements because they are very lax about it now. The Catch 22 is that if you check you do as you're told, get there 2 hours early and check your bags and something goes wrong (late, bad connection etc) which happens a lot, you are toast because your bag is gone.
[img src='http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/images/smilies/15.gif']
 
Don't worry, safety WILL be compromised to facilitate the will of the people! Once the public and the airlines($) scream loud enough, the National Government will change the rules back to the less secure method.
 
Another stupid govt rule with no logic. [BR]If they went thru the checkpoint and there is something in the bag that could cause problems, it would be in the cabin and on the plane anyway. Whats the difference if its put in the hold instead? Only bags of pax who are on the plane would be loaded this way since they leave it at the bottom of the jetway when they board or its taken off the plane at the end so the bag is going to be on the plane whether its in the cabin or below. Stupidity at its finest.[BR]About the same logic as REscreening someone who is boarding a flight who just walked through a security checkpoint. If they are past the first checkpoint with contraband, its too late to be "secure".[BR]
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On 1/5/2003 11:44:05 AM autofixer wrote:

Don't worry, safety WILL be compromised to facilitate the will of the people! Once the public and the airlines($) scream loud enough, the National Government will change the rules back to the less secure method.
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[/blockquote]

Sorry, I dont see how this improves safety at all. It just inconveniences late people. People on time will have their bags on the plane in the overheads without the additional search anyway. To the best of my knowledge, people on late connections arent high risk, just unlucky.
 
This morning in the PHL Club - a person asked the desk person if he needed to go back to the counter to have his bag checked and she told him - no you can gate check it. Not sure what happened to him.[BR][BR]On my flight to PIT - they did gate check at least 2 bags - not sure if they were deadheading crew members or not[BR][BR]
 
[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 1/6/2003 12:33:20 PM eolesen wrote:
[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 1/5/2003 1:05:01 PM GadgetFreak wrote: [BR][BR]It just inconveniences late people. [BR][BR]----------------[BR][/BLOCKQUOTE][BR][BR]Too da[SPAN]m[/SPAN]n bad. If they're late, they lose.
[P][/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][/P]Wow. That's a pretty harsh pronouncement to make. What happens if you're one of those poor souls who are late because of an aircraft mechanical issue???[BR][BR]Flight 1 from A to B arrives at hub airport B 3 hours late and passengers are rebooked on the last flight of the night. Passengers race to Flight 2 and discover that they're the last passengers to board. Are they up the creek???[BR][BR]I think most every person who reads this board has experienced being delayed or rebooked onto the last flight of the night or have made their connecting flight with literally seconds to spare.
 
Even for the TSA, I am surprised they are actually this stupid.

Let's say you take this itinerary (I've actually done this one myself) --

LGA to CLT A320
CLT to GSP B1900

A rollaboard can easily make it on the A320. It has to be gate-checked on the B1900, because the B1900 doesn't have any overhead bins!
 
I just sent the following letter to the TSA website and will let everyone know what they say and how they interpret the security issues involved with the new policy.[BR][BR]As an airline employee I am wondering how the new rule to rescreen gate checked bags taken from passengers onboard the plane was conceived. It makes no sense to take a bag that the passenger was going to be allowed to CARRY ON and make them go back to the counter (and miss their flight) just to have it rescreened. Can someone please explain the logic in this new policy to me? If the bag made it through the security checkpoint and now must be checked, the passenger should not be punished for being out of room to stow the bag ON THE INSIDE OF THE PLANE. If the bag is through security and is now an issue just because it must be placed underneath, then it wasnt secure to begin with. While I certainly understand the need for heightened security, I feel this particular policy is assinine and does nothing to promote additional safety measures to the traveling public. It only serves to cause undue hardship and suffering on those who happen to board last and find no room ON THE INSIDE OF THE PLANE to stow their baggage. Thank you for taking the time to respond to this new policy.[BR][BR]
 
[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 1/6/2003 12:02:33 PM JS wrote:
[P][BR]It has to be gate-checked on the B1900, because the B1900 doesn't have any overhead bins![/P]----------------[/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P]I reread the policy last night and it does not apply to commuter planes where the bags are taken, placed in the cargo bin and then returned to the passenger. These are considered "carryon" bags with this rule. [BR]None of it still makes sense since you would think if someone has something in their bag, it would be MORE dangerous in the cabin than in the cargo bin underneath the jet. Wonder when the first politician will get nabbed and the screaming will begin? In the meantime, maybe its time to get the old email going again to TSA and the FAA. I cant believe anyone actually came up with this as policy.[/P]
 
The passenger and his carry on items were screened before they were allowed into the gate area. What is gained by rescreening it?

A passenger can be in compliance with the airline's carry on rules, and there still may not be room for his bag.

How now?
 
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Too da[span]m[/span]n bad. If they're late, they lose.
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[/blockquote]

Let's say a US1 does not hit an upgrade, arrives 15 minutes before departure, and either loses his bag or misses the flight. If the attitude is "to damn bad" the only thing lost could/should/will be a lot of business to somebody else.

The TSA is stupid enough--please don't give them help.