Fired Airline Ticket Agent Reveals Airline Secrets

by Depinto, Nicholas

  • Don't draw attention to yourself by displaying large amounts of cash or wearing expensive-looking jewelry.

  • Don't invite strangers to your room.

  • Put valuables in the hotel safe. Do not leave valuables in your car.

  • If you see suspicious activity, contact hotel security.

  • Acquaint yourself with the location of stairways, fire escapes, exits and alarms.

  Air Travel

  Plan to arrive at the airport at least an hour before domestic flights and two hours before international flights. To avoid standing in line, ask your travel agent to include your boarding passes with your ticket when possible. Consider joining an airline's private lounge club, which may offer several amenities that will make your wait more comfortable and/or productive.

  Do not leave your luggage unattended or with someone you don't know. Never agree to carry anything on board or in your luggage for someone else. If you see an unattended briefcase, suitcase or package, notify security.

  Dress comfortably and inconspicuously; leave flashy jewelry at home. When deplaning, claim your baggage immediately and leave the airport quickly. Beware of drivers in unmarked cars claiming to be cab drivers.

  Some materials are prohibited in checked or carry-on luggage, including: mace, tear gas, aerosols containing flammable material, loaded firearms, gunpowder and ammunition, propane, any equipment containing fuel, scuba tanks if pressurized, fireworks, flares, corrosive, radioactive or poisonous material, and infectious substances. Electric wheelchairs may only be transported as checked luggage. (This information is not all-inclusive; check with the airline for more details.)

  Documents and Papers

  Make several copies of your passport, traveler's checks, credit cards, itinerary, airline tickets and other travel documents. Leave one copy with a relative or friend back home and carry one copy with you. Take most of your money in traveler's checks and record the serial numbers, denominations and date and location of the issuing agency. Remove all unnecessary credit cards from your wallet. Be sure to carry your credit card company's telephone number in case your card is lost or stolen. Always report credit card losses to your credit card company immediately.

  Securing Your Home

  Advise police and a trusted neighbor of your trip. Ask them to check your home while you are away. You might consider having a friend "house-sit" for you.

  Buy a timer device that will automatically turn lights on and off during evening hours. Cancel newspaper service and stop mail delivery. During summer months, arrange to have your lawn mowed; in winter, arrange to have snow cleared. You may even arrange to have a neighbor share trash bins on pick-up day. Pay bills in advance so utility service will not be interrupted. In the case of longer trips, make sure your homeowner's policy remains in effect during your absence. Leave valuables in a safe deposit box. And, never announce a trip in the newspaper's social column, post your trip to Twitter, facebook, online blog, or elsewhere where strangers would find out.

  Staying in Good Health

  Before you leave on an extended trip, consider having a physical check-up. Get your "shots" and start any new medication well in advance of your departure. Carry an extra supply of medication, labeled and in the original container, with a copy of each prescription. Be sure to pack all medication in your hand luggage so it will be available if your bags are lost or stolen. (Check with your travel agent or the appropriate consulates to be sure your prescription drugs can be taken into countries you plan to visit.) Also, take your eyeglass prescription with you, as well as an extra pair of glasses.

  Take along a small first-aid kit. Depending on your destination, bring medication for upset stomach or motion sickness. Other useful items include nasal spray, sunscreen and insect repellent. Check with your local health authorities for further suggestions.

  Be careful about drinking the water in some foreign countries--avoid ice cubes too. Drink bottled water or soft drinks. Check with your travel agent for guidelines. When visiting developing nations, ask your doctor for advice on inoculations, and take along a record of your blood type. If you become ill overseas, consult the American consulate for suggested medical or hospital services. The Center for Disease Control has information on dire health situations around the world. Here’s the phone number, in case you need it 404-639-3311.

  Illegal Drugs

  Be aware that drug laws in most foreign countries are stricter than those in the United States. If you are arrested abroad on a drug charge, U.S. laws do not protect you. Foreign laws often make no distinction among various illegal drugs, or between possession of a small amount and drug trafficking. Frequently, bail is not granted in drug cases and you are guilty until proven innocent. The average sentence for possession is seven years. The penalty for drug possession in some countries is mandatory death by hanging.

  Traveling in the United States

  It is as important to be prudent while traveling in the United States as it is abroad. Drive carefully, wear seat belts, obey traffic laws, be sure your car is serviced properly and get a good map or opt for the GPS that comes with the rental car. If you bring your GPS along, remember it may not have different state maps, or if you cross the border outside the US, international maps will also not be installed, so you may be out of luck. Always research the cities you are visiting. Get the latest information on safe areas and good hotels from your travel agent. You may want to tour by cab, bus, or in your own car. Public transportation is a good way to travel in many U.S. cities. Be sure to inquire about correct routes and schedules.

