[jimworcs]

This complaint is completely valid. The customer was within the overall weight limits and Alaska Airlines should not have sought to exploit their own long lines to extort money out of the customer. I am not sure the DOT will be able to take any enforcement action, but it will be interesting to see their response. If I was writing to the DOT, I would have used less intense adjectives, but it is most certainly a valid complaint. I consider their actions to be an "unfair" term and condition and was exploitative.

The customer arrived at the airport in good time, but the airline itself had poor customer handling which meant that the time taken to process the customer was unreasonable. The subsequent actions of the airline where an abuse of their power.

The offer of compensation Phx which forces to the customer to buy more services from the airline is unacceptable. In Europe, the compensation rules require that the airline pay this compensation in the form of cash. This type of fake compensation is nothing more than marketing incentives and in compleletely inadquate to remedy the tort.

I think bad publicity is the only remedy. Post on my3cents, consumerist and other consumer type websites and tell others of your experience. Last but not least, stick to your guns and don't fly with them again.

[Gromit801]

How was the bag within weight limits when the OP specifically said it wasn't? It's weight per bag, not an average of the total.

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by Gromit801

How was the bag within weight limits when the OP specifically said it wasn't? It's weight per bag, not an average of the total.

Exactly. The OP never disputed the legitimacy of the charge. The only issue was with the fact that the agent would only allow him to re-shuffle his belongings if he relinquished his place in line. It might be a bit heavy handed but when there's a line of people being held up because someone was unprepared I believe it's only fair.

[jimworcs]

Weight limit 20K per bag

Family A: 3 Passengers
3 Bags Bag 1 - 18K
Bag 2 - 20K
Bag 3 - 18K
The passengers have paid for the total allowed weight of 60K to be carried by the carrier. Actual weight carried by the carrier 56K.

Family B: 3 Passengers
3 Bags Bag 1 - 16K
Bag 2 - 21K
Bag 3 - 10K
The passengers have paid for the total allowed weight of 60K to be carried by the carrier. Actual weight to be carried by the carrier 47K.

Under this scenario, the second family are charged a penalty, lets say $50 for an overweight bag.

Now, in many airports, the agent would say if you step aside and transfer some items from Bag 2 to Bag 3, you will be fine and there will be no addtional charge.

This rule of not allowing aggregate weights has nothing to do with the additional costs for the airline. It is simply a device to try to extort money from the customer..it does not cost the airline anything more. The imposition of costs under this scenario is blatent extortion without first providing the customer with a few minutes to transfer items.

[The_Judge]

The limit per bag vs. aggregate limit is to prevent injuries of employees. Obviously, a kilo or two isn't going to be an issue. But if those same 3 passengers have those same 3 bags at 35kg, 18kg and 10kg, they are still ok in your scenerio but have 1 very heavy bag. A limit is a limit whether it be over by a kilo or 10 kilos. Obviously, the right thing to do would be to do as you suggested and any person who had a brain would realize that but some people don't.

JW.....Your argument about aggregate weights doesn't hold water here. That is a different fight. This is about a moronic agent who has no common sense.

[jimworcs]

The limit per bag vs. aggregate limit is to prevent injuries of employees

That is interesting Judge.. so, if you hand in a "heavy" bag at check in it is not safe for the staff to handle it. We must think about the back injuries and the health and safety of the employees.

However, if you are willing to pay us $50, we no longer care about the safety of the employees or alternatively it miraculously becomes safer after the moolah has been handed over. Which is it? Is it safer because the passenger has paid, or does the airline no longer care about the employee when the passenger pays.

If health and safety was the issue, the EXACT opposite of what happened would be the solution. The airline would say to the customer, it doesn't matter how much you are willing to pay, it is not safe for us to handle over 50lbs. Please rejig the contents of your bags or remove some items, as it is against our health and safety policy to take bags that are over weight.

Methinks there are some holes in the safety argument Troy...

[The_Judge]

Not my argument....that's the reasoning given by my bosses. I think it's bullocks too as the company thinks that getting that extra money will offset the cash paid out to the employees, by an insurance company, btw. It's the reason given by management to me, just passing along the info. That's one of the things that this site is for, explaining the whys.