[adp]

I just flew from San Jose to Fort Lauderdale. My trip involved a plan change in Dallas/Fort Worth. I was traveling alone with a 2 year old. I had a CRS strapped with a Traveling Toddler to my carryon bag. I had paid for two seats. My daughter had a tiny backpack on that was really just a bag attached to a monkey harness as I was worried about her running away while I managed luggage by myself. I had my purse. I had a very small bag that I kept all my liquids and food in so I could more easily get through security (only had to empty that one bag). And then I had a diaper bag and a very tiny bag with a spare diaper and wipes so when I had to go to the bathroom to change my daughter, I would not have to lug my whole diaper bag down the aisle along with a very active 2 year old. ALL of these bags were small and easily fit under the front seat. The Car seat occupied my daughter's seat and is NOT included in the carryon allowance. The carry one roller bag went in the bin overhead.

So. In San Jose outbound, I asked the gate desk if I could pre board. No problem. I was nicely allowed on first so I could strap my daughter's car seat in and get OUT of the aisle ASAP. I had a few problems getting off and the Pilot, Yes, the PILOT, actually helped me off the plane and carried my car seat into the terminal where I had to reassemble everything.

So when I went to check in to continue to Florida, I asked if I could pre-board. The woman said yes, in 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, I approached the loading area. I was standing near another ticketing woman and she asked if she could help me. I said I wanted to possibly pre-board. She said no problem.

But then, when it came to boarding, a third woman was calling the boarding. I went to her and asked about pre-boarding. She said, NO. In a very nasty way and that they don't do that. I said the other woman (the first woman), who was standing RIGHT there said I could. That other woman did NOT speak up which was Very lame of her. She just kept her head down. I told her that they allowed me to pre-board in San Jose. She said they do things differently in Dallas. And then in the MOST CONDESCENDING VOICE, VICKY told me that, "We are all adults here." Mind you, by now, this was happening in front of about 20 people.

So then I walked over to the second woman and said that the third woman told me I could not pre-board. She had been unaware of all that was transpiring so she looked up and got a disgusted look on her face and walked over to the second woman and told her something. She came back and told me I could board. So I was waiting and then Vicky told me that I had to wait until Group 1 boarded. So I just stood there. Then she looks over and told me I have to many bags. I told her I did not, that I was allowed them. My CRS did not count as a bag. She pointed to my 2 year old's TINY backpack and said that counted. I just looked at her stunned. I said I had my daughter in a harness, that happened to have a bag with it, so that I did not LOOSE her in the airport. I then asked her why she was giving me such a hard time. She ignored me. Then the nicest of all the women, number two, came up and Vicky goes to her and complains, "She has too many bags."

It was all quite stupid because I could have stuffed the smaller bag AND my daughter's pack in my roller carry on. She basically was just giving me a REALLY hard time and was being nasty and completely CLUELESS that it is people like me that pay her salary through the purchase of our tickets.

I was fuming and boarded the plane. A man behind me offered to help and I asked him why she was being so awful. He said he had seen the same thing the day before when he had flown.

I could also tell you what happened on the return. Another nasty comment about pre-boarding.

What is it with AA? How come your staff cannot see a woman traveling by herself with a child and baggage on a cross country flight and give someone a break? When I was able to pre-board from San Jose, I got me and my daughter on board in and my seat in record time. I held up no lines. When I was not allowed to, even going after Group 1, I held up all the lines, it was incredibly stressful and a very unpleasant experience for me and everyone else.

Vicky is absolutely a horrible customer service person and if I had a way to notify her supervisor, I would. I will think twice, no three times about flying AA again alone with a child.

It is clear AA has no across the board policy to make their airlines family friendly.

[abutterfinger25]

For some reason, many carriers give families with small children a hassle about preboarding when in a major airport. The smaller facilities, like San Jose, tend to have better customer service.

In regards to your carry-on bags. American allows for 1 carry on and a personal item PER PASSENGER. Your purse is your personal item and the larger diaper bag is your carryone. But you can then claim that your daughters harness/bag (great devices and I use one with my son) and the smaller diaper bag are hers. You should not have had any problems since you met American's policy.

