Science Goy

I don't think it even requires having flown a lot, but rather knowing how to plan for contingencies and be flexible. Even when I was a college student taking maybe one or two flights a year, I handled travel disruptions without throwing a tantrum or letting it ruin my vacation.

flyerkit

Already exists on British Airways. Their Gold Guest List is CK.

BA Premier Card benefits include:

• A guaranteed seat; even on a flight that is fully booked
• Assurance that all flights are met regardless of missed connections or connection delays; even if this involves delaying a flight for a card holder
• Upgrades from Business Class to First Class, whenever possible
• Access to the Concorde Lounge at London Heathrow
• Fast track through immigration and airport security
• Chauffeur driven ground transportation in a Jaguar from the lounge to the aircraft at London Heathrow
• A Meet and Assist upon arrival at First Class Check-in by a member of BA Special Services the ground division responsible for handling VIP passengers, available at;
  • UK: London Heathrow
  • USA: JFK, Newark, Houston, LA, Boston, Newark and Washington Dulles
  • India: Mumbai

As it stands, there are approximately 1200 BA Premier Cards available globally and with approval only sanctioned by the BA board, this is one truly exclusive membership card.

Gino Troian

I don't think BA Premier is comparable to CK in any way...

FlyingEgghead

flyerkit was comparing GGL to CK, and Premier to the hypothetical ultra-CK.

FlyingEgghead

Sounds like while you were working, you did "dress to impress" on the plane.
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And yet you claim that during the same period, you did not worry about what "they" thought. Which is it?

Dallas49er

Thank you for throwing rocks.

There was very little opportunity to change in/out of a suit/tie/"hard shoes" to flaps, golf shirt, and shorts when the days started at 6am and the went to 8pm+, and a suit, tie and hard shoes were expected.

Back on topic-I suspect that a portion of "Ultra" CK would be the equivilent of DYKWIA cubed.

JonNYC

Or, they would be/are AA's absolute most profitable customers-- determined by a formula that determines that pretty darn well-- given the absolute highest level of treatment/attention/adulation that AA is able to provide and their individual personalities would range from what they would be all the way down to what you imagine.

FlyingEgghead

I apologize for being blunt. I am still confused since you seem to be saying that you were never one of those "dress to impress" people, yet you note that you used to wear business casual on leisure travel. That seems to work against your point. Why would you need to retire to start wearing shorts for leisure if that is what you prefer?

For the record, I am a proud upgrader, often wear a tie on the plane unnecessarily (because I find it promotes a positive, respectful frame of mind), and am fine if someone concludes I'm not successful enough to dress down.

phillyjoe

I remember flying up front in the early '90's and having various colognes in the loo--and we didn't need a key!!!

Dallas49er

I take your point, and agree with it 110%. During my working career, I lived by the 80/20 rule, especially the 20. And it served me quite well.

And I know in my heart of hearts, based on corporate spend, corporate politics, and whatever else the "criteria" is, that even at my most active, I would never have made CK.

And perhaps "therein lies the rub" (here on FT and maybe elsewhere), is that EXP, PP, PLT, & GLD are BIS, and the goals for EXP, PP, PLT, & GLD are posted, so we ALL know how we got/get there. With CK, it is nebulous.

I admit to a bit of jealousy at a level I can never achieve. Plus, its like doing everything it takes to get from Munchkinland to the Emerald City, but never having the Ruby Red Slippers for entry.

As I said, I understand, appreciate, and accept the concept of CK. And I understand, appreciate, accept, and respect all the CK who do both the spend AND the BIS.

sbrower

There has always been some form of recognition for good customers. It was just more informal in previous times. When I started my 500k BIS years I wasn't even Platinum, but I got upgrades to First on virtually every flight leaving LAX (including the transcon to JFK). How? Because the red coats at LAX knew that they saw me 2 or 3 times a week. And Anna Jefferson (now retired 15 years) would say "Good morning" and walk me onto the plane and place me in a first class seat. And when AA told certain ticket offices (remember those?) that they could nominate one customer for a free weekend in DFW (first class with spouse, hotel, golf with executives and other best customers, meals), the Beverly Hills ticket office nominated me just based on how often they saw me buying tickets. But my highest level ever, on the screen, was Platinum (because Exp hadn't been invented yet). Although there was a flag, on the screen, which said "****VIP******" (but no one ever told me how that got there - and I was just an attorney who was flying a lot, not anyone who controlled other people's travel).

P.S. - I don't know the data source, but I did get top credentials from airlines I had never flown saying "We hear you fly a lot. Here is the top level in our program."

MasterPlanner

+1 regarding wearing a tie when flying for exactly these reasons. Hear, hear!

pkfinman

As has been communicated a few times on the thread already...many CK's traveling with family this week

I boarded in Dallas with my family at DFW on Sat ... there were 6 other people...family of another CK....

typically I am alone or one other....

truthknown

I would probably draw the line there. It would be a very loud argument. I hate DYWKIA moments, but that seems a bit disrespectful to me.

JDiver

I await the day when accoutrements such as dress, skin color, height, eight, etc. are completely neutral for gaining or losing respect. Airline status is actually pretty much that way - you can wear your most expensive three piece suit and Italian handmade shoes, but unless you hit the EQM/EQS and EQD requirements, you’re Jack Squat. The sales folks who issue Key invites don’t require proof of how you’ll dress.