So true. No matter what industry you have "friends" working in, you are always bound to get to do something that the average joe won't have access to. I met a performer, through friends, who worked in Don Ardenn's Jubilee at Bally's Las Vegas. I wanted to see backstage, and after the last performance of the night, I got a backstage tour of the dressing rooms, props, set pieces, got to walk on a now empty stage and even put a headdress on my head for the fun of it. And it wasn't one of those "one size fits all pay for a backstage tour" tour. So everyone gets a perk here and there.

Twenty years ago, while vacationing in Sydney AU, I made friends with a guy who worked for Continental's ticket counter. (remember the days when CO flew 747's to Australia?) My flight from the US originated on UA from LAX to SFO and then catching Qantas from SFO to SYD. A Qantas ticket person who I became friends with said he could get me back to LAX nonstop in coach. However, he failed to come through. My CO friend said to bring my tickets to his counter they day I was flying back to the US. So, I did, and my CO friend put myself and my traveling bud in FC on CO with a layover in HNL and then we had to move to coach for the remainder of the trip to LAX. But he gave us bulkhead seats. Probably wouldn't happen now, but it did back in 1990.

But the main thing is, if you were the lucky recipient of the perks your friend got, would you like it if they wanted to report you, or your friend with connections? Probably not.