Before jumping to any conclusions, there may be a number of legitimate reasons why someone would want to 'cheat' the ticket barriers before the in-town check-in area.

For example, in the past where I have arrived at the AEX station just before the check-in deadline (T-90), one of my travel companions would buy tickets while the rest of us would rush through the ticket barriers to the check-in desk, hoping to reach it before the check-in deadline. Also, in the past when I wished to say goodbye to a friend at the AEX station, I would accompany him/her to the check-in desk and then down to the platform before parting ways. I have always found the AEX staff to be very helpful and understanding - if you explain to them that you're in a rush or accompanying a friend, they are very happy to help (and sometimes even hold the barriers open for you!)

On the other hand, the check-in staff can be a bit hit and miss. I was once berated by the Jardine check-in staff (the ground handling agents for BA, AY etc) when I arrived 10 mins before the check-in deadline for my BA flight and was told to arrive earlier next time. The in-town check-in staff seem to work more slowly (and this is not just Jardine check-in staff), possibly because they often have to call a supervisor at the airport to check things. Apart from CX, the other airlines do not have a separate queue for elite members and premium passengers. I once saw some Finnish elite passengers travelling on AY complaining to the check-in agent that they had been waiting for over 10 mins and asking if they could skip the queue - they were not impressed when they check-in agent remarked that there was 1 queue for everyone.