[mikeng44]

To whom it may concern:

I (Michael Gogitidze) and my family flew AA on October 24, 27 under the names Michael Gogitidze, Natalia Filina (wife), Eugenia Lorret (sister), and Angelina IVANYUZHENKOV (niece), two out four tickets we had were first class seats. AA lost one of our bags for which we paid $65, I was nice about it, and didn't give anybody any hard time. I flew on November 7th 2008 from Miami International to JFK New York and asked the agent at the counter to waive the $15 fee for my bag on that day as a curtsey for losing our bag a week before; they refused, held me at the counter for two and a half hours, causing me to miss my flight. Eventually I was put on a different flight without my bag. My bag is still in Miami International Airport at a storage area. I would like my bag delivered to me in New York. I'm flying American Airlines again on November 14th and 18th. Eugenia Lorret and Angelina IVANYUZHENKOV also will be flying AA (maybe) back to New York. I spoke to a number of american airlines employees in order to get my bag back to me in New York, every single person I spoke to refused to help me, as a matter of fact they told me to choose a different air carrier next time I fly, some of them even hung up on me. Apparently we fly too often for you to care about it. Regardless of the fact who is right or wrong in this situation, I would like to have my bag delivered to me or I will choose a different company for my future flights. We fly frequently and have been using AA more then often.

[airhead]

Why were you held for 2 and half hours?

[The_Judge]

Mike......it's too bad your bag was lost and you didn't dwell on it too much so you must have gotten it back quite quickly.
You mentioned that you paid $65 for an a bag. Was it an overweight, oversize or extra piece charge. Normally, as a first class customer you are allowed a bit more than a coach passenger. Also, where did you fly from? $65 is an odd amount. The airline I worked for (not AA) charged 50 for an extra piece and 100 for oversize or overweight.

The 2nd flight you talk about is a bit hard to understand, dare I say, not believable. Bottom line, it seems to me, is that basically you refused to pay $15 so you missed your flight and made to take a later one without your bag. You are leaving out why you were held at the counter for 2 1/2 hours. And then when you did take another flight, you didn't check your bag. If you refused to pay the fee, then yes, you wouldn't have your bag with you. You need to give further details please.

Lastly, just a piece of advice......I would hope you didn't actually use your real names of you and your family. The internet is a scary place with not so nice people sometimes. It's easy enough to find you using your computer, you don't need to give them your name too. Maybe the mod could edit them out.

[mikeng44]

To Judge:

The reason I paid $65 was because the guy checking the bags checked 2 bags under first class and one under coach (even thought if I'm not mistaken you could check two bags as a first class customer). So that is where $15 came from, plus $50 for an over weight bag, the gentlemen also insisted that they work for tips, at which point I gave him another $5 to loose my bag.

The second time around I had a carry on bag, which I was being forced to check. I explained to the agent what happened a week before, and I did refuse to pay $15 for my carry on bag. They did not even try to resolve the situation the agent left, and I stood there alone until the flight was about to depart. Eventually she came back with a supervisor who confirmed the fact that I will have to pay for the bag. I finally gave in and offered to pay in order to catch the 9:00 pm flight (my original flight was 8:25pm, and I was at the counter at 6:30pm), at this point I was told that they will not check in my bag because there was no time left for that (approximate time was 8:20pm). Frustrated and tired I was forced to check my bag with the airport storage area, on my way to the terminal I saw that the flight is being delayed by one hour. That did not seat with me very well, I went back and demanded my bag be put on the plane (offering to pay yet again), at which point the agent told me, I either fly without the bag or I can take the mourning flight at 7:00am. I choose the earlier and left for NY. I called the airline, after I have arrived, and they refused to take any steps to resolve the situation. I flying again this week and will pick the bag up on my on, but for the last time I'm flying AA. It is obvious that they just don't care.