Need to vent about US Air experience...

[CruisenLexie]

Sorry for your experience. Sounds to me like they are trying to make more money on checked bags. If you want to write a letter I say write away. It's your time and your stamp. I hope they acknowledge your complaint and don't make the situation worse. Good luck.

[billyjeff]

Sometimes I think it all just comes down to attitude - on both sides. I think it is important to remember that airline employees are like the rest of us - sometimes it is impossible to stay on top of your game all the time. They too get tired of difficult customers or long days and, yes, they can take out their frustrations. A bag that may seem too large to someone who is already ticked off may seem regulation to a fresh employee has had a good day.

 

We always try to be well dressed and pleasant to the airline employees - especially if we see they are hassled. A fresh smile (which my wife always does) works wonders. The last time we flew, one of the gate people commented that it was nice seeing someone dress nicely for a plane flight. We had no problems with one of our check in bags which was a little over the limit (even though we checked it on a scale before we left home. The agent smiled and said we were a little over, "but not that much" and took the bag. As for our carry on, which was probably a little too large, (and we were prepared to check it) another agent noticed the bag and said how much she liked it and asked where we got it.

[April-in-NC]

We always try to be well dressed and pleasant to the airline employees - especially if we see they are hassled. A fresh smile (which my wife always does) works wonders. The last time we flew, one of the gate people commented that it was nice seeing someone dress nicely for a plane flight.

 

Now I just have to laugh at that. Do you honestly believe that if I was dressed differently they would have let us keep our bags? :rolleyes:

 

For that matter how do you know what we were wearing? For all you know we could have been in business suits. Not that it matters, but we were both wearing nice jeans, sandals and a nice (but casual) top. When I travel for business I frequently wear dress slacks and heels, but the airline employees don't treat me any better.

[billyjeff]

Now I just have to laugh at that. Do you honestly believe that if I was dressed differently they would have let us keep our bags? :rolleyes:

 

For that matter how do you know what we were wearing? For all you know we could have been in business suits. Not that it matters, but we were both wearing nice jeans, sandals and a nice (but casual) top. When I travel for business I frequently wear dress slacks and heels, but the airline employees don't treat me any better.

 

I did not say that at all. I never singled anyone out. In fact, if you read my previous posts, I was defending your original post for providing good information when some of those responding were somewhat condescending. I am speaking of our own experience. I am saying that it helps when the customer presents a pleasant image in appearance, personality and friendliness. Does it always make a difference? Of course not. Some employees are sticklers for rules, no matter what. They exist in every organizations. But airline personnel seem to take more than share of abuse for things that are beyond their control.

 

Ad did your original post, I was trying to also provide information that has been beneficial to us. I am sorry you did not take it that way.

[April-in-NC]

I'm sorry that I misunderstood your post.

 

But I am interesting in a short civil debate on the topic of appearance when you fly/travel. :)

 

Hypothetically speaking... If two seperate customers go to the gate (or ticket counter) with problems or questions and one is dressed in sweats and is carrying a ratty backpack and the second individual is dressed in a dress pants and a nice shirt and has a leather briefcase. Both individuals are clean.

 

Should they be treated differently because of the way they dress? Is the better dressed person more worth respect/courtesy/time than someone dressed in sweats? Isn't that a form of discrimination?

 

Why should the airlines care how people are dressed? At that time we have paid them to perform a service (fly us and our luggage somewhere) and their employees should be polite and provide information and answers to questions as much as possible. How we are dressed shouldn't come in to the picture at all.

 

Now, if the passenger is rude and belittling to an airline employee that takes things in a different direction. Still, short of physical abuse the airline employees are working in customer service and need to provide that service by at least being civil to their customers.

 

I've worked in customer service, it is a tough job. You are the person they see, so you get blamed for everything, even things out of your control.

 

Back to my original post. Regardless of whether my bag was the right size or not, that gate agent should not have talked to me the way she did. IMHO.

[Stellaglide]

But I am interesting in a short civil debate on the topic of appearance when you fly/travel. :)

 

Hypothetically speaking... If two seperate customers go to the gate (or ticket counter) with problems or questions and one is dressed in sweats and is carrying a ratty backpack and the second individual is dressed in a dress pants and a nice shirt and has a leather briefcase. Both individuals are clean.

