Originally Posted by DLDYKWIA

Disclaimer: Forgive me for this DYKWIA rant, I don't endorse this type of commentary EVER, which is why I am not posting under my usual FT account.

I will begin by saying, I have NO status in any elite program anymore with the exception of lifetime DL FO by being a 1MM+. Yet, the majority of my adult life, since the early 1980s, I have been brand loyal to DL (domestic) and UA (transatlantic) with various hotel loyalties over the years as the winds blew with our corporate contracts. My final year of DL elite status, as a DM, expired in February of this year. Now that I am older, I have come to appreciate that elite status in an airline, hotel, or rental car company program does not equal elite anything in the real world, yet so many of you (us) act like you're (we're) something special because we travel a lot for work.

Last night, I flew into ATL and spent the night at the Airport Hilton where I was nearly knocked down by some eager young buck with a HHonors Diamond card while I was paying for a nice upper floor room out of my own pocket.

This morning, the "gate lice" as y'all call them nearly ran me over waiting on my ATL-DTW flight while I was patiently waiting to board on my paid F fare only to board and find that I'm sitting in 1C next to one of the very people that was so rude to the GA and flight crew as she tried to get to her seat. Her actions and statements reeked of "DYKWIA."

As I now sit in the SC at DTW waiting for my 4 PM DTW-AMS flight, I am amused and horrified at the actions of a DM who loudly complained that he couldn't bring 3 guests into the SC and demanded a supervisor and while reading this board, of which I have been a long time member, with so many "I know more than you" comments and "DYKWIA" comments targeted to people who simply have questions to try and improve their travel situations.

Pardon me for this DYKWIA rant, but I've now, in my older age, forgone my frequent travel for the ability to be in executive management and direct those who do the frequent travel in our company. But, I've been there and done that and frankly don't like what this world is coming to that people treat others so poorly not recognizing who some of those non-status travellers around you actually are, people who are super elites in life but not in your precious travel programs.

Think about that the next time you travel and you're railroading some "gate lice" "kettle" or "lowly FO" because you think you've accomplished something because you racked up most of your miles with your AmEx Reserve and a few BIS travel segments.