There’s an old saying that there’s only two kinds of luggage, carry on and lost. The truth is it’s much more complicated than that, as video of American Airlines baggage handlers at Dallas – Fort Worth shoving bags onto the tarmac shows.
My family witnessed, from their airplane window how their luggage was treated at the @DallasAirport @DFW by workers at @AmericanAir (American Airlines). Date 03/03/2023 Flight 2313 from DFW to Guadalajara (GDL). This is delibert and malicious destruction of personal property. pic.twitter.com/NoJBbk4Ngq
— Erika Cortes (@CortesChalk) March 4, 2023
Many things can happen to your bags once you give up control at the check-in counter. A baggage handler might steal a birthday present out of your luggage.
At British Airways a memo had to go out asking staff not to urinate in the cargo holds of their planes.
If your bag makes it to its destination there may not be anyone to meet it as it comes down the chute. Or it might reach baggage claim only to find a geyser of water spraying up from the floor next to the carousel.
Alaska Airlines offers a 20 minute bag guarantee, and so does Delta, but you only get miles if your bag is late, not if it’s destroyed. And what if a baggage handler hides cocaine in passenger luggage?
In fact, in a nutshell, here’s everything that’s wrong with air travel in a nutshell: watch this United Airlines Mercedes standing by to pick up one passenger, while another passenger’s bags just fall off the conveyor belt with no one there to pick it up:
Even as a long-time apologist for American Airlines, I must say, based on my observations at PHX and DFW over the years — their baggage handling is appalling. And DFW — which as a massive hub, should be showplace, is the worst. I sometimes think they drive the bags on a round trip to Houston before they put them on a the carousel.
Domestic flights at PHX aren’t much better.
I will never fly into DFW again especially with American Airlines. If I have to use that hub it will not be with American . And this is coming from a
AA PRIORITY FLYER
I see GAAry has spread his voice and is griping about multiple airlines this time. How miserable it must be to constantly wallow around in negativity. I hope you have some light in your life GAAry because you never seem to show any positivity in your articles.
That being said, and also coming from a devil’s advocate, those baggage handlers need some type of disciplinary action. Unfortunately, the union is strong with this one.
I consider AA ti be the nation’s worst airline and haven’t flown on them for many years. My home airport is TPA which is not a hub for any airline there are always other carriers that fly to the same destinations. With AA’s track record and disregard of the well being of passengers, I don’t understand why anyone would ever fly on them unless they were going into or out of an AA hub and there were no other reasonable choices.
Excellent article. Travelers with AMEX Centurion lounge access should consider using their complimentary lounge showers to help remove the smell from their British Airways urine-soaked checked luggage.
DFW bag handlers trying to out do the FAs as the worst employees in the system.
I wonder if these are contracted employees rather than American’s. I also wonder where their ramp supervisor is, as there should be a company supervisor on site.
I’ve seen airline employees do things like that, but I’ve seen far more contracted employees do it. Allied used to handle several carriers at O’Hare (admittedly a long time ago) and were notorious for all kinds of bad stuff.
I remind all airlines that your employees will care far more about your customers than any contracted employee will.
Does anyone really expect their bag to be handled with care? These employees are in a strict deadline and they do what us necessary. Not saying it is right but anyone that expects otherwise is being naive.
I remember years ago in college I worked at a UPS distribution center. I saw packages thrown, dropped and even kicked often.
Not sure why anyone is shocked by this. I check luggage and expect it to get beat up so I have to replace it every few years. That is just reality so accept it and don’t be shocked when it happens.
On a broader perspective, this is what happens when the “corporate structure” reduces the worker to chattel. Gotta’ love capitalism.
Luggage is made to protect the items inside of it not be handled with kid gloves. If these people think the way those baggage handlers treated their baggage was bad, they would hate the automated baggage sorter underneath the terminal. It is not gentle, AT ALL.
@Ravioliolle – cut the Dem Socialist talking point. My experience w UPS kicked packages around was over 40 years ago when they were a private employee owned company. Corporate structure has nothing to do with it. BTW if you hate capitalism there are plenty of other countries you could live in
Pretty much business as usual for baggage handlers. I have not seen throwing luggage on the ground but I have watched loading and unloading a number of times and the handlers were not gentle. It would be interesting to find out if throwing luggage is faster and less stress producing on the worker.