 

Should they be treated differently because of the way they dress? Is the better dressed person more worth respect/courtesy/time than someone dressed in sweats? Isn't that a form of discrimination?

 

 

Not to take away from the topic but yes people do get treated differnetly according to the way they dress. I am a professional, work in the medical field with direct contact with patients, have 2 BS degress and a Masters. I also ride a Harley Davidson as a hobby. Those that know me at work would never guess that I ride a motorcycle, very short hair, clean shaven, no tatoos, etc. However when I ride I wear a leather jacket, often don't shave on the weekends, a bandanna on my head (going bald at a young age is no fun and a sunburnt head hurts), jeans and biker boots.

 

Wife and I were making plans to upgrade the kitchen with a nice 36" 6 burner gas stove with double oven etc. and one Sunday while out riding I decided to stop by Sears to see what they had in comparison to one of the high-end appliance shops we had checked out earlier in the week. In my Harley clothes, not one sales person asked if they could help me and I walked around for probably 15 minutes, opening stove doors, turning oven knobs, looking at brochures.

 

The very next day I went back after work clean shaven, with button downed starched shirt, slacks and a tie. I wasn't in the appliance section more than 1 minute when someone walked up to me and politely asked if they could help me. The sales person that asked was one of 3 that I saw the day before. I recognized him but I'm certain he didn't recognize me.

 

My example involves a more dramatic difference than your flight attire and what billyjeff was wearing but it illustrates how we are perceived and how we are treated based soley on appearance. Someone dressed "down" is often assumed to be of a lower socioeconomic class and is treated differently. No it's not right but that is human nature.

[billyjeff]

I'm sorry that I misunderstood your post.

 

But I am interesting in a short civil debate on the topic of appearance when you fly/travel. :)

 

Hypothetically speaking... If two seperate customers go to the gate (or ticket counter) with problems or questions and one is dressed in sweats and is carrying a ratty backpack and the second individual is dressed in a dress pants and a nice shirt and has a leather briefcase. Both individuals are clean.

 

Should they be treated differently because of the way they dress? Is the better dressed person more worth respect/courtesy/time than someone dressed in sweats? Isn't that a form of discrimination?

 

Why should the airlines care how people are dressed? At that time we have paid them to perform a service (fly us and our luggage somewhere) and their employees should be polite and provide information and answers to questions as much as possible. How we are dressed shouldn't come in to the picture at all.

 

Now, if the passenger is rude and belittling to an airline employee that takes things in a different direction. Still, short of physical abuse the airline employees are working in customer service and need to provide that service by at least being civil to their customers.

 

I've worked in customer service, it is a tough job. You are the person they see, so you get blamed for everything, even things out of your control.

 

Back to my original post. Regardless of whether my bag was the right size or not, that gate agent should not have talked to me the way she did. IMHO.

 

No problem. As to dress, I am not saying it is right - just that it is a matter of human perception. And I do not mean flashy -- I am talking about being neatly dressed and with a positive attitude. Being neatly dressed alone means nothing if that person is rude and demanding. But presenting a nice, neat positive friendly attitude goes a long way anyplace including airports.

 

Like many people, I used to have little sympothy for TSA and their security. Then I read an article by a reporter who worked undercover for six months as a TSA agent. Her story shed new light to me on what they have to go through and the demands and pressures of their job. It totally changed my impresson and I have a fuller appreciation of what they do and I am now much more understanding.

 

As I said however, sometimes one just runs into an employee who just has a power complex and likes to exert that power. At that point there is little to do but complain later. Complain too much at the airport and they could take you off the flight.

[April-in-NC]

My example involves a more dramatic difference than your flight attire and what billyjeff was wearing but it illustrates how we are perceived and how we are treated based soley on appearance. Someone dressed "down" is often assumed to be of a lower socioeconomic class and is treated differently. No it's not right but that is human nature.

 

It is awful that appearances mean so much, but after the purchase is made (ie someone already bought the airline ticket) doesn't everyone deserve to be shown the same amount of courtesy?

