On September 2, 2010, three passengers arrived at the Will Rogers World Airport at 5:00am for a 6:00am departure to DFW. After standing in line for twenty minutes, with many frustrated and boisterous passengers waiting to check in, we were greeted with a rude, hateful and basically miserable desk attendant named Debbie Dixson, she looked at my itinerary and immediately said you are to late to check in you will have to take a flight out this afternoon. I asked why the lady ahead of us was given a boarding pass for our flight and was told that it was not my business to ask why or who gets on a flight. I asked why they did not acknowledge the twenty plus people standing in line and allow those checking in for the early flight to proceed ahead. She told me that she did not have time to discuss with me and to move to the end of the second line. While standing in the second line I tried to use the Kiosk and it printed a receipt that said 5:32am “Check-in is available up to 30 minutes prior to departure. Take the information card to an agent for assistance”. This appears confusing as I had stood in line for 30 minutes prior to 5:32am and still could not get a boarding pass from Debbie Dixson. Upon getting to the attendant in the second line she told me to go to the end of the third line as she did not have time to deal with this since all flights for the day were full, I told her we were put in her line by Ms. Dixson and the two got in a scuffle over why she had to help us. We were then sent to the third desk attendant Ms. Linda Reed whom exhibited the utmost professional and ethical behavior and basically was a happy, pleasant and customer service savvy AA employee. Ms. Linda Reed checked all flight options and other carriers, which enabled us to catch a United Airlines flight to Chicago then to Miami then to Nassau, Bahamas. After leaving the United desk with our Chicago tickets we then went back to the American Airlines desk to get our Chicago-Miami-Nassau tickets. After getting through security and sitting down for a coffee we noticed that the AA attendant (second line) only gave us an itenerary of the Chicago-Miami-Nassau trip and NOT the tickets. It appeared as if this was done on purpose as I cannot imagine that an AA attendant would forget to give a passenger their tickets since their sole purpose at the desk is ticketing passengers.
American Airlines #4983 Departs: 5:40pm MIA to Nassau, Bahamas
*Filed for luggage claim #631135, 631136, 629449 which was to arrive at 9:38pm
After arriving in Nassau, Bahamas at 6:40pm, I proceeded to the AA counter to file a claim for our luggage and notify them that they were to arrive on the 9:38pm flight from Miami on AA. After filing the claim I was told the luggage would be delivered to our hotel by 10:30pm. I called 800-433-7300 at 10:23pm to inquire as to where our luggage was, the female agent called the Nassau, Bahamas desk agents to see if our luggage was there, she then came back to my call and asked what the luggage looked like, I stated (3) black upright bags, (1) with light blue handle, (1) with a Swiss red/white emblem on it and the other just a plain bag. She then came back to the call and asked what were in the bags, I stated the Swiss emblem bag and the plain bag had a laptop in each on the top. She came back and said yes they had our bags and they would deliver them within an hour. (Please pull this recorded call with this agent for verification). At 12:00am, all three bags arrived at our room; I immediately opened the bags only to find all laptops, clothes, flat irons, Ipod, colognes, deodorant, makeup, jewelry REMOVED from the bags.
My bag had a TSA placard “OKC 2SEPT10 6:31 T5” in it and the other two bags did not.
I immediately call the AA 800-433-7300 at 12:03am to inquire as to why our items had been removed. I was told that I could go out to the airport and file a claim for “pilfered” items. The Nassau, Bahamas airport closed at 11:00pm. I called back to the 800-433-7300 at 12:22am and was told the same thing. ***I firmly believe that on my call with your agent at 10:23pm and being asked what was in the bags led the AA baggage guys specifically to my luggage by knowing exactly what was in the luggage.
