American Airlines repeatedly ignores their own written baggage policy

Date: 15 April 2013
Airline: American Airlines
Location: Denver, CO (DIA)
Flight: AA3613

I am seeking a reimbursement of $170, cash or airline credit, for an item that was pilfered from my checked bag.

On Apr. 15, I flew home to Chicago from Denver. When I retrieved my checked bag from the baggage claim, three of the pockets were splayed open and multiple items were coming out. One item was missing entirely: a pair of Black Diamond Sabretooth Pro Crampons (metal spikes you attach to boots for mountaineering and ice climbing, retail $170). They had been packed very securely.

I immediately filed a claim with the baggage department. My claim was initially denied. According to the documentation included with my checked bag stub, the airline has at least $3300 baggage liability per passenger, which does not cover 'photographic equipment, computers and any other electronic equipment, jewelry, cash, documents, works of art or other similar valuable items.' Crampons do not resemble anything in this list.

I was told that I could file a complaint online, which I did the following day. I received a reply, saying again that I was denied, with a similar list of non-covered items. Again, it does not seem that any of the non-covered items include crampons.

I wrote a complaint online once again, stating that my crampons are not included in their list of non-covered items. I received a reply stating that, ""It is our practice for personnel in our local offices to handle claims of this type. They have the full authority and responsibility in such matters. You will be contacted as soon as possible.

After three months, I still had not heard from the local office, so I called them directly. I was told that my file had been denied and closed out, that my item was not covered because, 'We only really cover clothes and stuff.' I was told there was nothing they could do.

I have been a regular American Airlines customer and would greatly appreciate the airline remedying this very unpleasant experience.

Poor coordination between United Airlines and Amtrack

Date: 24 June 2013
Location: Philadelphia, PA (train station)
Airline: United
Flight: UA6661/UA675

My wife and myself,[names redacted], had a pathetic experience traveling from Philadelphia to Seattle on June 24, 2013 on United Airlines. Ref confirmation code [redacted]. It was Flt # UA6661 from ZFW to EWR (train service) and then Flt # 675 from EWR to SEA. We booked through Expedia (Itinerary #[redacted]) and the reason we chose this option was that we were traveling with bags and it seemed very convenient to check in at Philadelphia train station.

With a Flt no. for the train service and indicating franchise operated subsidiary, this expectation seemed very much in line with norms of reason. It turned out at the time of travel that there was no United check in or flight no. at the Philadephia Amtrak train station. We had to carry our luggage (three check in bags) through train stations all the was to Terminal 3 at EWR.

Because of the check in bags we hired a porter service at Philadelphia train station and it turned out to be a saving grace because nowhere on the Amtrak flight system was UA 6661 displayed, which train service we were looking for, and it was because of the porter that we got to the right train. At the time of booking the way the whole thing was presented is tantamount to giving wrong information to the customer.

Had it been mentioned that our flight was from EWR to SEA and we had an Amtrak train connection from Philadelphia Amtrak station to EWR, we would not have opted for this United option and selected a suitable flight option from Philadelphia to Seattle on any airline.

Passenger needed bag loading help injured while loading bags

Date: 28 May 2013
Airline: Korean Air

Dear whom or who may concern,

My name is Judy xxx, I would like to file complaints and report mishandling the situation. On May 28, 2013 while I was shipping the baggage from the Korean Air Counter, I had an injury to my face. I have a 4cm laceration on medial aspect of Left Eye which also penetrated to 0.5cm dermis. Which scarred-in and which needs a further medical attention.

As a customer to Korean Air, I am very furious about the situation that was happened and how was handled. We paid for the service and customer care however on May 28, 2013, the services from the Korean Air Counter agents were horrible and how Korea air agents handled the situation was unacceptable.

While I was shipping the baggage, I asked the Korean Air Agent to help me to load the bags into checking loading belt but the agent response was, "we cannot help you because it is our protocol." As mid-aged female with osteoporosis and arthritis, lifting the 50lb cargo bag was very hard. However, all the agents were just staring at me and no one offered to help. While I was loading my 3rd bag I fell to the floor because no one offered to help. 

After the injury I had an unstoppable blood dripping from my forehead.  I was in shocked and still no one offered to help.  The blood was all over the Korea air counter. Still no one offered to help, I kneed down and I even cleaned the blood dripped the on the Korea air counter.

I finally boarded and was furious. After the incident the follow up with Seoul Korea air customer was horrible and terrifying. They did not offer any help and you are on your own. 

Schedule changes causes shorter holiday

Date: 18 June 2012
Airline: Spirit Airlines, flight 244
Location: Guatemala

I am requesting partial refund of my airfare. My return trip was changed just prior to my flight. As a result I had to alter my vacation plans and was forced to shorten my stay in Guatemala. I am only requesting partial compensation.