[April-in-NC]

No problem. As to dress, I am not saying it is right - just that it is a matter of human perception. And I do not mean flashy -- I am talking about being neatly dressed and with a positive attitude. Being neatly dressed alone means nothing if that person is rude and demanding. But presenting a nice, neat positive friendly attitude goes a long way anyplace including airports.

 

 

As I said however, sometimes one just runs into an employee who just has a power complex and likes to exert that power. At that point there is little to do but complain later. Complain too much at the airport and they could take you off the flight.

 

Do you think that you may have gotten what you wanted/needed more because of your attitude than the way you dressed? I know with my job, I treat everyone with respect, but the people who are nice and polite to me get a lot more a lot faster. :D Maybe the way you were dressed didn't have as much to do with it.

 

As far as the power of people who work at an airport, that is a whole different rant. :rolleyes: People who are traveling are in a hurry, they don't have the option of trying to escalate through the chain of command because they are trying to make a flight. Then, of course there are those few employees who are on a power trip who threaten to call security the first time you look at them cross-eyed. Passengers have little recourse while they are actually at the airport because the airline employees hold most of the cards. When you file a complaint afterwards nothing ever happens.

[Taxguy77]

US employees have no reason to be nice. The airline has two different unions with two different sets of rules. Seniority has never really been decided and so both sides feel they are getting short shrift from the merger. US has a real morale problem and has for quite a few years. And MANAGEMENT DOES NOT CARE. Write your complaint. I still think it is a VERY petty complaint. How do you define RUDE??? You weren't inconvenienced in the least.

 

YES! They were inconvnienced! He bought a new bag, making sure it fit THAT airlines rules, and had to check it! He and mother had packed items no one would normally check though! Of course they were "inconvenienced"!@

[Taxguy77]

Sometimes I think it all just comes down to attitude - on both sides. I think it is important to remember that airline employees are like the rest of us - sometimes it is impossible to stay on top of your game all the time. They too get tired of difficult customers or long days and, yes, they can take out their frustrations. A bag that may seem too large to someone who is already ticked off may seem regulation to a fresh employee has had a good day.

 

We always try to be well dressed and pleasant to the airline employees - especially if we see they are hassled. A fresh smile (which my wife always does) works wonders. The last time we flew, one of the gate people commented that it was nice seeing someone dress nicely for a plane flight. We had no problems with one of our check in bags which was a little over the limit (even though we checked it on a scale before we left home. The agent smiled and said we were a little over, "but not that much" and took the bag. As for our carry on, which was probably a little too large, (and we were prepared to check it) another agent noticed the bag and said how much she liked it and asked where we got it.

I have been to many countries (just lucky) and have found a smile goes a LOOOOng way! An attempt at the language + a smile will get you amazing service (and a great time/experience.)!

[Taxguy77]

Not to take away from the topic but yes people do get treated differnetly according to the way they dress. I am a professional, work in the medical field with direct contact with patients, have 2 BS degress and a Masters. I also ride a Harley Davidson as a hobby. Those that know me at work would never guess that I ride a motorcycle, very short hair, clean shaven, no tatoos, etc. However when I ride I wear a leather jacket, often don't shave on the weekends, a bandanna on my head (going bald at a young age is no fun and a sunburnt head hurts), jeans and biker boots.

 

Wife and I were making plans to upgrade the kitchen with a nice 36" 6 burner gas stove with double oven etc. and one Sunday while out riding I decided to stop by Sears to see what they had in comparison to one of the high-end appliance shops we had checked out earlier in the week. In my Harley clothes, not one sales person asked if they could help me and I walked around for probably 15 minutes, opening stove doors, turning oven knobs, looking at brochures.

 

The very next day I went back after work clean shaven, with button downed starched shirt, slacks and a tie. I wasn't in the appliance section more than 1 minute when someone walked up to me and politely asked if they could help me. The sales person that asked was one of 3 that I saw the day before. I recognized him but I'm certain he didn't recognize me.

