Originally Posted by
PhlyingRPh
Every time I see something like this, it amazes me that some people still have a very narrow view of what a frequent flyer or first class passenger should look like.
That's a very good question. It happened to me when I had missed the priority First boarding and I had to board with general boarding. As I was putting my carry on into the overhead bin in the F cabin, the FA said, "Sir, you can't put our bag here". I was stunned and gave her a puzzled look with a question mark. She added "This is for First Class only". I told her I was seated in First Class. I think she was so embarassed that she did not know what to say. A simple apology, "I am sorry" with motions to help, although no help was needed would have been nice. I was not dressed in shorts and/or flip flops. I was dresed in business attire with a nice jacket and tie as I had just come straight from a meeting.
On a recent occasion when the GA opened the door to the jetway after wheel chair boarding for NW DCA-DTW flight, and made an announcement about how she was going to board the flight-First Class followed by Gold and Platinum elites and then general boarding-- about fifty people congregated near the red carpet circling around the red carpet. Obviously some of them were not in FC as there were only 16 seats. I was behind the crowd. I did not want to single anyone out to make a fuss as it's impossible to know who doesn't belong there. There was not even a single line around the red carpet. I asked the person ahead of me, where FC passengers should line up. He smiled and and said that he was wondering the same thing. The GA gthen made an anouncement, "Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we are boarding First cabin only. That means passengers seated in rows 1 through 4. I will call Gold and Platinum elites in a few moments". Some people stepped back creating a couple of holes in the crowd. As we got into the cabin, the same gentleman I had spoken to was going to sit next to me. I was so glad I had not assumed that he was crowding the red carpet. As I sat down I made a comment to him, " I was wondering why there were 50 people when the F cabin has only 16 seats." He nodded in agreement and said "and they don't step back even when ONLY First class is called", and referred to a few people who were ahead of us in the line and were in the process of settling down in their coach seats.
On some flights the boarding does get out of hand despite the GA's trying to maintain order.