Thomas Frank: First we kill all the diamond-class five-million milers
#16
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: AA LifeTime PLT (2.982 MM, But 3MM+ Total), HHonors GOLD, IHG AMB
Posts: 787
Hilarious read. So true in many circumstances. But, I still will not move my seat so that the lady---with lower status---can watch the movie instead. LOL
Spock Seat @:-)
Spock Seat @:-)
#18
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,134
Yeah, and that's why I took Amtrak until east-west OTP just plain disintegrated this year. I still use it for almost all of my north-south travels (I have yet to take a flight that wasn't either cross-country or, in a few odd cases, up and down the west coast...with the odd exception of an inaugural flight for a now-likely-deceased airline) and that is unlikely to change...the times between VA and FL are pretty good, the frequencies (and times) up to New York are good, especially from DC, and the cost to Montreal can't be beat. Oh, and the effective lack of anything like the TSA BS is a big, big winner.
#19
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Chicago
Programs: Mileage Plus, Rapid Rewards
Posts: 949
Did you even read the article?
#20
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 810
"I suspect there aren’t that many true Point-One Percenters among the airlines’ elite programs, either—those people are taking private jets. And the prestige the platinum pendant enjoys is actually that of a conscientious consumer, a champion collector of green stamps, a hamster who has really made that ol’ wheel spin. The life of the real elite goes on somewhere else."
Ok, this was a good one.
An utterly ignorant phrase, and I'm not even a writer.
Ok, this was a good one.
An utterly ignorant phrase, and I'm not even a writer.
#21
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: LHR
Programs: AA
Posts: 773
I'm not sure where the spite in this thread is coming from. The point that is being made is that all of us, elite or not, are basically in this together, in a world of declining service and dehumanization at the hands of global corporations who dole out meager amenities by way of cost-cutting spreadsheets. I don't think that's at odds with appreciating the miracle of modern flight, or acknowledging improvements in areas like safety. I think most people on this board would agree that FF and service in general are declining across most airlines these days, and certainly anyone who regularly flew pre-9/11 remembers how different the overall airport experience used to be (remember getting to meet your family at the arrival gate?). Sure, this article isn't blowing anyone's minds with brand new observations, but I think it's a good reminder (for a general audience, not an FT audience) that the EXP flier probably isn't the person the economy flier should be resenting as they're crammed into ever-tighter seats with no complimentary food while flying 3000 miles.
#23
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Programs: Global Mercenary
Posts: 193
"I suspect there arent that many true Point-One Percenters among the airlines elite programs, eitherthose people are taking private jets. And the prestige the platinum pendant enjoys is actually that of a conscientious consumer, a champion collector of green stamps, a hamster who has really made that ol wheel spin. The life of the real elite goes on somewhere else."
Ok, this was a good one.
An utterly ignorant phrase, and I'm not even a writer.
Ok, this was a good one.
An utterly ignorant phrase, and I'm not even a writer.
"Those who can't do, teach. And those who can't teach, teach gym."
#24
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home Airports: CAE/CLT
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, National Executive
Posts: 5,452