A New Gate Louse Low...
Sep 7, 2013, 12:26 pm
#31
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YYZ (YUL/LHR)
Programs: AC - E50, CX - G, Accor Plat, SPG Gold
Posts: 903
I think those that would think this is a bad thing would definitely be in the minority. Its a great gesture in my opinion, and I have--on several occasions done this particularly because GAs and FAs routinely (more than we see I'm sure) deal with DYKWIAs and DYKWIUTBs--getting a gift every once and a while hopefully balances things out.
Where to begin:
It is Timbits, a lethal combination of fat drenched and sugar coated tasteless (in more than one sense of the word) garbage.
You gifted a GA something apparently before you ever spoke to the person or they did anything for you. Did you do the same for the washroom attendant, CATSA staff, a fellow passenger, the homeless guy you pass in the street, the duty free sales person? You had no idea if the GA was a wonderful person or a dragon, whether he or she would be polite or curt, would help or hinder you, yet you offered a gift, eh heck call it what it is a prima facie bribe. No one goes around offering gifts to check out staff or other service industry personnel other than those who depend on tips. I am sure more people in the country would swap job wit the gate agent than he or she would swap jobs with. It has its inconveniences and its perks. Clumsy inappropriate and possible well intentioned, but at the end of the day you don't only have to act equitably, you have to be seen to act equitably and that is entirely missing in this story.
I am not a DYKWIA, and I have nothing against gifting someone who goes above and beyond. I have left small token gifts for hotel staff who have made a difference, ones who have upgraded a room me - but after the fact which is very different - if you had left the Timbits at the end of the scene with a word of thanks that would be appropriate barring the fact its Timbits. I also plan to fly on Christmas Day this year and plan to bring a small treat for crew which will come out after the first meal service, because I am grateful that they work and are not with their family on a holiday but I do not want special service in return and I will not reward the staff if they are grouchy (which I have very rarely encountered). I also totally understand a small thank you to a GA who makes a difference at your home station (which this was not) and who remembers your name, helps you out on seat assignments, rebookings or just smiles and makes your day on a regular basis.
Two take away morals of the story are:
- If you will leave a gift for a GA, do not make it Timbits, or if you must do not casually drop it in here thinking it is to be smiled upon. All of these details are actually entirely irrelevant to the apparent purpose of your post.
- Do not go around using pejorative and derogatory terms about other people in public unless you are sure your own closet is clear of skeletons as frankly I think your actions are at least as misplaced as Mr. DYKWIUTB.
Sep 7, 2013, 1:21 pm
#33
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: BA Gold/Marriott Gold/HH Diamond/IC Plat Amba
Posts: 5,992
Perhaps discretely placed tip jars at the boarding pass check are in the future. Give the GA's a chance to purchase a healthier snack.
Last edited by Crampedin13A; Sep 7, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Sep 7, 2013, 1:50 pm
#35
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: YFC
Programs: AC*SE100K; Marriott Titanium; NEXUS
Posts: 1,523
Sep 7, 2013, 1:53 pm
#36
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: YVR
Programs: ACSEMM QRGold SPGLifetimePlat FairmontPlat HyattD AMEXCenturion SerenaPlat TalkBoard Founding Member
Posts: 8,963
Sep 7, 2013, 3:54 pm
#37
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E75K, Amex Plat, NEXUS, Aman-user (not really a -junkie)
Posts: 1,721
I don't really have an opinion one way or another about the Timbits but it is obvious that the rude former Elite person was ridiculous. These discussions on FT really do take on a life of their own...
Sep 7, 2013, 5:02 pm
#38
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto (YYZ)
Posts: 6,279
Did you bring some for the check in agent? Nope. Security? Nope. Pilot? Nope. FA's? Nope. You got it for the gate agent, one person who overlooks the upgrades. If it sounds like a duck....
Sep 7, 2013, 5:30 pm
#39
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: YYT/YYZ
Programs: AC*SE, AC*MM, SPG Gold, FPC Plat, HHonors Diamond, PC Plat Elite, R&C Club 5C, Hyatt GP
Posts: 2,201
Sep 7, 2013, 5:53 pm
#42
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 277
But alas, I will not bring timbits--won't eat them myself so would never encourage anyone else!
Sep 7, 2013, 7:04 pm
#43
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: YKF
Programs: AC Elite 50K, Amex AP Plat, Choice Privileges, National Exec Elite, Via Prefrence
Posts: 2,996
When I worked for a travel agency, gifts to travel agents/staff were expressly forbidden. And they made less money than AC staff!
I do agree that the DYWKIUTB should have been tossed out of line though.
Sep 7, 2013, 8:33 pm
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YEG
Programs: AC: Ac*A, , Nexus: Expired
Posts: 1,489
I will put my faith in FTers and go out on a limb and say that more cringed reading Timbits than thought what a wonderful gesture. Any yes, the word is gesture.
Where to begin:
It is Timbits, a lethal combination of fat drenched and sugar coated tasteless (in more than one sense of the word) garbage.
You gifted a GA something apparently before you ever spoke to the person or they did anything for you. Did you do the same for the washroom attendant, CATSA staff, a fellow passenger, the homeless guy you pass in the street, the duty free sales person? You had no idea if the GA was a wonderful person or a dragon, whether he or she would be polite or curt, would help or hinder you, yet you offered a gift, eh heck call it what it is a prima facie bribe. No one goes around offering gifts to check out staff or other service industry personnel other than those who depend on tips. I am sure more people in the country would swap job wit the gate agent than he or she would swap jobs with. It has its inconveniences and its perks. Clumsy inappropriate and possible well intentioned, but at the end of the day you don't only have to act equitably, you have to be seen to act equitably and that is entirely missing in this story.