If you have not filed a formal complaint with the carrier, please do so. If you have and have not recieved a reply, please complaint to DOT at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/problems.htm While we can not get any compensation for you, we can at least ensure that your complaint reaches the correct desk.

[adp]

That is incorrect about the diaper bag. I researched this before I left to make sure I was doing this right.

And just as a side, my daughter is tiny and could easily pass for a 23 month old. NO ONE asked her age. She could easily be qualified as an infant under 2.

Carry-On and Checked Item Allowances

Carry-on and checked item allowances for children vary depending on whether or not a seat is purchased for the child.

If a seat is purchased for a child, the standard carry-on baggage and checked baggage allowance apply.

If a seat was not purchased for an infant, that infant does not have a carry-on or checked baggage allowance. However, the following items are allowed over and above the carry-on allowance for the adult traveling with an infant:
Approved safety seat for lap or ticketed child (may also be checked)
Umbrella stroller for lap or ticketed child (see details for stroller acceptance below)
Diaper bag for lap or ticketed child

http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...m%20Allowances

If I had been lugging extra huge bags, I could see the objection. The tiny diaper bag was really only big enough to hold about 4 diapers and a portable wipe container (they are very flat).



So from their site, they are mixing up carryon allowances for infants and children. 2 year old's typically need all the stuff an infant needs.

I have not filed a formal complaint as I don't know where to do it. Thanks for posting the link.

[adp]

(it's not letting me edit again)..

So aside from the CRS and diaper bag, I had a purse, a small harness/backpack, a food bag and a small diaper bag. That is FOUR items for TWO ticketed seats. (needless to say, I did it differently on the way back and consolidated the small bags.)

[adp]

I see that the link is for if AA doesn't respond to a complaint. Where does one send a complaint to AA?

[mars6423]

you were treated awfully and they had no right to speak to you like that

and if it is true that pre-boarding isnt allowed at the airport the staff member had easier and more polite way to let you know that you couldnt preboard, and absolutly absurbed/outragious how she spoke to you about your and your daughters bag, that should never happen, if the bags were big and take up space than i can see why she would have a problem but even then she didnt need not to be so blatently rude about it.

i am sorry for your experience and you should complain to AA for her actions, i doubt anything would happen about the pre-boarding thing because they can say its safety precautions but the staffs actions seem to be out of line

also, calling an airline and asking about preboarding wouldnt help, as they are not in the airport and the info was wrong (not your case but seen it in at least one other post)

i am pasting a reply i made on a diff post as it sumwhat applies to yours

i have never flown americam airlines, but dont they make announcements that say passengers with small kids, people who need help boarding, and elderly please...etc come up and board?

i know that in Europe (at least england-and yes heathrow which is xtremely busy) and Singapore always say this announcement and i know that the airlines i fly on always have some sort of announcement

i know this because i used to live in england and singapore and traveled alot

so i believe that tjat this system should be used, it is less hastle, and would solve the problem

it provides both adaquet time for you to get seated and other passengers to board

but you should have evidence that you need help....such as a baby with you, a walking stick, noticably pregnant, so that people dont take advantage of the earlier boarding

[PHXFlyer]

More and more it seems that airlines are getting away from pre-boarding. Most now only offer it to persons with disabilities and unaccompanied minors. It seems that allowing families with young children to pre-board is left to the discretion of the gate agents. If there are a number of families with young children then they might allow pre-boarding while if there are only one or two they will just skip to general boarding.

Finally, if you are told "no" by even one agent it is wise to just defer to that agent's decision. It might not be the right decision and you might have been told the complete opposite by every other employee but why risk being denied boarding altogether just to plead your case with one, and in this case apparently disgruntled, airline employee. It's just not worth it. Better to just do as your told, not cause a confrontation, and then register a complaint after the fact.

[mikeynla]

I'm sorry, but why should people with children get special consideration?