One day I’m going to find your bag Leff…keep it up with the worker attacks.
This is why I have no sympathy for these union employees asking for more money. If they held their peers accountable to perform at reasonable level they could fund 10% party increases every year but they turn the blind eye and expect the public to pay more year after year for laziness.
Lee can’t always blame the companies. Shitty people do shitty things. AA fault is keeping them employed.
The car in the background says United??? I supervised ramp employees at US Airways. They were paid over $20 hour in 2005 in my station. They could do whatever they wanted because the IAM would get their jobs back no matter what the did. They were a very lazy group and refused to do the job for which they were paid.
I ship my luggage both directions by FedEx. I have never had any loss or damage to it (not that it would be impossible).
Has nothing to do with being union or non-union. Has everything to do with having enough self-respect to take pride in your work and enough empathy to care about how your actions impact others.
AMERICAN incompetence and ineptitude and ineptness!!!!!
Rest assured this would never happen in Japan.
How do I know? Because I lived in Japan for 4 years serving this country so that we could become the Third World country we are today.
@john…thanks, I’ll remember that on my next flight buddy. As I’ve stated before, people that make comments like this couldn’t manage their way out of a paper bag.
Soon these jobs will be performed by automation. Your luggage may be tossed around a bit but won’t be subjected to a human’s emotional problems.
I flew out of DFW in 2017 on American to Rome, Italy. I also use Love field in Dallas and fly on Southwest. I never check any bags. I don’t want them lost. My son’s wheelchair was a little beat up but nothing major.
Yawn
@greggb57 – “I wonder if these are contracted employees rather than American’s? I also wonder where their ramp supervisor is, as there should be a company supervisor on site.”
DFW aircraft loading/offloading (ramp), definitely AA employees. Size of operation dictates such per union CBA. As far as management supervision – likely employing a ‘zone’ system at DFW whereby management assignments & oversight consists of a number of gates.
As a result, the ‘lead (ramp) agent’ has the direct responsibility for the operation at a gate. An effective lead can be demonstrable through comportment, but is not given the purview to reprimand employees that fail company baggage/ramp handling guidelines & policy.
The video footage is taken from the front of the aircraft – likely /F/, but at minimum MCE. (The giveaway is how the gate envelope line visibly veers outward with the right-most pan of the camera). If my assumption on pax location is correct, bags were being prioritized for loading according to loading instructions.
Overall, not a good look. While the handling demonstrated didn’t damage baggage itself, fragile content could indeed have been damaged. Additionally, if pax were indeed /F/ customers – and assuming FF program members – they’ll get a small bit in compensation.
Unlikely the baggage handlers will receive much in way of discipline.
aaway,
First of all, thank you for that information.
If that’s the case, AA seriously needs to up its game. “Not a good look” is an understatement.There’s no excuse for what I saw on that video. I was a gate lead for five years at O’Hare and I wouldn’t put up with that for one minute. We had a lead agent at every gate who was held personally responsible for what went on in their gate. We were a union* operation and our leads had the authority to write up employees if necessary. We also got a raise in pay when we acted as leads. Big difference from AA. Our write ups were taken very seriously.
This shows that supervision doesn’t have to come from management.
We had 20 minute turn times for 100 seat jets. We could do it without throwing bags around like the Samsonite gorilla. I did it and hundreds of other employees did it. If we could, then AA can.
*IAMAW
I believe most of the AA DFW baggage personnel are contractors– and they are very surly about not being FTEs
From aaway “While the handling demonstrated didn’t damage baggage itself, fragile content could indeed have been damaged.”
The handling could have damaged the baggage, but the video doesn’t show a closeup of before and after the rough handling. One time one of my hard side bags was completely split and I have always thought it was due to rough handling. Fortunately the liner kept the contents inside but the luggage itself was totaled.
@jns[ ]….While the handling demonstrated didn’t damage baggage itself, fragile content could indeed have been damaged.
“The handling could have damaged the baggage, but the video doesn’t show a closeup of before and after the rough handling.
