Threatened with arrest while checking in
 

Upon checking in for a Delta flight from Madrid, Spain to ATL, I was informed that my suitcase was overweight (51 lbs.) and that I would be fined $150.00. When I offered to remove an item, say, a jacket, I was threatened with arrest for touching a bag that was already on the scale, and that I would have to pay the fine or I would not be allowed to fly. Never once during this incident did I raise my voice or act in a menacing manner. At the check-in desk directly next to me, a woman had broken down into hysterical crying because she too had been fined, and didn't have a penny to her name after her holiday to pay the fine. She was not allowed to fly- unbelievable!
This is utterly inexcusable, and I will NEVER fly Delta again for ANY reason, personal or professional. I travel professionally, frequently overseas, and I have informed my employer to NEVER book me a flight on Delta, under any circumstances. Customer service is killing the airline industry, not fuel prices or terrorism. Will these imbeciles ever learn that their business is all about customer service, more than anything, and that the general public has had enough?
The only words I can think of to describe this situation are of the four-letter variety, and in the interest of public decency I will not print those words here.

Here's another in a long line of, "Gee, I didn't do anything and they threatened to arrest me!" If you were "fined", sounds like you were already arrested.

I think the OP was "fined" for the overweight bag, and not by the police.

While I am normaly skeptical with the whole "I was threatened with arrest and I did not do anything" scenarios, I am tending to believe the post. I have seen many counter agents become very protective over the bags once they have been placed on the scale.

I don't know if Spanish security measures prevent the passenger from touching his or her bag once it was present to the carrier and before it was processed through security, so it is possible that the OP was about to violate Spanish Security Procedures - but I doubt it.

I think this was just a counter clerk on a power trip.

You're not "fined" for having overweight luggage. It's a nice propaganda tool to make something look really heinous though.

A fine is something you HAVE to pay, levied by a government agency. In this case, you have to pay an overweight fee.

With the problems the Spanish have with Basque Separatists, they are VERY sensitive about terrorism. Remember the bombed trains in Spain several years ago? So it's likely there is some rule enforced by Spanish authorities about luggage, and probably not Delta's doing.

Another problem with this is that while the airline the OP was flying may have indeed been Delta, I seriously doubt the agent that was checking passengers in were Delta employees. It has been my experience in most international cities with almost all U.S. carriers that the agents at the check-in counter are actually airport employees. Don't blame the airline for something an airline employee did.

Wasn't Madrids airport bombed also a couple years ago?

Need to correct typo
 

What I meant to say was "don't blame the airline for something an airport employee did."

I don't know of any airline employee who would refuse to let someone remove something from a bag that is one pound overweight. Most airline personnel are not looking for an argument or confrontation. They want to make things easier for themselves also, so, why refuse to let a passenger travel if their luggage is slightly overweight? The options are generally A) pay the overweight charge or B) remove something.

Seig Heil!
 

WOW! YOU ALLOW PEOPLE TO POST WITH A NAME LIKE "CUNTINENTAL", BUT DECIDE THAT MY POST IS THE INAPPROPRIATE ONE!
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Dear EXCO,

You have received an infraction at AirlineComplaints.org.

Reason: Unhelpful / Inflammatory Post
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Unhelpful / Inflammatory Post
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Original Post:
http://www.AirlineComplaints.org/showthread.php?p=10374
Quote:
Here's another in a long line of, "Gee, I didn't do anything and they threatened to arrest me!" If you were "fined", sounds like you were already arrested.
All the best,
AirlineComplaints.org

I reported the name as being inappropriate, you should do the same.

This is the post s/he is talking about if you haven't seen it.

I did report it and the Administrator did NOTHING. I guess he is too busy looking to give demerits to those who state an opinion.