AA Baggage handler rides in cargo MCIORD

AA747123 · Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:22 pm

Last Saturday an intoxicated baggage handler for AA at MCI got locked in the baggage hold of a 737 and rode to ORD..

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/f ... 833903002/

DohwanKim747 · Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:47 pm

How did anyone not notice that he was inebriated in the first place? Seems like a fairly serious breach. At any rate, it looks like there will be a new job opening at AA...

alasizon · Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:40 pm

DohwanKim747 wrote:
How did anyone not notice that he was inebriated in the first place? Seems like a fairly serious breach. At any rate, it looks like there will be a new job opening at AA...

Its possible he was an overnight employee who would have been completing overnight cleaning procedures with little oversight.

ua900 · Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:53 pm

alasizon wrote:
DohwanKim747 wrote:
How did anyone not notice that he was inebriated in the first place? Seems like a fairly serious breach. At any rate, it looks like there will be a new job opening at AA...

Its possible he was an overnight employee who would have been completing overnight cleaning procedures with little oversight.

Maybe they were short of baggage handlers at ORD and all regular seats in the cabin were taken.

If F/As have jump seat privileges, why not have baggage handlers with cargo hold privileges given that it's pressurized and temperature controlled? :rotfl:

jetblueguy22 · Thu Nov 01, 2018 12:01 am

Man it really is getting tough to travel on an employee pass

mga707 · Thu Nov 01, 2018 12:10 am

He had more legroom and equally good in-flight service as every passenger above him in 'Y'...

ExpatVet · Thu Nov 01, 2018 7:04 am

mga707 wrote:
He had more legroom and equally good in-flight service as every passenger above him in 'Y'...

Was just going to say - he's lucky he wasn't charged for the seat upgrade!

dragon6172 · Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:19 am

Apparently he may have tried to open the door?

MCIRNO · Thu Nov 01, 2018 1:46 pm

Drunk or not, I wonder at what point he realized he was going for a ride...

evank516 · Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:02 pm

MCIRNO wrote:
Drunk or not, I wonder at what point he realized he was going for a ride...

Probably when he heard the engines spool up. At least he had some luggage surrounding him to keep him nice and comfy.

MCIRNO · Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:25 pm

evank516 wrote:
MCIRNO wrote:
Drunk or not, I wonder at what point he realized he was going for a ride...

Probably when he heard the engines spool up. At least he had some luggage surrounding him to keep him nice and comfy.

Unfortunately for him, there was no luggage in that compartment...

sw733 · Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:31 pm

evank516 wrote:
MCIRNO wrote:
Drunk or not, I wonder at what point he realized he was going for a ride...

Probably when he heard the engines spool up. At least he had some luggage surrounding him to keep him nice and comfy.

At least it was a short flight, too. Good thing he wasn't in the MCI-MIA aircraft!

ILNFlyer · Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:52 pm

Intoxication = termination

ripcordd · Thu Nov 01, 2018 2:59 pm

It was Saturday morning sounds like he was still hung over from Friday and not drinking at 5am on the job either way what a bonehead

F9Animal · Thu Nov 01, 2018 4:27 pm

I am pretty sure he sobered up real quick when the plane was rolling down the runway! I am somewhat shocked he actually admitted to being intoxicated! I am all for honesty, but I would do all I could to save my job!

Good luck to him finding another job in this industry.

Ziyulu · Thu Nov 01, 2018 4:52 pm

Is this the new basic economy? Wait, he had more room than those in regular economy!

Ziyulu · Thu Nov 01, 2018 4:52 pm

Are they going to give him a ticket to fly back home?

crj900lr · Thu Nov 01, 2018 5:18 pm

F9Animal wrote:
I am pretty sure he sobered up real quick when the plane was rolling down the runway! I am somewhat shocked he actually admitted to being intoxicated! I am all for honesty, but I would do all I could to save my job!

Good luck to him finding another job in this industry.

Frontier, Spirit or Allegiant will hire him.

gzm · Thu Nov 01, 2018 5:59 pm

When I worked at ATH we learned about a similar episode which happened at KGS (island Kos airport). A baggage handler went for a nap into the cargo hold of an MD-80. This happened a long time ago, either 2001 or 2002. He went into panic when he realized he had been locked in but luckily for him the plane made a scheduled stop at RHO (Rhodes) before flying back to Scandinavia. Most probably he had been messing with his fellow handlers' practices they are notorious for. What I do remember is that in a training session,(those one-morning-long ones), the trainer really brought up the subject to make us believe that it was the guy's fault! It became an issue on TV with persons in authority asking for the station manager's replacement.

jetblueguy22 · Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:02 pm

ILNFlyer wrote:
Intoxication = termination

I’m willing to bet even if he was sober stowaway=termination

stratclub · Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:33 pm

DohwanKim747 wrote:
How did anyone not notice that he was inebriated in the first place? Seems like a fairly serious breach. At any rate, it looks like there will be a new job opening at AA...

The article said he was suspended.

stratclub · Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:36 pm

jetblueguy22 wrote:
ILNFlyer wrote:
Intoxication = termination

I’m willing to bet even if he was sober stowaway=termination

Sure, because if he was sober, he may have been there intentionally to steal from customers baggage. I had heard of some B/H's that got fired for doing exactly that.

jetmatt777 · Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:24 pm

stratclub wrote:
jetblueguy22 wrote:
ILNFlyer wrote:
Intoxication = termination

I’m willing to bet even if he was sober stowaway=termination

Sure, because if he was sober, he may have been there intentionally to steal from customers baggage. I had heard of some B/H's that got fired for doing exactly that.