Good catch & agree. Outer shell could’ve easily cracked. My statement should’ve read, “….handling demonstrated PEHAPS didn’t damage….
There is no excuse for this. To set the record straight, ramp workers are AA employees, NOT contract workers. This flight was DFW-GDL and Guadalajara bags are notoriously heavy, averaging about 50 pounds each, with many upwards of 80 pounds. And for the comment asking where the supervisor was, do you really think there is a supervisor watching every flight at every gate? That is unrealistic. The rampers need to be aware of the possibility that someone is recording their every move and stop doing stupid stuff. As someone with 34+ years on the job, I take pride in my work and treat every flight as though my family is on that airplane. But the younger generation has a totally different work ethic, and that needs to change if they want to make a career of it. I seriously doubt that they care the way older generations do. Sad.
Unless it’s absolutely necessary for work or emergency skip flying these days.
The aviation industry is a mess specially in US from airport security to customer service or the lack of it for that matter it’s all painful.
I agree with the comment as to having empathy and respect. Younger generation has no clue as to what those words mean, nor do they care. Morals, character and respect are no longer acts, but just words, if even that.
I thought they all did this. My first flight ever, in 1980, I took my father’s soft sided luggage. When I got to the carousel, I saw the end of my suitcase had been almost completely ripped off. Three edges were fully torn, and my stuff was sticking out of the end and flapping in the air. I’ve used hard luggage ever since; only see scuff marks now.
From my experience bagge handlers are like bored toddlers who are tired of playing with the same toys. If they don’t like their jobs move on. I’ve come home and realized my clothing was missing, one time a brand new jacket. I’m sure those handlers can afford a new jacket but disgruntled ignorant people would rather pick through people’s baggage and feel its alright to take what they want.
Another time my bag was destroyed along with all contents. Again disgruntled ignorant people. I was given a cheap black bag as restitution from security.
I will never fly again after twice being stuck on a plane sitting on the tarmac for HOURS.
I ended up having lung infections and had to go home early.
I am seeing that a lot of people are specifically attacking AA in the comment section but, like Gary said in the article, this is how it goes across the entire industry… Yes, even at Delta and Southwest. There were couple of times when I flew from ATL to South Korea with my acoustic guitar and I watched, from my window seat, as Delta employees flung my guitar case into the cargo even though my guitar case clearly had “fragile” sticker on it. When it comes to baggage handling, no one airline is better than the other…
The flying public has no idea how their personal property is treated. I work at a medium to large eastern NC international airport and witness it everyday. In the case of American Airlines, they are all mostly union and there is little to no accountability for anything they do, so they absolutely do not care! The company doesn’t have any problem just apologizing ,maybe, and chalks it up to the risk the public takes when they fly! The flying public needs to hold them accountable because the companies wont and neither will the airports its up to all of you to video these things and turn it over to the media. You would not believe what they do to the jet bridges, and BHS conveyor systems. The majority of the issues start at the ticket counters, duffle bags, back packs, anything with a strap should go in a tub but they rarely are. Next time you fly tell the ticket counter agent to put your bag in a tub. The really messed up part of this is the Delta and American baggage handlers are paid really, really well with full benefits, there’s no excuse for any of this!
You expect them to be gentle with thousands of bags everyday that way anywhere between 30-99 pounds? Get real. That’s why the bag is there.
30 years ago, my seatmate, a US Air baggage handler, told me their standard joke: If it wasn’t meant to be thrown, it wasn’t meant to be flown.
I was traveling back to PHL from Austin. A carry on of ours was totally empty because we left behind the things we had brought in it at my MIL. I was going to carry the bag on the plane but the ticketing agent talked me into checking it because the flight was booked solid. So I agreed.
Once on the plane I as watching the bags being loaded on the plane and noticed my empty bag. The handler who took it out of the truck noticed it was very light. So he decided to use it as basketball to practice his Jump shot. He missed and the bag landed on the tarmac braking the handle. He walked over and picked up the bag to put it on the conveyor belt while kicking the handle out of the way.
When I contacted AA about it they did not believe me and said their baggage handlers would never do that. . So an $875 bag was useless and. I had to be put it in the trash. By the I was an Executive Platinum member at the time. So much for recognition.