 

My example involves a more dramatic difference than your flight attire and what billyjeff was wearing but it illustrates how we are perceived and how we are treated based soley on appearance. Someone dressed "down" is often assumed to be of a lower socioeconomic class and is treated differently. No it's not right but that is human nature.

Absolutly! It is not right, but it's done all the time. The dairy farmer who was told by a Cadilac saleman the car was too expensive and rolled the window down on his new Linclon an hour later is a good example.

[greatam]

YES! They were inconvnienced! He bought a new bag, making sure it fit THAT airlines rules, and had to check it! He and mother had packed items no one would normally check though! Of course they were "inconvenienced"!@

 

You have no idea whether the bag met US Air requirements. The OP stated they purchased the bag and it was SUPPOSED to meet US Air requirements. HOWEVER, no one from US Air nor the OP VERIFIED the bag was the correct size. And that is the crux of the problem.

 

They were told to gate check their bags. They did it. The problem could have been solved by either the gate agent or asking for the GA's superior to take an actual measurement or put it in the cage. At that point, there would have been a definitive answer. But that action was not taken.

 

And again, I bring up the configuration of the plane. May have been the same TYPE of plane, but the interior configuration could have been very different. The OP is not positive what type of plane was flown-"We were on the exact same plane for both routes, I think it was a 330, but I'm not 100% on that". Even though it may have been an A330 both ways (most likely it wasn't-the US A330 flies primarily to Europe), was the configuration the same??? There are three versions of the 757, 3 of the 737 in the US fleet. As I posted previously, there are quite a few of the old America West planes that have not been retrofitted AND the overheads are slightly smaller. We will never know the answer to the questions because the bag was never measured or put in the wire cage.

 

And I think the HE is a SHE.

[April-in-NC]

You have no idea whether the bag met US Air requirements. The OP stated they purchased the bag and it was SUPPOSED to meet US Air requirements. HOWEVER, no one from US Air nor the OP VERIFIED the bag was the correct size. And that is the crux of the problem.

 

And I think the HE is a SHE.

 

Yes, the OP is a SHE. :D Or I was the last time I checked. LOL

 

I measured the bag when I got home and it was within guidelines, obviously you can only take me at my word, but I have no reason to lie about it.

 

I don't think you are getting my biggest issue from this experience. It wasn't so much that I had to check the bag (yes, it was inconvenient but I've had to do it before and I'm sure I'll have to do it again) but it was the way that:

 

a) the woman spoke to me

b) that the rules weren't enforced equally across passengers.

 

From what I observed during boarding (I boarded in zone 3, so I didn't see it all) they didn't physically check ANY of the "oversize" bags with the cage. They just informed the passengers that their bag would have to be checked.

[Jade13]

Well, where I come from, talking down to customers is rude. The female gate agent talked to us like we were poor white trash because we didn't check the bag and pay the $15. She said, "If you people would quit trying to avoid the $15 fee this wouldn't be a problem." The comment was unnecessary and the tone of her voice was RUDE. I've paid plenty of $15 fees to check bags, but if I can avoid it I will. Especially when I pack light for a short trip.

 

The gate agent did inconvenience me. It took them almost one hour from the time they parked at the gate to get the bags to baggage claim. This was one of the reasons I did not check a bag in the first place. I wanted to get right on the shuttle bus and get to my car and go climb in my own bed with my own sheets.

 

I do think it is a minor inconvenience, but I still think we shouldn't have been treated the way we were.

 

Did you get the name of the agent? If it makes you feel better write the letter but if you don't have a name it won't make a difference. I'm still unclear if your bag meets the stated guidelines or not?

 

On a LAN flight in Argentina a gate check person tried to pull that on me and I tossed my bag right into the sizing bin where they could see that it fit and they let me on. In my case my camera Equipment was in my carryon (it met LAN's typical requirements) and additionally it was a chartered flight where A&K had told us we could take whatever we could in the US. The attendant was trying to take men's back packs as well so they were being consistent but backed off.

 

Interestingly I get treated the best on the US Airways shuttle which I use for business. Almost everyone is in a business suit with no luggage and I have noted that they treat everyone differently than on most planes that I flown and for the better.