I am not a DYKWIA, and I have nothing against gifting someone who goes above and beyond. I have left small token gifts for hotel staff who have made a difference, ones who have upgraded a room me - but after the fact which is very different - if you had left the Timbits at the end of the scene with a word of thanks that would be appropriate barring the fact its Timbits. I also plan to fly on Christmas Day this year and plan to bring a small treat for crew which will come out after the first meal service, because I am grateful that they work and are not with their family on a holiday but I do not want special service in return and I will not reward the staff if they are grouchy (which I have very rarely encountered). I also totally understand a small thank you to a GA who makes a difference at your home station (which this was not) and who remembers your name, helps you out on seat assignments, rebookings or just smiles and makes your day on a regular basis.
Two take away morals of the story are:
- If you will leave a gift for a GA, do not make it Timbits, or if you must do not casually drop it in here thinking it is to be smiled upon. All of these details are actually entirely irrelevant to the apparent purpose of your post.
- Do not go around using pejorative and derogatory terms about other people in public unless you are sure your own closet is clear of skeletons as frankly I think your actions are at least as misplaced as Mr. DYKWIUTB.
Where to begin:
It is Timbits, a lethal combination of fat drenched and sugar coated tasteless (in more than one sense of the word) garbage.
You gifted a GA something apparently before you ever spoke to the person or they did anything for you. Did you do the same for the washroom attendant, CATSA staff, a fellow passenger, the homeless guy you pass in the street, the duty free sales person? You had no idea if the GA was a wonderful person or a dragon, whether he or she would be polite or curt, would help or hinder you, yet you offered a gift, eh heck call it what it is a prima facie bribe. No one goes around offering gifts to check out staff or other service industry personnel other than those who depend on tips. I am sure more people in the country would swap job wit the gate agent than he or she would swap jobs with. It has its inconveniences and its perks. Clumsy inappropriate and possible well intentioned, but at the end of the day you don't only have to act equitably, you have to be seen to act equitably and that is entirely missing in this story.
I am not a DYKWIA, and I have nothing against gifting someone who goes above and beyond. I have left small token gifts for hotel staff who have made a difference, ones who have upgraded a room me - but after the fact which is very different - if you had left the Timbits at the end of the scene with a word of thanks that would be appropriate barring the fact its Timbits. I also plan to fly on Christmas Day this year and plan to bring a small treat for crew which will come out after the first meal service, because I am grateful that they work and are not with their family on a holiday but I do not want special service in return and I will not reward the staff if they are grouchy (which I have very rarely encountered). I also totally understand a small thank you to a GA who makes a difference at your home station (which this was not) and who remembers your name, helps you out on seat assignments, rebookings or just smiles and makes your day on a regular basis.
Two take away morals of the story are:
- If you will leave a gift for a GA, do not make it Timbits, or if you must do not casually drop it in here thinking it is to be smiled upon. All of these details are actually entirely irrelevant to the apparent purpose of your post.
- Do not go around using pejorative and derogatory terms about other people in public unless you are sure your own closet is clear of skeletons as frankly I think your actions are at least as misplaced as Mr. DYKWIUTB.
First, I would love to know how you can actually rationalize a gesture of good will and kindness as a misplaced action like Mr. DYKWIUTB.
Gate Agents, in many ways make my life less miserable. They always try to accommodate a poor seat with a good one, in most of my experience, they are very professional and kind, they work hard and lastly, they have to put up with a ton of garbage and crap from people on a daily basis. I think that their job has a direct reflection on my quality of life and I appreciate that. I find your comments a little shocking. There is a guy that lives in St. Albert who used to own the Dairy Queen here. He goes to Tim Hortons every day and always pays for the car behind him in drive though. You must think he is totally nuts. Its called being a fricken human being and going out of your way to be nice to someone. Just because you cannot see a gesture of good will for what it is, does not mean that everyone does. I am a frequent flyer, but, i'm not an @ss. I am friendly to almost everyone I meet (unless there is good reason not to be) and I go a small gesture of thanks for doing the job you do every once in a while and thanks for making my life easier. God, I am a horrible human. Maybe timbits are not the "best" thing to give but I simply cannot afford to be handing out gold bars all the time.
Sir, I don't know you, but I feel sorry for you that you live in a world so full spite and malice that you equate a small gesture of thanks to being a complete douche who argues with the GAs that he should be able to board whenever he wants.
The ONLY part of the post I can agree with is that part of the story was irrelevant to the DYKWIUTB.
Finally, what pejorative and derogatory terms are you taking about? Gate Louse? Your right, maybe that was the incorrect term as he was already in the boarding lane. How about lane louse? is that better? My closet is pretty empty of skeletons in terms of traveling and the way I treat people.
I guess Fters just prefer to be bashing AC then to take part of a story at its face value...
Sep 7, 2013, 8:36 pm
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: YEG
Programs: AC: Ac*A, , Nexus: Expired
Posts: 1,489
I cant say I was going "out of my way" I was close to the "gentleman" (and I use that term loosely) and the old gold tags just stand out and I noticed the bright orange Aeroplan logo on there as well. The point was that he was a former elite arguing with the GA to let him board because of who he used to be.