  Traveling Abroad

  Visiting other countries can be exciting and educational. Here are a few prudent precautions to help you travel with confidence:

  • Once your itinerary is set, make as many advance reservations as possible. Make sure someone knows where you are at all times.

  • Ask your travel agent about State Department information on the countries you will visit. The agent's computer reservations system should list travel advisories. For details, call the State Department at 202-647-5225.

  • If you are renting a car abroad, reserve it in the US through your travel agent or online. At your destination, ask the rental agent to explain the car's features, which may be different from cars at home. Know the international traffic signs and rules of the road. Ask your travel agent whether you need an International Driver's Permit or find out on your own before you leave. Also, ask about insurance coverage in each country; U.S. insurance may not be valid in all countries.

  • Carry the address and telephone number of the U.S. embassy or consulate for each country. In case of difficulties, contact U.S. authorities promptly. If you plan to stay in a foreign country for an extended period, register and leave your itinerary with the embassy or consulate.

  • When traveling abroad, avoid being alone. If you carry a shoulder bag, keep it closed at all times, clutched between the arm and body. Do not carry a wallet in your hip pocket or inside jacket pocket. Empty the wallet of all unnecessary items and carry it in your front pants pocket. If you find yourself near a civil disturbance or other dangerous situation, move away quietly and inconspicuously. Do not run. If this is not possible, take cover behind the nearest shelter and stay there until danger passes.

  Air Traveler's Bill of Rights

  • Truth in advertised prices, schedules and seat availability.

  Airlines should attract consumers on the basis of fair representations about prices and services that are generally available in the marketplace. They should not lure consumers with offers that are available in such limited quantities that more consumers are misled or disappointed than benefited.

  • Equal access to unbiased, comparative travel information and all fare and service options.

  Air transportation services should be available to everyone on an equal basis. Consumers must have access to the same information to make intelligent travel choices. The service a traveler receives, and the price paid, should not dep
end on owning a computer or preferring to receive information through other means.

  • A comfortable seat, reasonable space for carry-on luggage, healthful meals, and clean sanitary facilities, regardless of class of service.

  An airline ticket entitles the passenger to a package of transportation services with several components. Among these are a comfortable seat, transportation of accompanying baggage, a place to put personal items that may be needed in flight, access to clean sanitary facilities, and, to reasonable sustenance, i.e. meals, on long flights. The cost of a lower priced ticket fully compensates the airline for each of these basic components. While an airline may choose to sell some tickets at a lower price, it must not deny basic services to travelers or displace the lower fare passenger in favor of a passenger who pays more.

  Airlines can, of course, sell enhanced or even luxurious service and amenities to those willing to pay for them. Airlines should not create differentials in classes of service simply by making the lower cost class so uncomfortable and unattractive that consumers are driven to pay premium prices for higher service categories in order to get the basic services to which they are already entitled.

  • Timely and courteous assistance in making connections.

  When an airline's route structure requires one or more stops between origin and destination, the airline must assume responsibility for making the travel as seamless as possible. This requires clear, accurate directions to connecting flights and the assistance of airline personnel in making connections.

  • Use all, part or none of the segments on any ticket purchased.

  Use of a combination of roundtrip tickets, a ticket with a point beyond the consumer's final destination, or only one leg of a roundtrip ticket, are sometimes necessary to achieve the most economical travel under an airline's fare structure. Regardless of an airline's fare restriction policies, and in keeping with the treatment of all other consumer purchases, a consumer who purchases a ticket buys the right, but never the obligation, to travel to the points covered by the fare.

  • Timely, complete and truthful information and courteous assistance regarding delays, cancellations, and equipment changes.

  The consumer keeps the bargain with the airline by paying for the ticket. If the airline fails to provide the transportation it promised, the consumer is entitled to know why, and to adjust travel plans accordingly.

  Regardless of the cause, when an airline cancels a flight, it is often leaving the consumer in unfamiliar surroundings and without access to that person's usual resources. The airline must then assume responsibility for providing the consumer with the next available alternate transportation, assistance in contacting others who may be dependent upon the consumer's arrival, and, when appropriate to the circumstances, food and lodging.

  • Timely and courteous assistance for the disabled and unaccompanied children.

  Airlines have a special responsibility to see to the well being of passengers requiring assistance due to disabilities and of unaccompanied children. Such persons must never be abandoned or put in fear of being abandoned.

