Airport gate agents & carry ons

[Anonymous]

I know being a gate agent is a hard job. They get yelled at and have to be the bad guy a lot, so I go out of my way to be friendly, smile, say thank you, etc.

I am also a very frequent flyer (weekly, highest status on United and American), so I know the drill and have it down - pre boarding, carry ons etc. I have used the same luggage roll-on for 15 years, so I know it’s carry-on size (yes it fits in the metal sizer) and I know it fits in the overhead bin on a normal size plane (and I’m on a very large plan this morning). But every now and then I get some gate agent on a power trip who wants to give me a hard time and scold me by telling me my bag is too big. And not in a nice way.

I am petite (5’1, 100 lbs) and young, and I am convinced there is some sort of thing happening where because I am small it makes the bag look proportionally bigger and/or they just assume I’ll say “omg, so sorry, ok take my bag”. That is the only fair explanation I can come up with. Because even today I’m in line with a 6’+ man whose bag is definitely bigger than mine (side-by-side so no question) and nobody said anything to him, but this male gate agent tells me my bag isn’t carry on size. At which point I have to explain, no really it is, yes it will fit, I fly all the time and it always fits, and he’s welcome to put it in the sizer (while everyone waits for him to do so). Looks again, and says go ahead. Maybe I’ll be roasted for this but hey United, I’m global services, pretty sure I can pack a bag at this point, you’re pretty sure it can fit, and I have no incentive to fake it since I get free checked bags anyway. I’m all about them enforcing rules and I would check my bag if it didn’t fit, but it does! I’ve even had this happen with my roll on that is small enough to be designed to go under the seat in front of you!

I wonder how often this happens to others and how much revenue is generated from this. It’s just such a weird flex / power dynamic and is terrible customer service.

[Anonymous]

You should know they don’t make any revenue from bags checked at the gate in such a way.

I think they “try” as often as they can, before they have to “force” people to check their carryons. I think they just figure it’s easier to ask and get someone who is willing, than to have to force everyone after a certain point. Plus it streamlines the process if they can intermittently check 20 bags as opposed to forcefully checking 20 bags towards the end of the boarding process, all at once, when time is already of the essence.

—Flight attendant

[Anonymous]

Are white or something else? Bc that could play a role.

[Anonymous]

Use a backpack instead. I'm also a smaller female and always use a carry on sized backpack.
Whenever I fly on one of those smaller planes where they make everyone check their rolling carry-ons, I always stop to allow them to take my bag too-but they always tell me that my bag is fine. Many times my backpack is even bigger than the small rolling bags that other people have, but they tell me I can bring mine aboard.

[Anonymous]

Yep, similar experience here and it’s incredibly frustrating.

I frequently fly solo with my young elementary aged daughter and am requested to check my (appropriately sized) carry on more than 50% of the time when it’s just the two of us. In contrast when my husband is flying along with us we haven’t once been asked to check the same carry on, nor has husband even once been asked to check his (larger) carry on when he is flying solo.

[Anonymous]

I’m mostly surprised that they ever question a global services passenger.
DH has NEVER had his carry on questioned (he’s a million miler). But they’ve picked on me a several times (and like you, my bag is always regulation size). If we’re returning from a trip and my bag is fuller or expanded, we trade carry ons, DH takes mine and no questioned asked. But since I’ve been 1K status (a level below Global), I’ve never been questioned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should know they don’t make any revenue from bags checked at the gate in such a way.

I think they “try” as often as they can, before they have to “force” people to check their carryons. I think they just figure it’s easier to ask and get someone who is willing, than to have to force everyone after a certain point. Plus it streamlines the process if they can intermittently check 20 bags as opposed to forcefully checking 20 bags towards the end of the boarding process, all at once, when time is already of the essence.

—Flight attendant

The problem is that they tend to disproportionately and unfairly target women with these “requests” (probably because they anticipate that they‘ll be less likely to push back)

[Anonymous]

Flight attendants and gate attendants definitely treat white women worse than white men. My friends and I have exchanged numerous stories like the ones above.

I am specifying race because I don’t know how it plays out with different races

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Flight attendants and gate attendants definitely treat white women worse than white men. My friends and I have exchanged numerous stories like the ones above.

I am specifying race because I don’t know how it plays out with different races

I think we do “know” how it plays out with different races.

[Anonymous]

What kind of bag is it? Maybe time for a new bag if its 15 years old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of bag is it? Maybe time for a new bag if it’s 15 years old.

Briggs & Riley

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know being a gate agent is a hard job. They get yelled at and have to be the bad guy a lot, so I go out of my way to be friendly, smile, say thank you, etc.

