I was thinking about this after reading these comments in the thread about self-upgrading passengers:
Originally Posted by
BlueMilk
This started to happen to me too. I think it's SOP unless your vanity tag is on display.
.......
Your technique?
Originally Posted by
canadiancow
That's great, until you encounter an agent who doesn't believe you have status, even when they're staring at your PNR on their screen, and accuses you of using your father's Aeroplan number.
Nothing can solve the problem of agents thinking you don't belong in that line or seat. ........
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-c...engers-17.html
There is a definite pattern to this and the worst of the behaviour has been from YYZ, YUL and YVR airport employees.
In all cases and without any grace or tact, they concluded I did not belong in the priority aisle or the SE lines.
These employees all came from a similar age demographic, which may thus be a pre-dispotion, but who knows.
As for BlueMilk's point about displaying the "brag tag", well, apparently they have no meaning or value.
- One YYZ bouncer said:" Oh, the SE tags are dark and your bag is black, so it's hard to tell". Seriously?
- On another day, the bouncer asked to see my SE card while at the same time, a guy dressed in vacation-wear, with his wife and kids and 4 luggage carts walked right by me and the bouncer with nary a question from the bouncer. (Maybe I should wear less clothes)
- the YUL GA challenged the ownership of my tags saying "plenty of people use tags belonging to family or friends". I said to her: "The appropriate way to treat customers is to say Hello, may I see your boarding pass". Instead, she started on offence and made a poor and incorrect assumption. Stupid.
- I was first in line and the YVR check-in agent pointed with her finger and said "You know, that's the SE line". I said yes. She said "That line is for SEs". I replied yes, I know that. She pointed in another direction and said: "The regular line is over there".
When I got to the counter and showed her my card and tags on my bags, I asked her why she said what she did, and why she assumed I was not a SE - without even bothering to ask me. She did not answer. I asked for her name, she gave me a name. I reported the episode to a senior staff person who replied "We have no one with that name". Wow.
So, first you insult a paying customer, then you ignore their question, then you lie about you're name. She was an awesome representative of Air Canada.
NOW CONTRAST THAT WITH......
....how I am treated by CX, SQ, BR and AA, as well as AC employees and ground staff at NRT and HKG:
When I've stood in their priority lines in SIN, TPE, YYZ, HKG, NRT etc, never once was I asked if I'm SE, or a J pax or if I'm Zone 1 or IF I BELONG.
They definitely check, but in a graceful and professional way. They usually ask to see all BPs and passports of everyone in line, and then they initial the BPs. In the case of SQ, BR and CX, as they check my BPs they always say "24left, Thank you for flying with us and enjoy your flight”.
Just saying.....