satman40

I have had it happen, many years ago, but I tell them my seat assignment and proceed,

They can not keep track of everyone, just like boarding, some people get in the wrong line..nothing wrong with being a little accretive.

theOtherHolmes

Yup. And the “amazing” part was that that FA said nothing during this whole incident despite obviously having recognized me as a J passenger, as she had a confused look on her face when the FA at exit blocked me twice

RatherBeInYOW

As I posted in the thread that 24left linked, I look the part; weary looking guy in is 40s dressed smart casual with my Tumi rollboard. As a result I am made by every AC employee a mile away and never get the "you don't belong here" look. Even when they're proactively checking for Z1 BPs in a long pre-boarding lineup at some outstations they never even look at mine.

At the same time one of my peers at work is 10+ years younger than me, female, and dresses much more casually outside of a business setting and gets judged by people all the time to be something other that what she is (a VP at a technology company...) and thus is frequently treated differently than I am all the time; restaurants, planes, even in business settings.

The FA should have known everyone's face in J after a TPAC. But even so I can pretty much guarantee that if you looked like me you probably would have received different treatment. I know it sucks but try not to let it get you down too much; people will learn not to underestimate you :-)

theOtherHolmes

I secretly relish the moment when I tell people what I do for a living. It screams elite.

I use to wear a suit every day but nowadays I love my hoodie and jeans whenever possible.

SparseFlyer

@MoDs, can we just please rename this thread "How Can AC employees tell that you sat for 13 hours in J?"

ridefar

Unless they are bats it shouldn’t be hard

Give me a break. I would not have been polite to that FA.

Gaikhao

How about renaming, "making a drama out of a nothing incident?" The OP could have just said hello I am in business class from the start, instead of creating this hurt feelings episode. It is very easy to speak out. FA made a small error, deal with it then and there or let it go.

I have been flying on AC alot more now that I have to go between international regions. I get to see some of the passenger quality onboard. It is not impressive on the rouge LATAM flights .
Many threads are all over FT about the simple reality of "dress like a lower end demographic and expect to be treated accordingly. " That's the way it is in Asia and LATAM so deal with the reality. Sure, it was "just a hoodie" I am not going to be a fashion critic here, but on the Asia routes the younger hoodie wearing group are wearing expensive high fashion things, so it is not because someone is dressed in a hoodie that one is discriminated against.

THR

I assume you meant you turned left to exit, not right.

meltedmarshmellow

Human beings profile for a reason. It doesn't make it right or wrong.

Life is about choices. Dress and act according to how you want to be treated. It's not rocket science.

NWplatinum

I’m so use to this now given the way I dress for flights. I just got off a SEA-DXB flight where I was wearing Pajamas on a business trip since I didn’t have to go to anything until the next day.

I boarded and was escorted to my seat in F and drink order was taken. I then got up and asked the first FA I could find in the galley (happened to be the purser who didn’t see me board) if I could stow my bags in the center seats in F, and if the cabin was full? She replied “Sorry this is for first class passengers only.” Admittedly the way I was dressed I didn’t blame her. But I politely replied “I AM in first class.” After which she was really embarrassed and came over to assist me.

I've found after all my time of being young- Though I have gotten older now- and flying premium cabins (15 years) that being assertive in these situations usually works best. If you had said earlier on in the encounter “I am in J, I just came from 2K” problem solved. I know some people are shy, but if you don’t stand up for yourself no one else will.

ridefar

Actually if you treat somebody in J different just because they are dressed differently (and there is no way to sensibly parse your claim without implying “not dressed well by my standards”) you <redcated>. A FA should treat all pax in J with recognition and respect. All the time. Full stop.

This from somebody that can dress very well when I choose to but who almost invariably dresses comfortably (like the OP) for international J.

And I have to say that with a couple of dramatic exceptions (in a very small minority of cases) AC staff do in fact take my approach and not yours. Thank goodness.

Sean Peever

So I have flown J and in pods in bright yellow shoes and shorts with a t-shirt more than once....... more than a few dozen times........ and I’ve never had this problem. And I’ve done that in my teens, in my twenties, in my thirty’s.........

Which makes me think it was either just a rare mistake, not a dress issue, or I’m just super lucky.

canadiancow

I feel like that's ALWAYS the response to "can I store my bag in the empty [seat/bin] in [high cabin]?"

I don't think being a straight white 45 year old male in a full tux would have changed that response.

I'm having a hard time parsing your claim without inferring "the FA blocked her because she looked like a young woman who couldn't possibly be in J", and not like I suspect "the FA blocked her because she thought the starboard PY pax had been let through".

Is there a razor for "never attribute to discrimination that which is more readily explained by incompetence" ?

I think it was a rare mistake.

global happy traveller

The airline industry seriously have some J-class perception issues. Look at the literature and marketing materials, it assumes J travellers are very well dressed or in suits/tie.

Its 2019..... those can afford J also wear hoodies/comfortable clothing, office wear has changed to being more casual, creative & IT industries wear different attires, and those that are smartly rich enough knows how to dress down to avoid attention.

Twice I saw families casually dressed - one was a reputable sports writer and another business executive.

You can’t judge a book by its cover. Seriously speaking if that FA was serving J class for several hours, I’d expect them to at least know that I wanna existed in that cabin!

End of rant.

Momentum57

If I'm arriving at my destination or home I don't rush off the plane, F or C seating inclusive. I don't get why people stand when we haven't even got to the jetway. I get dirty looks all the time... "I'm on the phone, you're in the aisle, keep moving"

You know who doesn't make that error? Successful sales people and the Ritz Carlton. Hurt people hurt people. Her feelings were hurt. I agree say something at that moment OR sit down till the entire aircraft empties. Calmly ask them to get the supervisor, don't get up, don't even raise your voice, in a low hushed tone, with unflinching eye contact, explain the issue. IT SCARES THE HELL OUT OF PEOPLE. I did something petty to a waitress and you know what... didn't make me feel better. LET IT GO! LET IT GO!

I think you're correct to a great margin, it's not about right, because it's a big bowl of wrong. It's called service professional not service profiler. Theres a reason why it's called a gentleman's gentleman. I made a waitress cry because I thought she was wrong and you know what I was wrong too. It's a matter of self esteem which when not reflected seems discongruent. Good education, money in the bank, cash in the tank, who are you to judge, oh right a garbage person... HOW DARE YOU! Like I said LET IT GO! LET IT GO!

There is a wonderful book Class: A Guide Through the American Status System Paperback by Paul Fussell. It's a bit older but great insight to North American sociology on wealth and rich, class and affectations. It's lower middle class that puts more emphasis on these affectations. At pre segregated areas I could see profiling as even less acceptable. I have to wear pants on the golf course, I'm not on the course, don't look at me sideways for wearing shorts at the outside bar just mix the drink. Behind the velvet rope I should be completely comfortable, like home. If not... what's luxury.

Bingo