I called the customer service line on this matter prior to my flight and was told I had to make the request at the airport. I then spoke to the agent at the airport prior to my flight and was told I had to call the customer service line.

-Preston

Note from AirSafe.com: Typically, airlines are not required to compensate passengers for costs not directly related to the trip. While the schedule change may have affected their holiday plans, that is not covered by most airlines.

If a passenger is concerned about delays affecting other parts of the trip, consider options such as purchasing insurance.

United not honoring Continental refunds

Date: 4 February 2012
Airline: Continental, flight 839
Location: United Customer Service

I spoke with my case manager Lida [redacted] who had authorised my refund from LA to Melbourne Australia for flight 839 on the 4th of February 2012, eticket [redacted] Confirmation Number [redacted] plus a further 30,000 points as a gesture of goodwill onto my Mileage Plus card.

Final confirmation was early April 2012 and I was advised all had been approved and the follow up for the refund would now be passed onto a different dept and that if I had any problems I could get back to Lida at her email address.

I had not heard anything further about my refund and attempted to email Lida but the email came back as this email address no longer accepts inbound messages due to technical changes to Continental Airlines changeover. I have tried to contact Lida on numerous emails address but all come back undeliverable.

I have filled in refund forms online numerous times but still no one contacts me. I have filed complaints on United website and I have yet to have any reply back. I filled out the status form online to check the status of my refund and it advised me to ring 1-800-WECARE2 and I wait on hold from Australia and when I finally get through the representative can't assist me or puts me on hold and I wait again and often times the calls drops out.

I am at my wits end trying to get a response from a United refund representative as this has been going on for months but just can't get through to anyone who can assist me. That is why I am now putting in a complaint with your organisation hoping you may be able to advise me where do I go from here or who i should be contacting.

- Marita

Out of control party on the way to Mexico

Date: 7 February 2012
Flight: Delta, flight 389
Location: en route to Los Cabos, Mexico

Delta 389 was a scheduled revenue flight which Delta gifted their summit winning employees a free, all inclusive trip to Los Cabos, Mexico. Although the flight was fully booked, there were only 12 revenue passengers on a Boeing 757 aircraft. The flight crew announced that this was the premier Delta reservation employee benefit and there would be free alcohol for the entire flight.

Several passengers displayed obvious signs of public intoxication but were continuously served more alcohol by the flight attendants, to the point they became loud, disruptive, verbally abusive and with disregard of safety regulations. The flight attendants overlooked the seat belt lamps while the party continued in the aisles.

At one point a passenger stood on a seat and demanded more alcohol, which the flight attendant obliged. I felt that i was endangered by these actions and was appalled that a scheduled flight would be tolerant of this. I have contacted the airline directly and they apologized and offered 9000 bonus miles. I don't believe they should be able to operate in such a manner, displaying total disregard for the safety of revenue passengers.

I have a video that I shot with my phone to back up all of my statements.

I also have a copy of all correspondence with Delta to date.

- Ken

UPDATE 30 April 2012: Ken recently contacted AirSafe.com and reports that Delta has aggressively responded to his letter, that he was able to receive a sincere apology from a very high ranking Delta official, and that he is happy with this resolution.

Serious Security Allegations at Cairo Airport

On occasion, we receive information that is so potentially serious that we feel compelled to make our audience aware of it as quickly as possible. The following information was provided by a passenger who witnessed what appeared to be a clear violation of fundamental security procedures.

Location: Cairo International Airport
Date: 19 September 2010
Airline: EgyptAir
Flight: MS914, 1030 hrs, Gate G08

Whilst waiting to board an Egyptair flight from Cairo to Abu Dhabi I witnessed the x-ray machine operator accept cash from passengers to carry on board items which are not permitted. Every time he saw something on his machine he asked the passenger to open the bag and he would remove items, I saw aerosols, scissors, lighters and ligter fuel and much more, then a coversation would ensue, on at least 10 occassions money changed hands and the items were placed back in the luggage.

As if this wasn't bad enough the guard operating the metal detector noticed my intent interest in what was going on and 'invited me to move to a different part of the departure lounge' I guess he gets his share later. I for one will not be flying this airline again.

Name withheld by request

If you were on this flight, or have seen similar problems at this airport or with this airline, please share your experiences with us.

Passenger in Pain Denied a Simple Drink of Water

Reading a story like this makes you wonder if some flight attendants just don't care about a suffering passenger.

Airline: Copa
Date: 19 December 2009
Location: En Route Panama City, Panama to Los Angeles (LAX)

I'm an Australian university student aged 20 and had been on a volunteer project in a small village in Ecuador during December. On the day I left the village I became sick with a gastric bug, suffering with diarrhoea and vomiting. I was ill on the bus and at the airport, although my symptoms stopped before I boarded the flight.

