Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiianair This company doesn't adhere to their published check bag policy thus enabling them to rip you off at check in counter Honolulu, Hawaii
Wife & I traveling from Big Island to LAX, As I do not like problems I went to their website & printed their checked baggage policy. While packing we had 3 containers, we both measured & weighed
on bathroom scale All three containers were under weight & sum of height + length + width.
Imagine my surprise as we got to front of line in Hilo & gentleman tells me, "That will be $185.00
WTF why please tell? That's our baggage policy. Hold the phone cousin I just have a copy of your online published checked bag policy. Lad talking to me in the traditional pidgen, "No matta brada
it cost you $185 or you can leave bags in Hilo, did you want to review your firms policy, no, no time pay or get outta line you holding up check in. I'm retired old goat, living on pension $185.00 is a lot of money to me. I paid we flew. But I assure you I'll not be on Hawaiian Air in the future.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
Shraon
Seattle,Washington,
U.S.A.
Did He File Complaint with DOT?
#7Consumer Comment
Mon, December 10, 2012
This is well over a year later, but I just came across this complaint. If the author hasn't already done so, he should file a complaint with the Department of Transportation. Do a google to find their complaint form, which can be submitted electronically. Assuming the author had only 3 pieces (whatever "container" means) and each piece was within the weight and size limits, Hawaiian may have violated the terms of its own baggage policy, which is required to be posted online.
This may not help the author directly, but if enough of these complaints come in, DOT may decide to institute an enforcement action against Hawaiian, which would result in the assessment of fines.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Now
#7Consumer Comment
Sun, August 07, 2011
You are trying to make this reporter look stupid with your own assumptions
- Where in this report do I make him seem stupid. I never used the word stupid or dumb. The closest I got to this is saying that they may have done some "selective reading" in the policy. Which if you read a lot of reports around here you realize that this is very common. In my posts I have only asked for them to clear it up. In fact I even have gone so far that said depending on the circumstances he may have a valid complaint. Funny how I don't see you posting that depending on the circumstances that he may be wrong.
As for "assumptions"? You are assuming that because they didn't mention anything about any other bags that they didn't have any. So what IF his wife did have bags and he is only complaining about the $185 he didn't think he should be charged? We don't even know how much he thinks he should be charged. He didn't say what he thought he should have been charged, just that he was charged $185. So you are "assuming" that he is complaining because it was $100 more. What if he thought he should have been charged nothing? Would you still come here and say he has a valid complaint?
You can call me a "sympathizer" if that makes you feel better. But all that generally shows is that you have nothing to defend against what was said you you attack the poster. Until the OP comes back and clears up some of these details everything is an assumption.
Steve
Mesa,Arizona,
USA
We only have what is written to go off of.
#7Consumer Comment
Sat, August 06, 2011
Robert, he did not say that these "containers" were in addition to his suitcases. If that was the case he would not have been charged $ 185,- anyway but far more.
Ok, I agree that the term "container" is unusual but he also stated that they were within the dimensions & weight limits. Could have been boxes or whatever. Obviously the kind of "container" was not the the issue, just the number. You are trying to make this reporter look stupid with your own assumptions - typical airline sympathizer.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Steve
#7Consumer Comment
Sat, August 06, 2011
Didn't he clearly explain that he travelled together with his wife and that they had 3 bags together ?
- Actually no. He did state that it was him and his wife(so yes I did miss that part). He did state that this complaint involves 3 containers. But he does not state and has not posted additional details as to if those were the only 3 items. The terms "containers" is not a standard term to use and COULD lead to the thought that these containers were in addition to their regular bags. After all if you travel do you go saying you have "containers" to check?
We only have what is written to go off of. So IF they only had 3 "containers" between them then yes you would be correct it would only be a 1st bag for each of them, and a 2nd bag for one making a total of $85. And the OP would have a very valid complaint if there are no additional key details left out.
Key details such as why they couldn't "move" one of the bags from one ticket to the other to turn that 3rd bag into the first bag of the other person. Or other key details as to what made up the $185.
By the way: are you a Hawaiian Airlines public relations person, almost sounded like that..
- No. The OP stated they had a copy of the on-line baggage policy. The policy I found had a way to get to the $185 with 3 bags. The OP seems to have a different policy that states different fees. Again if the OP would come back and give more details such as what he was expecting to pay it may help either explain the fees or prove that it was in fact a "RipOff".
Steve
Mesa,Arizona,
USA
Baggage policy
#7Consumer Comment
Sat, August 06, 2011
Didn't he clearly explain that he travelled together with his wife and that they had 3 bags together ? Their baggage policy is per ticket, not per party. Assuming that they checked these 3 bags in, they should have been charged two times $ 25 for the first bags ($ 50,-) plus $ 35 for the second bag for one of the passengers - total = $ 85,-
The big ripoff is the "3rd bag" which actually was the second bag for one of the two passengers. By the way: are you a Hawaiian Airlines public relations person, almost sounded like that....
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Fees
#7Consumer Comment
Sat, June 18, 2011
Just in taking a look at their checked-bags fees. If you ticket was issued AFTER 1/17/2011 the fees were as follows for coach traveling from HI to the Continential US.
http://help.hawaiianair.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/80/~/check-in-%2F-carry-on-baggage---fees,-policies,-exceptions#tp
1st Bag - $25
2nd Bag - $35
3rd Bag - $125
Weren't you charged $185 for 3 bags? So exactly what part of the policy did you look at? I would guess that you probably did some selective reading/printing and decided to just ignore the portion that talked about the fees.
By the way not that it looks like they charged you any overweight or oversized fees. Exactly what were these "containers" and what was the dimensions and weight of each one individually.