anaggie

Since I have made Platinum on AA at the start of this yr (thanks FT), I have had all my upgrades clear and have noticed one thing:

1) Everyone who is in First Class is older.....I mean 20-30 yrs older....I am usually the only one in F who is in the early 30's..evberyone else in in their 40's, 50's, 60,s and up....

Just an observation...thank god not too many young people are becoming elite otherwise I would lose my seats...

by the way, I finally got a "HOT" FA for the first time with flying AA -- today from MFE-DFW in F -- name was Mellissa and she was gorgeous -- a sight for sore eyes....in her late 20's - early 30's

appreciate it AA !!!


Just my $0.02 -- slow day workwise...

brp

Speed is relative.

Cheers.

techgirl

You'll get used to it... it used to bug me (especially when my seatmate would ask me who got me upgraded or when the FAs would ask to check my boarding pass).

I think I'll be more bothered when I look like everyone else in F.

muddy

thanks??? LOL

ayton

Yeah, it's the "i just need to check your boarding pass" thing. Especially if I'm boarding with the F group, they clearly just checked it to get down the jetbridge!

It is also funny how people assume I just must be some rich kid, not that I actually earned explat on *segments* this year! Oh well, twice a week, every week is just part of the job!

Flying2Much

I hear you. I've been top tier with some airline every year since I turned 20, all of business travel, and I've totally experianced the same thing. I do find that it is somewhat better on International J, becuase it isn't just Elites being ugraded like it is in F in the States so much...

mister_blonde

I hear ya... I'm typically the only 25 year-old with corduroys & shaggy hair in the F line. I get looks all the time.

nako

I'm actually surprised that even though I'm roughly in the same age range as techgirl and the OP, these things have never happened to me. Go figure.

Mike

sarahjintexas

I look abput 10 years younger than I really am, (I'm 29) and I hate that way AA looks down on me as though I"m just some kid. Once when flying from DFW to HNL, I was first in line at the gate counter, waiting for the GA to see if I could get an upgrade. When she finally rocked up, she took one look at me, (and I was dressed nicely) and without even looking at my ticket, or looking at her computer, she tells me that there's no upgrades available. However, the 6 people in line behind me all managed to get an upgrade.... (they were all in their 50's) Talk about age discrimination!

muddy

I gotta believe that was because they had more status than you though ... I mean she couldnt have said "yeah this one is EXP, but only 19 so Im gonna manually have the system skip her for an upgrade" ... right?

RChavez

You know, every time I come across these threads, it makes me worried I look like a middle aged man!

I'm 27, have been a mid-tier elite since I was 19, and I can count on one, maybe two hands, the number of times I've received any kind of different treatment for being young. Most of which were totally warranted (being carded in F while underage and being asked for ID when entering a club room where you had to be 21 to enter).

But I've never been asked for my BP just to verify I belonged in a premium cabin and I've never noticed any "strange looks" while waiting in the F checkin lines.

The only thing that comes to mind, and still happens quite regularly, is that I often do get pushed aside or cut in front of during EXP/PLT boarding by other fellow EXP/PLT members. Once or twice the person has even said something along the lines of "Excuse me, they just called preboarding/First/what have you" while they were doing it. I just roll my eyes and chuckle.

But in all seriousness (or none at all ), I'm beginning to think I need to buy some Rogaine, a bright red BMW convertible, and start chasing after romantic interests half my age...wait, that would be illegal!

brp

Kinda agree. There really has to be more to the story than this. Position on the upgrade list, status (as you mentioned). I don't deny that there's discrimmination for any number of reasons, but this seems unlikely as stated.

Cheers.

brp

Make it a Porsche- classier. And leave the last bit to those of us in our 40's. At least it's legal...and well worth the effort. Of course, now that I'm married no more of that.

Cheers.

sarahjintexas

Nope, she didn't even ask to see my ticket, or look at the computer, Just plain passed me over because I wasn't old... I was pretty p*ssed. Especially since I had been sitting there on my palm looking at all the upgraded seeats still available, and I knew there was some open.
She was pretty old herself, and I guess just didn't want a youngen in a better class. I could have understood if she had actually looked at my ticket, or checked the computer, and it was just because there was more important people who had already waitlisted. But to just plain tell someone no, without even checking is pretty rude. Then to go straight on and give the old people behind you an upgrade, is prett sh*tty.

bmxaggie

I too am in my early 30's and first class and usually everyone else is older. I also never wear a suit and sometimes the only 'suitless' one or the kid with jeans and a skateboard in first. It's all good though - you meet some interesting people and everyone is always very friendly.