Once on the plane I asked the flight attendants several times for water. Once I was given two sips of water in a cup. I was quite distressed with thirst and tried to sleep but was too thirsty to do so. At one point I walked to the back of the plane and asked the steward for water. He acted as though he couldn't understand me. I said "agua por favor" and the steward responded in perfectly good English, "When you learn to speak Spanish, I'll get you some water", whereupon he opened a bottle of water and poured a tiny amount into a cup.

I’m troubled that the flight attendants could not provide me with at least one cup of water. I couldn't eat a thing, I don't drink alcohol and by the end of the 6 hour flight I was dehydrated - obviously a serious condition. I wrote a letter of complaint to Copa Air on 23rd December but have received no reply. I would like to receive an apology for the poor treatment which I received.

AirSafe.com Responds
An apology from the airline would be the least that they could do. An even better thing that the airline could do is to guarantee that no passenger, whether sick or healthy, has to beg for a cup of water.

Photo: matt_so

Rude Flight Attendants Take it Out on Passengers

The following is one from the archives, but it reminds passengers that sometimes crew members can be all too human.

Airline: United
Date: 20 October 2007
Location: En Route Buenos Aires to IAD

I wish to complain in the strongest terms about the customer service that I received recently on October 20, 2007 on flight UA846 from Buenos Aires to Washington Dulles. I was seated in seat 18F. The cabin crews were serving dinner. Up to that point service had been OK but somewhat short. The staff made repeated irritated announcements about not getting up when the seatbelt light was on and reprimanded a passenger for pressing the service light when the seatbelt light was on by asking the customer to put his hand up to identify himself. I know that it is a requirement for passengers to remain seated at these times but there are ways to make these kinds of announcements in a professional and polite way.

The female cabin crew member was coming up the aisle serving dinner. I had taken one of my headphone ear pieces off so that I could hear her but I thought that she was talking to customers in front of me as she was not looking at me and I could not hear her above the cabin noise. I was shocked when I heard her reprimand someone for not paying attention to her but did not realize that she was talking to me until she walked past me without serving me (I was waiting expectantly with my table lowered). When it became clear that she was not going to serve me I asked her for a meal and she rudely replied that I should have paid attention to her. I did get my meal a few minutes later. She continued to provide unprofessional service to other customers throughout the flight. This is especially surprising in that she did not know at this point if I even spoke English. Her colleague, an older balding man with a mustache heard the interaction but did nothing about it. The man next to me in seat 18E and the two woman in the row behind me did hear it and sympathized afterwards (they planned at the time to send in complaints of their own).

These two ladies kindly identified the hostess as Laura. I heard her and another male staff member be rude to several other passengers during the flight (in full view of their colleagues). As a final insult, near the end of the flight when the crew was picking up the leftovers from breakfast the same female crew member picked up my empty box. I also had a half full cup of coffee, just as I was lifting it to my mouth she picked it out of my hands while asking if I had finished. By the time she finished the question my cup was gone!

The overall atmosphere during the flight was like a war zone, crew members against the passengers. It was such a relief to find that the staff on my next flight, to San Francisco, were normal – that is they were polite, respectful and helpful – everything that was lacking on flight 846. I plan to fly to S. America in both of the next two years, if I thought there was any chance of meeting this cabin crew again I would purchase my ticket from another company regardless of price. In 30 years of flying this is the worst customer experience I have ever experienced on an airline.

AirSafe.com Responds
This is the kind of situation that would likely be unacceptable to any passenger on that flight, even if the rudeness were directed at another person. While it may not make sense to complain to another cabin crew member, it would be a good idea to both document what you see as much as possible, and to file a complaint to the airline's customer service supervisor at your arrival airport. If that is not possible, contact some other airline representative.

Passenger with Suspected H1N1 Flu Removed from Plane and Later Misses Connection

Cindy describes a situation that involved compensation issues for delayed flights, the airline's response to a perceived medical issue involving Cindy, and the airline's response to her situation.

Date: 9 November 2009
Location: San Antonio, TX
Airline: United Airlines Flight 7316, SAT to IAD

As we were all boarding the airplane and I was seated,a lady sat next to me. I have been having sinus problems and they were draining and making me cough and my head hurt. She asked me if I was feeling okay and I said no but "It's not the flu." The lady jumped out of her seat and ran up front to a vacant one.

The flight attendant talked to her about it and the next thing I knew the same flight attendant told me to put on a mask. I tried to tell her I wasn't that kind of ill and showed her my Advil sinus and cold pills I've been taking. She insisted I wear it and I asked if I could just hold it up to my mouth because I am allergic to latex and was afraid the rubber bands would cause skin irritation. She replied that I wasn't being cooperative and causing a disturbance which was going to result in my being removed from the plane. I still was afraid to wear it but continued to hold it against my mouth.