On September 3, 2010, Friday morning, 6:00am, I took a taxi to the airport to speak with AA about our missing articles. We were told we would have to wait until 9:30am when they open. At 9:00am we went back to the AA desk that we had filed our claim at the night before and spoke with “Alvonia Collie” whom immediately posed a smirk on her face while we explained about our luggage. She immediately stated that we would have to speak with the Bahamas Airport Authority. We walked to the Airport Authority building and explained the situation. Everyone in this office came out to listen and all were up in arms at the audacity of “Alvonia Collie” stating the Airport Authority would be responsible for AA’s delivery of a paying passenger’s luggage. They suggested that I go speak with “Betty Wilson”, AA General Manager. We walked back to the AA building and went to the AA luggage claims desk to let Alvonia Collie know that I had spoken to the Airport Authority and they referred me back to AA. She called over to Betty Wilson’s office and sent us over to that building. I entered the building the AA agent’s immediately started whispering and told us that Betty Wilson would not be in that day. I asked to speak to whoever was in charge immediately. They suggested that I speak with Ms. Dean but that we would have to come back in an hour. After an hour we went back to the AA building and requested Ms. Dean. We were taken upstairs to an executive office and told we had already filled out a claim and that AA would contact me in about two weeks when an investigator was assigned to my claim. I told Ms. Dean I was confident as to who had taken the articles and wanted someone to discuss this with the employees from the prior evening. She became very nasty and told me a claim was filed what else do you want me to do for you? This behavior is appalling.
I went to the Customs department and requested a review of the Customs surveillance camera from the flight that our luggage had come in on. Audrey Curry with Customs pulled the surveillance camera and verified that the (3) bags were not brought thru customs and were taken to the back room were AA and others airlines house luggage and articles not claimed.
Upon returning to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, I called the local TSA office and spoke with an agent. I confirmed that my luggage was searched by TSA at 6:31am but was surprised to learn that Leah Singers luggage was searched 11 minutes after my luggage and a placard was placed in her luggage. Her placard was removed in Nassau when “pilfered” through.
Now, armed with the knowledge that American Airlines call center agent retrieved a detailed inventory of what my bags contained, Customs surveillance cameras clearly show that the luggage was not brought through customs and took to the airlines back room, and the appalling behaviors exhibit after the fact, it appears that you do employ thief’s and that it is common knowledge appears to quite funny to your employees as exhibited by “Alvonia Collie”.
I’m requesting an immediate investigation into the (2) males working the evening of September 2, 2010. I’m requesting verification of the employee that your call center agent spoke with at the desk in the Nassau, Bahamas, airport in which that desk person needed to know what articles were in the luggage.
I have attached a copy of all documentation pertaining to our original booking, rebooking on September 2, 2010, at 5:35am, TSA documentation, Property Irregularity Receipt, Nassau Customs Audrey Curry contact information, Inventory of Stolen items and the costs, Taxi fees to Nassau Airport to address your employee theft, AT&T Wireless cell phone bill due to your employee Theft in the amount of $1,103.00.
MISSING ITEMS:
1st bag:
1 Toshiba Dual Core Laptop 899.00
1 Chi Flat Iron 2” 220.00
1 Eternity Perfume 56.00
2 Smashbox eye shadows 16.00/ea
1 Pearl Bracelet 200.00
2nd bag:
1 Toshiba Laptop 699.00
1 Ipod Touch 32GB 200.00
1 Apple Iphone White Charger 20.00
1 True Religion Blue Jeans (28x31) 300.00
1 O’neill Bathing Suits (small new with tags) 60.00
1 O’neill Bathing Suits (small) 40.00
1 Fox Racing Hat White Light Grey Fox on Upper Left side 35.00
1 OSU Hat 25.00
1 True Religion Red T Shirt (small) 60.00
1 Hurley Shirt 20.00/ea
1 Reef Fanning Sandal Black (Sz 9/10) 40.00
1 White Dirty Mo’s Spy Sunglasses 140.00
1 Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy for Him Cologne 49.00
1 Men’s Degree Deodorant 2.00
1 Schick Xtreme 3 Comfort Plus Razors 8ct (unopened) 12.00
3rd bag:
1 Gold Braid Bracelet 350.00
1 Women’s Gold Ring with Diamond 5,000.00
09/02/2010 6:00am Taxi 45.00
This is absolutely shameful that we pay for baggage service and then end up loosing thousands of dollars.
