I was checking in for my TK flight to IST from MXP the other day. There was 1 counter open for J (and *A gold) passengers and 3 open for Y passengers.

Naturally there were a lot more people queueing up for Y than J, but the Y queue actually moved rather quickly than J, because it's 3 counters versus 1. I was third in the J queue, but the first passenger took so long to check in that the Y counter lady immediately next to the J counter noticed that we haven't quite moved for 15 minutes or so, while the Y passengers were very quickly processed. So she did what in my view was the absolutely right thing - she stopped servicing the Y queue and started to invite the next J passenger (the person queueing in front of me) to be checked in quicker at her Y counter.

That person however declined to go to her Y counter even though she waved him over several times, indicating that it's OK to do so. He decided to act self sacrificial and continued standing there, not budging an inch. After a while of beckoning him and getting refusals, she turned to me as the next passenger in the J queue and invited me over instead. Naturally, I accepted her invitation and she proceeded to check me in.

Alas, the person that was in front of me started to cause a scene almost immediately by expressing his indignance in public, grumbling and ranting. And when he got to the front of the J counter, he turned right to the check in lady at the Y counter and started to berate her mercilessly, calling her impolite and inconsiderate of the many people already queueing up for Y.

Personally, I think the Y check in lady did the absolute right thing. J and *A gold passengers are indeed given priority check in as a benefit. Just because that self-righteous twat declined to use the benefit doesn't mean that he should scold her for offering it to another passenger (me!) who gleefully exercised my right.

The whole episode was rather unpleasant, less so for me but definitely for the TK check in lady... but kudos to her who remained totally calm and polite throughout, although I can imagine her anger at being scolded so unreasonably by such a poorly behaved passenger just for doing her job.