The next thing I knew was the plane was being turned off the runway and parked at the terminal while everyone on board was groaning about missing their connections. The flight attendant then told me to follow her to the front of the plane while I held the mask in place. As I walked down the aisle I was so embarrassed and humiliated as everyone in the aisle seats leaned away from me.

When I got to the front a man told her to take me back to my seat, that the medics would check me out back there. So I returned to my seat which was only 2 or 3 rows from the end of the plane, so once again I had to walk past all the people in total humiliation as they all stared at me. Then after I was seated again, I was told they changed their mind and I needed to walk forward again only this time she carried my bottle of water from the front pocket of my seating area. I said to her "I guess this means I won't be coming back" and she said nothing.

I was so terrified of what was going to happen to me and whether I was going to end up at a hospital or left at the airport to sleep on the chairs or how I was going to get back home. I did my best to remain calm and put on a brave face and comply with all that was being asked of me but inside I was a nervous wreck and trying hard not break down in front of everyone.

As I was forced off the plane I saw a group of men wearing masks and standing next to an extremely scary looking contraption they proceeded to strap my legs and waist to. I was so frightened, my legs were shaking as they all started sticking things to my body and asking me questions. It felt like I was having a horrible nightmare and couldn't wake up. Finally after what seemed like an eternity they cleared me to get back on the plane. For the fourth time I had to walk down the aisle in embarrassment. After we took off and it became dark and I was hoping no one could see me, did I then finally let my emotions loose and silently cried during the whole flight.

Needless to say almost everyone missed their connections after we landed late, I was one of them (According to FlightAware.com, this United Flight 7316 left 58 minutes late and landed 47 minutes late at 9:29 pm local time). It was almost 10:00 pm when I was told the next flight out wouldn't be till morning. The three people I had been traveling with were mad at me because they had to be at work in the morning, so they called a friend to drive two hours to pick them up and United told they would have their money refunded from the trip.

The customer service man gave me the tickets for a hotel room, flight pass and a meal ticket. I told him about my ordeal and asked if I could be refunded for my flight costs and he said no, but instead gave me a $150 credit voucher. Since I drove them in my car to the airport I was stuck having to pay for the almost $50 parking lot fee and gas which one of my traveling companions was supposed to pay on the way home.

This whole experience has left me feeling traumatized and I feel that after what I had to go through I should be totally compensated for my flight costs and above mentioned additional monetary costs. I truly believe That I deserve at least that much.

AirSafe.com Responds
This raises three issues. Compensation questions concerning delayed or canceled flights come up frequently in the AirSafe.com Complaint System, and was stated in earlier articles, US airlines are not required to offer any compensation due to a delayed or canceled flight. The airline was not required to give compensation in this case, though the different levels of compensation may represent a fairness issue best dealt with by contacting an airline manager in the customer service area.

The second issue is passenger compensation for treatment by airport or airline staff. The passenger in this case felt traumatized and embarrassed by what she had to go through, but there is no specific FAA rules for compensating passengers who have this kind of experience. If a passenger is seeking some kind of apology or compensation, filing a formal request with the airline may be one option.

The third and most complex issue is whether the airline addressed the apparent medical issue with the passenger in an appropriate way. In the last week of October 2009, the US Centers for Disease Control had reported that the H1N1 flu activity was widespread in 48 of the 50 states, including Texas. The CDC has also provided guidance to airlines about what to do with passengers who exhibit flu-like symptoms. Suggestions include:

- Cabin and flight deck crew should be aware of the possible symptoms of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, runny or stuffy nose

- Separate the ill person from others as much as possible (at least 6 feet) without compromising flight safety.

- Have the ill person protect others by wearing a face mask, if it can be tolerated, to reduce the number of droplets coughed or sneezed into the air.


AirSafe.com found no CDC guidance that called for what the airline apparently did, which was to taxi back to the terminal for further medical screening. The CDC stated that an airline's captain is required to contact the CDC if there is a suspected H1N1 infection on an international flights flying to the US, and the CDC in such cases may arrange for appropriate medical assistance, but no such guidance was found for a suspected infection on a domestic flight.

Swine Flu Risks for Airline Passengers

Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | YouTube
For more videos, visit the AirSafe.com YouTube channel.

AirSafe.com Passenger Resources
Centers for Disease Control Swine Flu Information
World Health Organization Swine Flu Information

Photo credits: Flickr user Guerilla Futures- http://www.flickr.com/photos/streamishmc/2247180420/sizes/l/, CDC