I haven’t checked the bag since 1983 when my luggage was lost in Portugal” And I wound up having to buy Portuguese underwear. Why anyone today would check a bag for any reason is beyond me I have been on three and four week trips with no issue with one carry on.. a few mandatory gate checks along the way but that’s it. I don’t ever want that luggage out of my site if at all possible
After merging with American Airline it amazed me on how large the percentage of front line employees that just don’t give a shit. It became painfully apparent when trying to fly out of DFW. Maintenence delays were comon place. Have to love the union since they protect the slugs and demotivated you high performers.
DFW tore my suitcase up. American airlines is what I traveled. When you drop it off they chunk it right in front of you without shame. Every time I go thru there it’s the same guy. He’ll get smart with you too. I complained to TSA. They blew me off. Never got compensated.
Boo Hoo. Anybody remember the Samsonite commercial with the Apes jumping on the luggage? As long as the people don’t get tossed, who cares??? Luggage is made to take a beating – unless you buy the cheap stuff.
American Airlines is one of the worst, no, they are the worst at Customer Service. They are all overpaid Union cry babies. They can treat your baggage as well as you like crap and you can’t say a word to them or they will kick you off the plane and ban you from future flights. I believe it is time for a class action lawsuit against the Airlines that abuse they’re authority. Considering we live in the USA and all domestic airlines are shit compared to the rest of the carriers. I will never check luggage. I will send it FedEx ahead to be at my destination when I arrive. When you check luggage you add another hour plus to your travels just waiting to retrieve your checked bags, thats if they arrive. JUST DON’T CHECK LUGGAGE!! BTW I am an Executive Platinum 1st class flyer and still get treated like crap.
A few weeks ago at DFW I watched the bags get loading and the handler was visibly shoving the duffle bags off the stack of suitcases onto the tarmac. I’m pretty sure it was the same employee, his uniform said “crew chief” which is not reassuring. I filed a complaint but failed to get a video. I’m glad someone captured this behavior. I’m not expecting my bag to be handled with grace, but shoving and throwing is unacceptable.
If I got paid $13 an hour I would do the same. I really cannot sympathize with most of you in this comment section ranting about these workers.
As an American, that’s expected. I know some Americans are lazy, especially at lower paying jobs levels.
I can only wish my luggage is treated with care like in Japan.
The lowest paid employee is going to give you the same customer service as the highest paid employee. Also, Shinto Buddhism teaches you to treat all things as living beings. This is why everything in Japan is nice, even 30 year old Gameboys, luggages, 2nd hand goods, etc.
Capitalism certainly is the problem here. As long as CEO’s and other top dogs are flying around in their private jets, making millions in salaries with generous stock options, then nothing will change. Corporate greed is at an all time high with consumers getting shafted.
This is simply not true. The airlines are protected by the government thru cabatoge laws. This means that no airline headquartered outside the USA can transport passengers within the USA. They also cannot transport passengers from the USA to another country unless they first land at their hub. Only 5 flight destination exceptions to this rule.I know of no other business that has this advantage. The airlines are probably the least capitalistic business in the country.
I’m not an apologist for careless baggage handlers or myopic airline executives more focused on keeping their high paying jobs rather than finding solutions to an industry wide problem but people need to recognize the complex dynamics involved here. All stakeholders, from the passengers, ground handlers, all levels of management all the way up to airline and airport executives need to be involved in order for improvement to occur. There needs to be a cultural shift at all levels and it can only start at the top. As a 20+ year veteran of the airline’s. I have seen it all. Everything from ignorant passengers who don’t remove straps, overload cheap luggage that cannot bear the weight of it’s contents even during normal handling, lower paid contract workers or regular employees whose wages and benefits have been reduced do to airline mergers. Industry margins are so thin that many executives believe the only way to survive post deregulation is through increasing market share but the end result is that airline’s such as American and United become unmanageable for a number of reasons. It all comes down to the lowest common denominator which is ‘ a fare for the chair, and meat in the seat.’
Between Delta and AA. On of them broke 2 of our 3 brand new bags on our last trip to Disney.