I am also a very frequent flyer (weekly, highest status on United and American), so I know the drill and have it down - pre boarding, carry ons etc. I have used the same luggage roll-on for 15 years, so I know it’s carry-on size (yes it fits in the metal sizer) and I know it fits in the overhead bin on a normal size plane (and I’m on a very large plan this morning). But every now and then I get some gate agent on a power trip who wants to give me a hard time and scold me by telling me my bag is too big. And not in a nice way.

I am petite (5’1, 100 lbs) and young, and I am convinced there is some sort of thing happening where because I am small it makes the bag look proportionally bigger and/or they just assume I’ll say “omg, so sorry, ok take my bag”. That is the only fair explanation I can come up with. Because even today I’m in line with a 6’+ man whose bag is definitely bigger than mine (side-by-side so no question) and nobody said anything to him, but this male gate agent tells me my bag isn’t carry on size. At which point I have to explain, no really it is, yes it will fit, I fly all the time and it always fits, and he’s welcome to put it in the sizer (while everyone waits for him to do so). Looks again, and says go ahead. Maybe I’ll be roasted for this but hey United, I’m global services, pretty sure I can pack a bag at this point, you’re pretty sure it can fit, and I have no incentive to fake it since I get free checked bags anyway. I’m all about them enforcing rules and I would check my bag if it didn’t fit, but it does! I’ve even had this happen with my roll on that is small enough to be designed to go under the seat in front of you!

I wonder how often this happens to others and how much revenue is generated from this. It’s just such a weird flex / power dynamic and is terrible customer service.

I disagree with the bolded . Everyone has an incentive not to check a bag, regardless of the cost. Most people I know go out of their way to not buy or pick up extra items on their trip, pack a lot less than they normally would, and anything else to avoid check luggage and that entire process of dropping off or retrieving the bag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Flight attendants and gate attendants definitely treat white women worse than white men. My friends and I have exchanged numerous stories like the ones above.

I am specifying race because I don’t know how it plays out with different races

I’m the FA PP from upthread, and I couldn’t disagree more. I can’t speak for gate agents, but I have so many female and gay coworkers who go out of their way to deliberately screw with business men, in particular, because they are so self-important, and who are quite protective of solo women travelers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of bag is it? Maybe time for a new bag if it’s 15 years old.

Briggs & Riley

I’m OP and it’s a samsonite. It’s in great shape, why would I replace it? (As an aside, we also purchased a new samsonite 2 years ago for a trip abroad and it started to rip after 3 trips. They don’t make em like they used to!)

Also to other PPs - yes, I am white, and totally the same experience when traveling with my DH - who has NO status and never gets questioned. I’m feeling a little better/validated that it’s not just me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know being a gate agent is a hard job. They get yelled at and have to be the bad guy a lot, so I go out of my way to be friendly, smile, say thank you, etc.

I am also a very frequent flyer (weekly, highest status on United and American), so I know the drill and have it down - pre boarding, carry ons etc. I have used the same luggage roll-on for 15 years, so I know it’s carry-on size (yes it fits in the metal sizer) and I know it fits in the overhead bin on a normal size plane (and I’m on a very large plan this morning). But every now and then I get some gate agent on a power trip who wants to give me a hard time and scold me by telling me my bag is too big. And not in a nice way.

I am petite (5’1, 100 lbs) and young, and I am convinced there is some sort of thing happening where because I am small it makes the bag look proportionally bigger and/or they just assume I’ll say “omg, so sorry, ok take my bag”. That is the only fair explanation I can come up with. Because even today I’m in line with a 6’+ man whose bag is definitely bigger than mine (side-by-side so no question) and nobody said anything to him, but this male gate agent tells me my bag isn’t carry on size. At which point I have to explain, no really it is, yes it will fit, I fly all the time and it always fits, and he’s welcome to put it in the sizer (while everyone waits for him to do so). Looks again, and says go ahead. Maybe I’ll be roasted for this but hey United, I’m global services, pretty sure I can pack a bag at this point, you’re pretty sure it can fit, and I have no incentive to fake it since I get free checked bags anyway. I’m all about them enforcing rules and I would check my bag if it didn’t fit, but it does! I’ve even had this happen with my roll on that is small enough to be designed to go under the seat in front of you!

I wonder how often this happens to others and how much revenue is generated from this. It’s just such a weird flex / power dynamic and is terrible customer service.

I disagree with the bolded . Everyone has an incentive not to check a bag, regardless of the cost. Most people I know go out of their way to not buy or pick up extra items on their trip, pack a lot less than they normally would, and anything else to avoid check luggage and that entire process of dropping off or retrieving the bag.

This logic works if my hug is incorrectly sized, but it’s not! And to PPs, you would think they’d not give me a hard time when I’m like the 8th person boarding!