American Airlines pax hit with stroller

[PAXboy]

Further, as we have discussed in here before, at many outstations, the Check-in Agent, the Gate Agent and the Cabin Crew are all reporting to (not just) different managers but to different companies! So 'passing the buck' is very important. For the CC, they will never be able to get Feedback to the Check-in Agent and the Gate Agent is the other end of the jet-way - or - at the other end of a bus ride.

So we have a process sequence that is chopped up into:

1. Check-in Agent
2. Security / Search
3. Gate Agent
4. Cabin Crew

ALL with different priorities / managers / employers. So you can see why so many pax just barge through and try their luck. For 99.9% of the time - it works. Consequently, the one time that it does not work is seen as a 100% failure. Which, in customer service terms it is but no one is going to reverse 30 years of outsourcing, cost cutting and shareholder 'value'.

[Piltdown Man]

You are right PAXb, but airlines can also throw another rock into that pond. You will find that different parts of a single airline enforce (if that is the correct term) different baggage policies to other parts, leaving the passenger to correctly believe that there is a lack of joined up thinking. And there appears to nothing more contentious than separating a passenger from their baggage.

[davidjpowell]

You have a stressed out mum, with two very young kids. I assume that she must have thought she could get the buggy's on. Then someone jumps up and says nope they are going in the hold or you are not flying... There is the prospect of the miles of walking at the other end, and not enough hands... The lady is going to have a problem....

How about empathy. Understand her problem as it is a problem.

I'm very sorry paying passenger. We have to put the buggy in the hold. I will make sure that we have someone meet the airplane to give you a hand to get the kids to the baggage hall, or we will make sure the buggies go on last and pass a message to get them delivered to the jetway.. (in fact this happens by default at some airports).

To allow buggies to be taken to the aircraft, but to insist they be picked up from the baggage hall, does miss the point!

[S.o.S.]

Some folks are getting carried away here. So we'll pause this thread for now.