At the risk of being further OT, that thought did pop into my head, I suspect you'll see 20 or more airports for every one I see, so I've no doubt there will be worse out there.

For us (and our travel companions who are working their way up the BAEC tree) it was a very stark reminder of how much we'd got used to our status (or cabin) benefits and how much they can smooth the process! Maybe that's no bad thing.....