How travelling "status" changes people

[leadman]

One of my habits when filling idle time in at airports and hotels is to observe the different human traits which change when people travel. If its from entering/enjoying an F lounge or up the pointy end of the plane people react so differently; some its like kids in a candy store, others its the arrogant, obnoxious behaviour often documented and discussed in these posts.

But a classic yesterday coming through passport control at KUL there were 52 (I counted!) people lined up at the priority line (being processed by one officer), but no more than 6 - 8 pax in the normal "corral". I got straight through and waited for my bags and the guy I was sitting next to finally came through and had to ask him why he didn't take the normal queue where no one was. His reply; "I have status"!!!!

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

-snip- ... "I have status"!!!!

There's probably an ancient Chinese proverb that goes something like:
"It's difficult to see what's going on around you when your nose is stuck in the air"

 

[Princess Fiona]

I've seen this on more than one occasion in Australia domestically at security. I usually do a Ryan Bingham style profiling exercise and choose my queue wisely regardless of whether or not it's the priority one.

 

[Pushka]

I was told to go through priority by the security guy when the normal line was shorter.

 

[RooFlyer]

Good topic! At MEL international in particular priority security queue often way longer than the normal one, so I shift over (sometimes to the obvious dis-approval of the monitoring guy).

But my biggest consistent example of this is the Air Canada priority check-in queue at Calgary (it serves domestic and USA flights). Always, always, always a queue of 6 to 10 and always move slow due to some dork wanting to re-arrange their schedule at the check-in counter. One agent serves 'Super Elite' (say, P1s in QF parlance) and the other ordinary Elite (say Gold and Plat). However, at 2 hrs prior to departure, when you should be checking in for USA flights due to pre clear USA immigration etc, the regular check-in queue is usually empty to abt 5 pax, with 3 agents serving.

The normal check-in agents WILL NOT call priority people over, even if they have no-one else to serve. So I just join the normal queue and through I go; but there is some in-grained thing about Canadians that they don't 'queue jump' and always form orderly, patient lines and wouldn't dream about changing queues, even when the other line is empty.

In this picture note the 'super elite' agent on the left busy on her computer, which she was the entire time I looked. Single priority agent serving a guy who was there the entire time I noticed (ie the time I walked over to the empty non priority queue, got checked in for flight to LAX and walked off).

 

[chelzmalee]

but there is some in-grained thing about Canadians that they don't 'queue jump' and always form orderly, patient lines and wouldn't dream about changing queues, even when the other line is empty

It's the pom in them, I bet.


I once had a SUPER tight connection in Singapore, and the cabin crew manager specifically called over the PA (or whatever it is) on the aircraft to say that 2 passengers (me and my travelling companion) had tight connections and would everyone please allow us through the exit the aircraft first. Flying Y, towards the rear of the aircraft, meant wading through and almost all of Y stayed seated. I get to J and the lady in front of me, blocking the corridor, says "Can't you just wait for J to disembark?" to which I replied "Did you not hear the announcement? We have a very tight connection, would you please let us past". She let us past and we did make the connection but boy was I mad. Apparently cabin crew directions are only to be followed sometimes.

 

[vetrade]

But my biggest consistent example of this is the Air Canada priority check-in queue at Calgary (it serves domestic and USA flights). Always, always, always a queue of 6 to 10 and always move slow due to some dork wanting to re-arrange their schedule at the check-in counter. One agent serves 'Super Elite' (say, P1s in QF parlance) and the other ordinary Elite (say Gold and Plat). However, at 2 hrs prior to departure, when you should be checking in for USA flights due to pre clear USA immigration etc, the regular check-in queue is usually empty to abt 5 pax, with 3 agents serving.

Must be contagious at Calgary - have seen a similar thing there with Westjet recently. 3 staff initially and queues quite long. One staff member (supposedly serving priority pax) only processed 2 people before disappearing out the rear door and not returning. Second staff member spent all his time (over 30 min) with only one pax -seemingly doing little more than talking while the pax added to her already considerable girth with several candy bars in succession. Third staff member unbelievably slow. Queue grew from about 12 initially to about 40 while we waited. A couple of times other staff poked their head out the door but retreated as soon as they saw the length of the queue.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I once had a SUPER tight connection in Singapore, and the cabin crew manager specifically called over the PA (or whatever it is) on the aircraft to say that 2 passengers (me and my travelling companion) had tight connections and would everyone please allow us through the exit the aircraft first. Flying Y, towards the rear of the aircraft, meant wading through and almost all of Y stayed seated. I get to J and the lady in front of me, blocking the corridor, says "Can't you just wait for J to disembark?" to which I replied "Did you not hear the announcement? We have a very tight connection, would you please let us past". She let us past and we did make the connection but boy was I mad. Apparently cabin crew directions are only to be followed sometimes.

While I agree it would be common courtesy to allow passengers with a tight connection to leave the aircraft quickly, that comes down to the willingness of other passengers to assist. I not sure there there is any legal basis attached to the crew member instruction in this case.

 

[leadman]

I'm fairly sure there is no legal basis, and I hope not, but it comes back to my theme of starting this thread; how "status" can effect some people.

 

[jastel]

The legal basis would be you are supposed to follow cabin crews instructions, no matter if you disagree with them.

 

[leadman]

Agreed, I suppose I just take it for granted once I have entered the plane.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The legal basis would be you are supposed to follow cabin crews instructions, no matter if you disagree with them.

There is no such legal basis.

Passengers are (rightly) required to follow lawful crew member instructions. Passengers are also (rightly) prohibited from interfering with crew member duties, or from threatening/intimidating crew.

'No smoking' is a lawful crew member instruction. 'You are not permitted to leave this aircraft' (even though the aircraft has stopped, the seat belt sign has been extinguished, the door is open, the air bridge is in place, there is no regulatory impediment, and it is safe for you to leave the aircraft) is possibly not.

It might be bad manners, but I doubt it's illegal.

 

[ermen]

There is no such legal basis.

Passengers are (rightly) required to follow lawful crew member instructions. Passengers are also (rightly) prohibited from interfering with crew member duties, or from threatening/intimidating crew.

'No smoking' is a lawful crew member instruction. 'You are not permitted to leave this aircraft' (even though the aircraft has stopped, the seat belt sign has been extinguished, the door is open, the air bridge is in place, there is no regulatory impediment, and it is safe for you to leave the aircraft) is possibly not.

It might be bad manners, but I doubt it's illegal.

I think the request to let others past is a lawful request in that it is neither unlawful nor unreasonable.

Same as allowing F, J then Y to disembark. Argue for an orderly boarding process for a safe and smooth operation of the flight.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

There's no way I would allow some trumped up sense of elitism to stop me queue hoping if I thought I could get my bags and out of the airport quicker.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

I think the request to let others past is a lawful request in that it is neither unlawful nor unreasonable.

Same as allowing F, J then Y to disembark. Argue for an orderly boarding process for a safe and smooth operation of the flight.

Mythbusters did an interesting simulation of various way to board an aircraft, and the non assigned seating free for all turned out to be the fastest, but also the one that passengers disliked the most. It turned out the current boarding method was the slowest