Originally Posted by AAPlatypus
But what is the difference in elite status (i.e.: Platinum, Exec. Platinum) and "Top Tier" customer status, and why is the visibility of said status limited to the phone reps?
During irregular ops, a GA has limited options, and is a single person dealing with a long line. Status helps in floating towards the top in stand-by situations and the like.
But if you call the phone reps, there are gobs of them, and your elite status makes your call picked up faster, and then they can deal with you immediately (like I've done on a cell phone while being physically 50th or more in a long like at the gate, and being able to catch a flight leaving far earlier than I could have reached the front of that line at my original gate).
That is what is meant.
Steve