American

American Airlines Website

American does not appear to fly poles.

Official Policy from their website

http://www.americanairlines.com/content/travelInformation/baggage/baggageAllowance.jhtml
• Baggage measuring more than 115 in/292 cm (total outside dimensions; length + width + height) will not be accepted as checked baggage.

User Experiences

Name: Paul Litchfield
Date Traveled: March 2004
Airline: American
Describe your experience: One year when I went to Nationals in Arkansas I flew
American Airlines and they charged me $85 for poles on the way out
and $125 on the way back.

Name: Joni Mayes
Date Traveled:
Airline: American
Describe your experience: We have flown American with poles once, but will never do it again. It was $80 each way. For convenience for a meet that Jodie was trying to get to after flying to Miami, we drove 5 hrs. to fly out of St. Louis so that when we came back it would just be about a 2 hr. drive to a meet in Columbia. I had talked to baggage about 3 times prior to driving to St. Louis and asked them to note it in their system that I had spoken with them. We arrived in St. Louis only to be told that they could not get the poles on the plane...that they were too big. I told them that I specifically booked a flight on a 747 DC10 whatever that is the same size as Southwest uses and that they would fit. I asked them to check to see where I had called baggage. They then decided I needed to talk to the airport manager. They finally figured out they COULD get them on the plane (duh).... they did get to Miami on time. This is the reason we always try to get to an airport at least 2 hours before the flight is scheduled to leave to allow for "uninformed" employees.
The problem was on the way back. We got to the airport at 6 for an 8:30 flight. I watched them take the poles on a cart to go down and put them on the flight at about 6:30. When we boarded, I asked one of the stewards if he could call baggage and make sure that the poles got on the plane. He told me that since 9/11, no passenger flies without their luggage and no luggage goes without the passenger. HA....that's a good one! We got to St. Louis...no poles. It took them 1 1/2 hours to tell us that they did not put them on the plane...no room. HA again...we got there 2 1/2 hrs. early and paid another $80 to get them on the plane. When did they decide that there was no room? We then had to wait another 4 hours in the St. Louis airport for them to come in on another flight. We will never fly American again with poles.

Do you have an American experience to share? Copy and paste the following information into an email. Make the subject "FLYING WITH POLES". Send to becca@polevaultpower.com

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