How do you think bags get in there in the first place? Someone has to be in the cargo hold to load them. It’s actually pretty common to find someone has fallen asleep. While they aren’t comfortable, if you’re tired they are actually pretty easy places to accidentally fall asleep. The sound of the air conditioning makes a very drowned out white noise sound that insulates you from what’s going on outside on the ground, and the airplane is usually vibrating just enough to lull you into a nap if you are not careful. If there’s a slight breeze outside the airplane will also be pitching back and forth just so slightly. Under these circumstances it’s normal for the body to want to sleep, after all our first 9 months of brain development were in similar conditions.

I’ve dozed off in the cargo hold before on an early morning shift, before. It’s just the right recipe of conditions. That was when I first started and wasn’t really aware of how easy it was. Now that I know how easy it is to fall asleep in that condition I make it a point to never lay down in the cargo hold. Most people do though. Not a lot of head room if you are sitting down, and the curve of the fuselage is an ergonomic position believe it or not.

smokeybandit · Fri Nov 02, 2018 1:11 pm

Ryanair and Spirit say "hey, that's a good idea"

TheKennady2 · Fri Nov 02, 2018 1:53 pm

jetmatt777 wrote:
stratclub wrote:
jetblueguy22 wrote:
I’m willing to bet even if he was sober stowaway=termination

Sure, because if he was sober, he may have been there intentionally to steal from customers baggage. I had heard of some B/H's that got fired for doing exactly that.

How do you think bags get in there in the first place? Someone has to be in the cargo hold to load them. It’s actually pretty common to find someone has fallen asleep. While they aren’t comfortable, if you’re tired they are actually pretty easy places to accidentally fall asleep. The sound of the air conditioning makes a very drowned out white noise sound that insulates you from what’s going on outside on the ground, and the airplane is usually vibrating just enough to lull you into a nap if you are not careful. If there’s a slight breeze outside the airplane will also be pitching back and forth just so slightly. Under these circumstances it’s normal for the body to want to sleep, after all our first 9 months of brain development were in similar conditions.

I’ve dozed off in the cargo hold before on an early morning shift, before. It’s just the right recipe of conditions. That was when I first started and wasn’t really aware of how easy it was. Now that I know how easy it is to fall asleep in that condition I make it a point to never lay down in the cargo hold. Most people do though. Not a lot of head room if you are sitting down, and the curve of the fuselage is an ergonomic position believe it or not.

Interesting, i was not aware of all those details as i never worked near planes but as much as ramp workers physically do i am not suprised cargo hold Naps are potentially a common occurence.

727200 · Fri Nov 02, 2018 1:59 pm

The kicker will be if AA charges him pass travel rate for this both coming and going.

dfwjim1 · Fri Nov 02, 2018 5:27 pm

Wonder if there have ever been instances were an employee has stowed/fallen asleep in the luggage compartment, flown to another destination and sneaked out of the luggage compartment when no one was paying attention at the destination? Seems like it might be possible at a large operation with the employee dressed in work clothes and having his ID on him/her.

airbazar · Fri Nov 02, 2018 5:43 pm

This is not the first time someone takes a nap in the cargo hold and goes for a ride, and I doubt it will be the last. It's still funny tho.

evank516 · Fri Nov 02, 2018 5:46 pm

dfwjim1 wrote:
Wonder if there have ever been instances were an employee has stowed/fallen asleep in the luggage compartment, flown to another destination and sneaked out of the luggage compartment when no one was paying attention at the destination? Seems like it might be possible at a large operation with the employee dressed in work clothes and having his ID on him/her.

I think it would be pretty difficult. Especially when someone with an MCI badge is walking around the tarmac at ORD.

ripcordd · Fri Nov 02, 2018 6:02 pm

Always if you nap let your leg hanging out the door

Redwood839 · Fri Nov 02, 2018 6:31 pm

dragon6172 wrote:
Apparently he may have tried to open the door?

Couple of employee internal numbers on there. Might want to white out perhaps?

Ziyulu · Fri Nov 02, 2018 7:21 pm

How many AAdvantage miles will he get for this trip?

Interflug74 · Fri Nov 02, 2018 7:35 pm

you´re not a real ramper without an trip like this

Bald1983 · Fri Nov 02, 2018 7:51 pm

F9Animal wrote:
I am pretty sure he sobered up real quick when the plane was rolling down the runway! I am somewhat shocked he actually admitted to being intoxicated! I am all for honesty, but I would do all I could to save my job!

Good luck to him finding another job in this industry.

The only thing that leads to being sober is time after one stops drinking. I assume he is on the way to former employee.

ILNFlyer · Tue Nov 06, 2018 7:33 pm

I think they just invented a new way to make sure they have enough baggage handlers at each station.

m0ssy · Tue Nov 06, 2018 9:12 pm

Does this ever happen without anyone finding out?

Flyingdevil737 · Tue Nov 06, 2018 9:39 pm

smokeybandit wrote:
Ryanair and Spirit say "hey, that's a good idea"

alex0easy · Tue Nov 06, 2018 10:29 pm

AA news basic economy class launched? :stirthepot:

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