ARCHIVE: AA Celebrity Sightings and Related - 2000-2012
Dec 23, 2005, 11:41 am
#796
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: South Bend, IN
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,560
Originally Posted by metsfan1962
AA has to spend many hundreds of thousands of dollars in pay and benefits to employ special services staff to cater to these folks while they're eliminating food service and starting to charge for soda? 
Dec 23, 2005, 12:28 pm
#797
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: EXP
Posts: 412
Originally Posted by PresRDC
Because they pay full fare F, which on a three-class transcon flight, is a little over $4000 round trip.
Dec 23, 2005, 1:25 pm
#798
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Platinum
Posts: 3,465
Originally Posted by metsfan1962
So you're saying all AA customers paying full fare F get Special Services' staff to squire them around the airport and make their life as pleasant as possible? Or just those who are in show biz (even third rate bit players)?
Agreed. And we don't even know that he was on a full F transcon, could have been on a YUP to MIA or something like that. I think that letting them avoid the crowds is nice, but let that be a service that they (or anyone else, for that matter) can pay for. If they are so ready to shell out $4k on a transcon flight, I would bet that they would fork over $400 for a Special Services escort. Seems fair to me. And, if I ever wanted to avoid crowds (severe germaphobia, self-proclaimed celeb status, etc) I could pony up the fee as well.
Dec 23, 2005, 4:49 pm
#799
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: MSP (and will only fly NWA in re-routes if I HAVE to)
Programs: AA EXP (4.5MM), hotel programs as needed
Posts: 5,800
Originally Posted by Fly AA J all the way
...I would bet that they would fork over $400 for a Special Services escort. Seems fair to me. And, if I ever wanted to avoid crowds (severe germaphobia, self-proclaimed celeb status, etc) I could pony up the fee as well.
Where did this come from?? I scanned back a little and did not find out a specific fee .. other than a rant about how expensive it was to pay for this 'special services' (super secret) department.
Since Special Services is a group that caters to the top top tier each day .. their presence is not know or understood by most travelers. They don't have SpecService 'badges' on .. I know in ORD they can normally be identified by the carts they drive - with the fringe on top .. and in DFW I think they are labeled Premium Services.
Being the recipient a few times of these wonder people's services, I am sworn to protect their secrecy. But I doubt there is a pax charge .. they are there to serve the top top top travelers. And on slow day they even reach down to a few EXPs on discount tickets!
Dec 23, 2005, 5:02 pm
#800
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: +61
Programs: SQ*PPS, QF-WP1 & LTG, VA-Gold, Marriott*LTT, Hilton*Gold, Accor*Platinum
Posts: 5,735
Originally Posted by mclejc
Airbud - He had his own seat in coach. DFW -> RDU last Friday.
J...
J...
Dec 23, 2005, 7:59 pm
#801
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Peon Gold
Posts: 2,915
Originally Posted by metsfan1962
So you're saying all AA customers paying full fare F get Special Services' staff to squire them around the airport and make their life as pleasant as possible? Or just those who are in show biz (even third rate bit players)?
Dec 23, 2005, 8:13 pm
#802
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Scarsdale, NY USA; LT PLT AA; AA 3 mm (4 mm will never happen); Hilton Diamond, Marriott Silver, AA is clueless why I fly
Posts: 754
While it was not an AA flight, I took the Delta Shuttle LGA-DCA. Dick Gephardt was there. (AA Shuttle is the worst of all the available choices).
Dec 24, 2005, 1:22 am
#803
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Platinum
Posts: 3,465
Originally Posted by JGR01
Fee for special services???
Where did this come from?? I scanned back a little and did not find out a specific fee .. other than a rant about how expensive it was to pay for this 'special services' (super secret) department.
Since Special Services is a group that caters to the top top tier each day .. their presence is not know or understood by most travelers. They don't have SpecService 'badges' on .. I know in ORD they can normally be identified by the carts they drive - with the fringe on top .. and in DFW I think they are labeled Premium Services.
Being the recipient a few times of these wonder people's services, I am sworn to protect their secrecy. But I doubt there is a pax charge .. they are there to serve the top top top travelers. And on slow day they even reach down to a few EXPs on discount tickets!
Where did this come from?? I scanned back a little and did not find out a specific fee .. other than a rant about how expensive it was to pay for this 'special services' (super secret) department.
Since Special Services is a group that caters to the top top tier each day .. their presence is not know or understood by most travelers. They don't have SpecService 'badges' on .. I know in ORD they can normally be identified by the carts they drive - with the fringe on top .. and in DFW I think they are labeled Premium Services.
Being the recipient a few times of these wonder people's services, I am sworn to protect their secrecy. But I doubt there is a pax charge .. they are there to serve the top top top travelers. And on slow day they even reach down to a few EXPs on discount tickets!
Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear. I meant that there should be a fee for special services in cases like this. For occasional travelers (not sure how much that actor flies), but want to not deal with crowds, they should institute a fee for a special services escort. I imagine that many of these guys would take it just to feel special. It would include an escort through security, to a club room (with a day pass), and then an escort to the gate and onto the plane. I think it would be a good way to get some extra $$ because anyone who requested it could get it, for the fee.
Dec 24, 2005, 5:32 am
#804
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: AA PLAT, HP Gold
Posts: 42
Quite a few recently
Roger Staubach and Jude Law in the Dallas Admirals club on two separate occassions. Ming Tsai, TV Food Chef and owner of the awesome Blue Ginger in the Admirals Club in Boston, also.
Dec 24, 2005, 12:17 pm
#805
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Dallas, Texas; AA EXP; AA 2 MM
Posts: 726
Originally Posted by Warrencito
Former Texas gov Ann Richards...sat next to me in First from LGA to ORD late September.
Dec 24, 2005, 1:20 pm
#806
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: GIG
Programs: AA-Exp 4MM
Posts: 105
Sightings - Amazing Race 7
Phil Keoghan and the Amazing race 7 teams on LAX to MIA at the start of race 7. There were about 4 teams on this flight, complete with 4 sets of camera crews, Phil and his staff. Phil was in Business across the aisle from me, one of his staff was next to me. They did not rush off the flight like you see in the show, they did get pre-boarded with the film crews filming. They were on their way to Lima Peru.
Danny Glover on GRU-DFW, he was not happy with is bulkhead seat in business, wanted someone else's seat, like the pilots sleeping seat. They finallly found one other that was in the last row. He was not happy with that because it might not recline enough. But settled for it finally.
BB King and crew on GRU-DFW, took up all the business class seats so I ended up in coach.
The guy that does the Publishers Clearing House awards sat next to me, he had a lot of good stories about suprising people with the large checks.
that is all I can remember at the moment.
Danny Glover on GRU-DFW, he was not happy with is bulkhead seat in business, wanted someone else's seat, like the pilots sleeping seat. They finallly found one other that was in the last row. He was not happy with that because it might not recline enough. But settled for it finally.
BB King and crew on GRU-DFW, took up all the business class seats so I ended up in coach.
The guy that does the Publishers Clearing House awards sat next to me, he had a lot of good stories about suprising people with the large checks.
that is all I can remember at the moment.
Dec 24, 2005, 1:42 pm
#807
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Roseville, California (SMF)
Programs: Luckest hitchhiker ever! WN CSA/SMF
Posts: 441
Originally Posted by DrDaveEXPLT
Phil Keoghan and the Amazing race 7 teams on LAX to MIA at the start of race 7. There were about 4 teams on this flight, complete with 4 sets of camera crews, Phil and his staff. Phil was in Business across the aisle from me, one of his staff was next to me. They did not rush off the flight like you see in the show, they did get pre-boarded with the film crews filming. They were on their way to Lima Peru.
Danny Glover on GRU-DFW, he was not happy with is bulkhead seat in business, wanted someone else's seat, like the pilots sleeping seat. They finallly found one other that was in the last row. He was not happy with that because it might not recline enough. But settled for it finally.
BB King and crew on GRU-DFW, took up all the business class seats so I ended up in coach.
The guy that does the Publishers Clearing House awards sat next to me, he had a lot of good stories about suprising people with the large checks.
that is all I can remember at the moment.
Danny Glover on GRU-DFW, he was not happy with is bulkhead seat in business, wanted someone else's seat, like the pilots sleeping seat. They finallly found one other that was in the last row. He was not happy with that because it might not recline enough. But settled for it finally.
BB King and crew on GRU-DFW, took up all the business class seats so I ended up in coach.
The guy that does the Publishers Clearing House awards sat next to me, he had a lot of good stories about suprising people with the large checks.
that is all I can remember at the moment.
Dec 24, 2005, 3:38 pm
#808
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DFW
Posts: 3,282
I don't believe EXP is given to anyone. He probably flies enough, plus AA may book him in J if they provide him with free travel as part of their sponsorship.
Dec 24, 2005, 3:56 pm
#809
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Programs: SWN, UAL, AA, DL
Posts: 561
I sat accross the aisle from LA rapper Snoop Doggy Dog on a flight from LAX to ORD right after Biggie Small got shot. I found out later Snoop was travelling to Farrahkan's for a "peace conference' among rappers.
Nice bling!
Nice bling!
Dec 24, 2005, 6:53 pm
#810
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: MEL/LAX
Programs: AAdv GLD(MM), QF LTS, UA MP_nada, HH Gld, SPG, GoldenCircle Jade
Posts: 4,472
Bumped into Stockard Channning in the LAX FL on Dec 21.