Travel Troubleshooter: American Airlines charged $80 for my ‘free’ checked bags

Q: My daughter and I flew from Boston to Chicago on American Airlines. Our tickets included one free checked bag per ticket.

When we checked in at the kiosk at Boston Logan Airport, it charged us $40 per bag. We asked an American Airlines employee for assistance.

She told us to “just pay the charge and ask for a refund later.” We paid the fees and boarded our flight.

I have tried numerous times to contact American Airlines. I have called and worked through the prompts only to have the system hang up on me.

The 24/7 virtual assistant was only able to provide me a link to the American Airlines refund page, which did not allow me to request a bag fee refund.

I filled out the airline’s comment/complaint form. I received a boilerplate email stating that American would “make sure that my concerns were directed to the appropriate parties” and to please choose American Airlines for my future travel needs.

I would like a refund of the $80.

A: American Airlines shouldn’t have charged you $80 for your checked luggage. So much for “free” bags.

Let me object to the term “free” anything, and especially luggage. American should have said that it included the cost of your luggage in the cost of your fare. (Technically, nothing is free when you’re flying.)

American asked you to pay twice for your checked baggage, and that’s upsetting.

The other upsetting thing is the way American handled it. You battled endless phone trees, unhelpful AI, and tone-deaf customer service. Is it any wonder that American Airlines has the reputation it does for customer service?

How could you have avoided this? I might have skipped the self-service kiosk and headed to a staffed ticket counter. An agent could have overridden the system and ensured you didn’t have to pay twice for your checked baggage. Failing that, you could have at least gotten the name of the agent who promised you a refund.

I contacted American Airlines. A representative said you had purchased your tickets through an online agency, and that the fare included a free checked bag per passenger. But it looks like you changed your ticket, which downgraded you to a regular economy-class ticket. American refunded you a $27 fare difference.

“That said, we understand the confusion based on the confirmation email they were sent that still said one free bag, and are willing to refund the bag,” the representative told me.

But before American could do anything, you reported that the $80 charge had inexplicably been voided. American Airlines closed your case, and since you have your money back, I will, too.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization. Contact him at chris@elliott.org or at elliottadvocacy.org/help.