  • Appropriate in-flight medical emergency assistance.

  The outcome of a serious in-flight medical emergency should not depend on the airline on which a passenger has chosen to travel. All airlines should commit themselves to prompt adoption of the highest level of in-flight care available, and to follow the best industry practices in effect for dealing with particular medical problems.

  • Access to the courts and state consumer laws to resolve disputes with airlines.

  From time to time disputes may arise about service or other issues between consumers and any business. The states have provided laws by which these disputes can be resolved, and courts, including small claims courts, to resolve them effectively. Airlines should not be exempt from the same consumer protection laws that apply to other businesses.

  OVERSALES/CONSUMER COMPLAINTS/MISHANDLED BAGGAGE/FLIGHT DELAYS

  If you have any problems with oversold compensation, involuntary bumping, complaints about the way you were treated by the airline, or airline personnel, your baggage was mishandled, or flight delays that you feel you were misinformed about, contact the Department of Transportation at the following site http://www.dot.gov

  When people find out I’ve been working for the airline, I always get asked questions. Here are some frequently asked questions that I want to answer before we move on.

  Question: If there are obvious empty seats in first class, why can't the gate agent bump you up for free?

  Answer: Since the service level in First Class is much higher (along with the costs of those services, meals, etc), the airlines are reluctant to give those services away for free. Most of the people who want the free upgrades to First Class are the lowest paying leisure travelers and the airlines are already losing money on them.

  Question: What's the most annoying behavior you've ever encountered?

  Answer: Anger has to be the most annoying. When the flight is delayed or there is any problem, it is not always the airline's fault or the airplane's fault or an act of God. Passengers seem to think that gate agents control the weather, the maintenance of the aircraft, etc.

  Question: Do passengers know the stress of the job of ticket agent?

  Answer: Probably not. Most passengers, even the frequent flyers, only spend a few days a week and a few hours at the airport. They are not subject to the maddening crowds that airport workers see day in and day out. Also, most people don't realize that, as airline workers, we hear the same stories from passengers daily, so we’re used to hearing them. For example, dozens of passengers that I would check in every day would say they were having surgery or back problems, or neck pain, etc. and that they needed to be upgraded to first class because of their medical issues. This never worked.

  Question: What kind of "sob stories" do you hear?

  Answer: The worst was, during a Christmas rush from Newark to Miami, with all flights on all carriers booked solid; I had about 6 passengers that came up to the gate with "deaths in the family". Five of those six passengers had bought stand-by tickets months earlier for this date and it seemed like more than just coincidental that they had relatives conveniently die when they were flying home on stand-by.

  Question: What is the range of discretion that a gate agent has for accepting tickets that are not exactly for the flight being boarded...i.e. do I really have to reissue a ticket for the same destination when I've simply taken a later or earlier flight? My travel agent says yes, I believe no.

  Answer: It varies from airline to airline but, overall, it doesn't matter if it is the same airline and destination. The only difference is the boarding pass.

  Question: Why is it that the agent cannot easily find a tall person an aisle seat or better yet, an emergency exit row seat?

  Answer: There is no consideration when assigning a seat for someone who is tall or overweight. The best answer is to make sure that, when you book the flight, you ask for aisle and exit row seating. Some airlines reserve these seats, or a percentage of them, for their frequent flyers.

  Question: Does the gate agent have the flexibility of upgrading coach passengers to first class on seat availability, usually at a cost of $50 or so?

  Answer: Some airlines do have that and post notices at their counters when they do. Some don't. It's best to ask a supervisor for that airline's policy.

  Question: What is the most important advice you would give to an airline passenger?

  Answer: Show up 1.5 hours before your domestic flight, if you need to be ticketed, 1 hour if not. Show up 2.5 hours for your international flight, if you need to be ticketed, 2 hours if not. Be courteous to the staff and try to take the little stuff in stride.

  Technical Trouble

  Ever board a flight that went nowhere? Maybe the plane just rolled out onto the runway and then returned to the gate, or worse still, it never even moved? This happens all the time. Although neither the Department of Transportation no
r the Federal Aviation Administration collect statistics on mechanical delays, experience tells us that roughly 5 percent of all scheduled flights are hampered by some kind of "technical" trouble. Just look at an airline's delay numbers, discount the weather, and you've got a good idea of the kind of havoc mechanical problems can wreak on a carrier's schedule. Don’t think you’re the only passenger who’s been on a plane that’s had a mechanical issue. This happens multiple times, and it happens on a daily basis.