Ridiculous or not? Airline rules were meant to be broken (by elites)

[thewinchester]

Now I suspect I'll be preaching to the choir here, but I suspect Chris Elliott might be off smoking the single flight a year cool-aid with this latest missive:

Ridiculous or not? Airline rules were meant to be broken (by elites)
by Christopher Elliott on May 20, 2011

You don’t have to fly frequently to know the airline industry has some of the most ridiculous rules in the travel business. But if you fly enough, you may not have to follow all of them.

For example: Most passengers are herded through boarding areas in large, disorganized groups. Unless you’re an elite-level frequent flier; then you skip through a “breezeway” or over a red carpet, away from the long line, directly to your preferred seat. Frequent fliers also get to shortcut the lengthy security line at some airports, and they don’t have to pay many checked luggage fees and other surcharges.

It turns out that’s just the tip of a two-tiered system under which elites aren’t always held to the same rules as other customers. In interviews with current and former frequent fliers as well as airline personnel, a clearer picture of this two-class system has emerged. Airlines often waive rules for their best customers, go beyond their contract of carriage and even hold the aircraft for latecomers.

I'm surprised this surprises Chris, let alone anyone else who travels often enough to understand how the system works.

However, these last two paragraphs irked me the most - enough to make me leave a rather strong reply:

Still, there’s a growing perception that there are two groups of airline passengers: one to whom all of the absurd rules always apply, and the other for which they may not.

Airlines call the practice “segmentation.” But ordinary passengers have another word for it: unfair.

In part, I'm of the view that an Airline is no different to any other business and how they treat their customers. And if you don't like how you're being treated compared to others - then you can always vote with your feet and take your business elsewhere:

Like any business in the known universe, Airlines have the right to do what they legally can to retain customers. Airlines extending benefits to their best and most loyal customers because of that status is no different to your local pizza joint who gives you a discount on their bill because you've got to know the owner on a first name basis over years of eating there.

If you don't like how other customers are being treated compared to you - you always have a choice to vote with your feet. I suspect they'll not even bother breaking out the small violin for you as you leave their terminal.

What do you think - too hard on Chris, or is he really drinking the cool-aid?

 

[Febs]

What do you think

I think this Chris guy was running short on articles that week/month!

 

[medhead]

What do you think - too hard on Chris, or is he really drinking the cool-aid?

I think the point he is missing is that what so called elites get (well most of the things he mentioned) are there in black and white in the rules. Express pass, priority security screening, red carpets

 

[Robert K]

He forgot the free food

 

[malmacdowall]

I think it's probably best that Chris sticks to the low cost - single class carriers ...... Where everybody is treated badly..... Sounds fair to me

 

[straitman]

Magic Mushrooms?


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[Justinf]

It was a boring, ridiculous article and a complete waste of my time.

 

[ozmille]

Couple of minutes I wil ever get back And must be a combination of mushrooms and other stuff...

 

[harvyk]

Couldn't resist...

Just to really stick the knife in, I'm one of those people whom the airlines look after... I've bypassed security lines, been given the plum seats, able to move flights around on non-transferrable tickets, and get refund on non-refundable tickets.

However to earn that right I was flying with a certain airline every couple of days.

 

[elbarto]

Now I suspect I'll be preaching to the choir here, but I suspect Chris Elliott might be off smoking the single flight a year cool-aid with this latest missive:

I'm surprised this surprises Chris, let alone anyone else who travels often enough to understand how the system works.

However, these last two paragraphs irked me the most - enough to make me leave a rather strong reply:

In part, I'm of the view that an Airline is no different to any other business and how they treat their customers. And if you don't like how you're being treated compared to others - then you can always vote with your feet and take your business elsewhere:

What do you think - too hard on Chris, or is he really drinking the cool-aid?

Seems to me he's one of these morons who buy the cheapest ticket flies once a year and demands first class service. Clearly chris has no concept of earning anything and just expects all the associated benefits. Maybe the airline declined his upgrade request.