Forced gate check bag question
 

Hi,
Not sure where this type of question goes but figured I'd post it here.
I'm flying as a travel companion for the first time today from LGA mainline on a 737-900. There were about 30 seats open, so I knew overhead space wouldn't be an issue. However, as I was boarding, the agent told me I had to gate check my carry on spinner (well within the dimensions). I really didn't want to do this since I'd be connecting through through a hub with a long layover. But I figured I'd play nice since I was standby.

When I got to my seat, I kindly asked the FA if I could try and grab my bag if it was still on the jetway and she said enthusiastically "yeah! hurry up and get it before they throw it down the chute." So I did ... and I was walking back to the cabin, the FA told me to rip the tag off that they had put on. During the push, she came up to me and said "hey just so you know, it's breaking a FAR to rip the tag off of a bag once it's been assigned for check." I was confused since she was the one who told me to do it ... so I asked "well, am I in trouble?" And she said "oh of course not. But just so you know for next time."

Anyway, I've been searching the internet for a reg that prohibits this type of thing. Any idea what in the world she's talking about? Does it have to do with the manifest?


Thanks!

I believe it is a security thing. It has been designated as a checked bag once the tag is on it, and checked bags can have things in them that carry ons cant, ie your shampoo that is considered a high grade explosive because it is over 3 ounces. "They" don't know if you curb side checked it with say, a gun in it, and then someone brought it up to you, and you are going to cause trouble.

I agree that it's dumb from a gate check stand point, but you know the FAA likes their legalese.

Your bag went through security with you and is considered a carryon. When they bag tag it for the belt and then it's loaded and you then fly to your destination, then you can't retrieve it from below. You have to go to the belt to get it.

Yeah, I get that. But that's not what happened. It hadn't gone down the jet bridge yet to the airplane. I simply walked back out of the airplane to the bridge and took the bag which was waiting to go down, onboard as a carry-on

Did the bag have a check tag on it? If so it was checked luggage and is tracked through the system with tag readers. By taking the bag out of the jetway and pulling the tag off, the airline now has a "lost" bag. So, bags in at the departure airport won't equal bags out at the destination airport (according to the computers).

The other aside is that traveling as an unaccompanied companion, you're representing your sponsor who's responsible for your conduct. This isn't the worst offense in the world but certainly something to think about. How would it feel to cause your sponsor to lose travel benefits (or worse).

I think the bag tag from the gate agent is like a boarding pass. Printing it out is one thing, scanning it as you board is another. The bag tag is like the boarding pass but it is scanned by the bag loaders with their hand-held scanner. So it isn't in the system to track separately unless the the rampers have scanned it. Until then, it's a bag that went through security like any other carry on. Taking it onto the aircraft is no big deal IMO.

If there's room for the tagged bag in the cabin then the tag needs to be removed and given back to the gate agent so it can be removed from the system.

I was told by a gate agent years ago that there were cases of passengers tagging their bags and then bringing them onto the plane. Once they got to their destination they showed the unused bag tag stub to baggage services and asked where their bag was. Since the tag was never scanned no one had any knowledge of where it was and the company was paying out $2500 per "lost" bag. Total scam
I believe this is why the gate check tags are kept under lock and key at the podium and they don't have a stack at the end of the jetway when overheads fill up.

You did nothing wrong and ,as a non-rev companion, you did the right thing by checking with the flight attendant. As non-revs most of us have encountered this problem.

Usually, if you are connecting they check the bag through to destination and will give you a computer generated baggage claim. Single segment (non-stop) the'll likely give you a gate checked baggage claim. This is important because if they give you a gate checked claim (usually green) on a connecting flight, you'll likely find you bag somewhere at the connecting airport. There are no security concerns as this is done hundreds if not thousands times a day. As a non-rev keep your carry-on in you control as much as possible, especially when connecting. You may not get on the connecting flight and if you have to spend the night, it would be nice to have your bag.

FA confused you, not your fault. Don't try to be sneaky and always be polite (sounds like you were) and you will be OK. Glad you made it on.