A young family shares a very sad story that occurred on American Airlines and cries out for immediate correction: a gate agent who made up a ridiculous rule requiring carry-on items and then threatened to deny the family boarding does not deserve to be in a customer-facing role.
American Airlines Gate Agent Threatens To Deny Family Boarding Because Small Child Was Not Carrying Her Own Carry-On Bag
The incident occurred at Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) in North Carolina. A family of four was flying to New York (LGA) and had carry-on items that included:
- 1 rollaboard
- 1 small folded garment bag
- 1 gym bag sized duffel bag
- 2 adult backpacks
- 2 mini children’s backpacks
(On American Airlines, each passenger is allowed one larger carry-on bag and one smaller personal item that fits under the seat in front of you)
The father, traveling with his spouse and two young children, was carrying a backpack and pushing the rollaboard with a garment bag on top.
What happened next left me rolling my eyes…
Gate Agent: “You have three bags.”
Father: “I have four people.”
Gate Agent: “You’re only allowed to carry two bags through the door.”
Father: “I wasn’t going to make the kid carry one of these.”
The gate agent forced the father to hand the garment bag to his daughter to carry.
Father (to his daughter): “You just have to carry through the door, then I’ll take it.”
Gate Agent: “No, you won’t!”
Father: “Sir, you said I couldn’t carry all three bags through the door.”
Gate Agent: “Though the door of the plane!”
Father (stammering): “I’m sorry, I thought you said…”
Gate Agent: “Do you want to fly today?”
Father (to his daughter): “I’m sorry, you have to carry it.”
The airport is under construction and there was a long walk to the plane from the boarding door. The father realized it would be easier for his daughter to roll the bag so he traded her. Further down the corridor a gate agent was checking boarding passes (a common occurrence at smaller airports to ensure passengers are boarding the correct regional jet) and the father asked:
“May I carry this bag to the plane for her?”
She responded, “Of course” (like he was crazy).
As View From The Wing notes, in the moment it rarely does any good to argue with gate agents even when they are wrong. But it is right and proper to take careful notes and formally complain.
This account strikes me as very credible and while I’d love to hear the gate agent’s side of the story, I see zero justification for so poorly interpreting the rule (can you imagine saying that to someone assisting a passenger in a wheelchair or in crutches?).
I try to be a pretty forgiving guy and also try (often to my detriment) to give people the benefit of the doubt. But with this gate agent: no way. He’s forfeited his right to be in a customer-facing role. Unless there’s something big I’m missing, I’d terminate him for this offense alone.
Do you agree or do you think if a small child cannot carry her own carry-on bag, it is not a carry-on bag?
I don’t believe anything that’s on reddit.
I do. I’ve experienced far too many nasty gate agents over the last 20 years.
A lawyer could sue as discrimination against disability, for the child is unable to carry a bag but no reasonable accommodation is allowed.
How about those in wheelchairs and have a rollaboard?
This is why people need bodycams. Holding a phone making a video is provocative and could result in denied boarding.
Power tripping gate agents and crew.
Sadly we’ve all been there.
Companies need to train and make corrective actions on employees like these.
On a recent AA flight (SJU-PHL), we were sitting in row 2 so we had a front row seat to a “fight” between the gate agent and a father.
Short version of the story – Dad, mom and younger sibling boarded. 13 yo son went to the restroom, attempted to board “alone”. He did have his boarding pass which makes me think he/the family was/were somewhat experienced travellers.
Gate agent would not let the son board, stating he was flying as an unaccompanied minor.
Son calls dad’s cell phone and Dad comes to the front of the plane to talk to a FA. FA says Dad cannot deplane to get the son. Gate agent won’t let son board without a guardian. You can see where this is going……
Dad is getting increasingly upset, now the Captain is involved. Minutes are passing. Eventually the gate agent walks the son to the plane. It should have ended there but Dad unleases on the GA for what he percieves as nonsense. GA threatens to have him removed from the plane. Pilot and FA are acting as moderators.
In the end, everyone went to where they belonged and we left 20 minutes late.
Cut AA some slack here—they’re just trying to avoid a repeat of the situation where the kid accidentally boards without his parents, ends up at LGA alone, and is chased around Manhattan by two burglars!
If the small child took a tumble and broke a wrist? AA needs to pay more attention to those they hire