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Semi-OT: Evil glares from other PAX while sat in CE

Semi-OT: Evil glares from other PAX while sat in CE

Old Dec 21, 2009, 8:54 am
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Semi-OT: Evil glares from other PAX while sat in CE

My apologies in advance for posting this semi-OT rant.

I've experienced the evil glares while sitting in a CW seat waiting for the masses in Y to board around me in the past on more than once occasion but never before on shorthaul (maybe just luck!). Until last week on my BA flight to LIS in CE - I usually fly LH on European flights because they fly J into MAN, but on this occasion for whatever reason I got booked onto BA via LHR with its much better lounges.

Probably my first time in CE for a year or so (usually domestic or CW), I was amazed at the amount of evil glares I and my seat-mates were getting. One woman, who had clearly never seen a bottle of shampoo, even pointed at the cabin to her companion while queuing and ranted about why anyone would bother paying extra AND called the lady to my left a "smug b***h", which I thankfully don't think she heard.

Similar evil glares on the way back - has it always been like this and I've just been blind to it?

Incidentally I was very impressed with the service from the professional crew on both legs. Although I can never help but wonder if the people I meet on the flights are some of the excellent BA staff posters on here...
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 8:57 am
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One of the many reason to board later if you flying CE.
Quite why there are some people desparate to get on ASAP baffles me.
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 9:00 am
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They must have been some very stressed people!

I've had similar run-ins with naughty ET pax who sneak through the curtain to use the facilities.

One memorable time was being sat in the front row with the seat next to me naturally empty I just had a couple of newspapers and an empty bottle of champagne there the ET guy told me to move my stuff so he can sit down while waiting for the loo.

Suffice to say he was met with a polite refusal, which was met with a grunt and a glare!
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 9:02 am
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Originally Posted by David-A
One of the many reason to board later if you flying CE.
Quite why there are some people desparate to get on ASAP baffles me.
Because I've been caught out in the past with the lack of overhead space for my rollaboard. If it has to go right down at the back of the plane it's necessary to wait for everyone else to disembark before collecting it on arrival. I'd much rather board early when I'd just be sitting around anyway.
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 9:05 am
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Originally Posted by David-A
One of the many reason to board later if you flying CE.
Quite why there are some people desparate to get on ASAP baffles me.
Because we like to be able to get our wheelie and PC bag in an overhead locker before a) some erk in ET dumps their bag in or b) some jerk, with two bags the size of a pantechnicon, who should have had them taken off and checked in at the gate takes all the space!
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 9:11 am
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Evil glares while seated in CW I can understand, but in CE? I would think most passing by are asking themselves who would be foolish enough to pay extra for an economy seat with some minor perks!


(I do, but my sanity is often questioned.)
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 9:17 am
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Originally Posted by OPebble
Because we like to be able to get our wheelie and PC bag in an overhead locker before a) some erk in ET dumps their bag in or b) some jerk, with two bags the size of a pantechnicon, who should have had them taken off and checked in at the gate takes all the space!
Precisely.

A couple of months ago I was in 2A when a girl in ET put her bag up there and carried on walking. I asked her if she was going to leave it there to which her response was "yeah, there's no-one sitting there". I said that she didn't know whether that person was yet to board. She then said "there won't be any space down the back". I very politely responded "well in that case I know the crew will be happy to help you find somewhere for it, but the overheads here are for those who've paid for this seating". I heard her mutter "b!tch" under her breath but she moved the bag.

And yes, I've had the evil eye a few times. Sad isn't it.
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 9:24 am
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One reason I like getting on early is to people watch, but the main reason is to get the luggage in the overhead bins. My partner has arthritis and I have a blood disorder that causes DVTs and therefore we can't have luggage on the floor. I do wish, however, that BA actually enforced their hand luggage policy; I quite often see other PAX, usually female (!), carry on several more bags than their entitlement.
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 9:32 am
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I am looking forward to the evil glares I will get from other CE passengers when I get onboard for a four hour flight in CE, armed with an eight-week old

Having been on the other side of the fence for so long, I will be able to understand their fears
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 9:47 am
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Always board early because of the lack of locker space in the first couple of rows.

I was recently sworn at by a passnger (eventually sitting in the first row behind the curtain) as he passed me because I had boarded early. I must admit I agonised about whether I should bother a CC - welll .... what could they do .... but decided life was too short.
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 9:52 am
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Originally Posted by Professor Yaffle
I am looking forward to the evil glares I will get from other CE passengers when I get onboard for a four hour flight in CE, armed with an eight-week old

Having been on the other side of the fence for so long, I will be able to understand their fears
Odds are you will be pretty much on your own in CE so it won't matter much! Anyway, 8-week old's sleep for 2/3rd of the day so it is unlikely to stir much given the soothing noise of the engine. Hopefully!

Our soon-to-be 2 year old likes being up-front because she can play at sticking her head through the curtain, and when the trolleys aren't there she happily runs up and down the plane saying Hello to everyone.
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 9:55 am
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Just thinking about it ..... isn't one of the problems that they don't always announce that certain pax can board when they want .... so inexperienced pax just hear boarding by row instructions and get irritated when they see pax sitting up front who they think have "broken the rules" and delayed their boarding?

Just a theory!
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 11:01 am
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Just smile smugly back at them and say "Get a move on then, you're holding up my champagne".


Disclaimer: Above remark may push bath averse woman mentioned above to try and throttle you in your seat
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 11:58 am
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This never affects me because I would never book CE. Being 6'4" tall I fit much better into an ET exit row seat. As far as evil stares are concerned they are usually from other tall people in ET who wondered how I managed to get the best seat on the plane (for a tall person).

Don't get me started on this one because with the changes in seat policy I now have to compete with the great unwashed to get these seats, so possibly in future the glares will be from me thinking....

How did you, who are so clearly from the great unwashed, manage to get that seat? Worse still you are shorter than me!
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Old Dec 21, 2009, 12:04 pm
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Originally Posted by tuff
One reason I like getting on early is to people watch, but the main reason is to get the luggage in the overhead bins.
Overhead bins, yes but people watch.

I'm always really conscious of looking up when sitting in CE in case the boarding passengers think I'm staring them down and being smug! I tend to flick through a book or iPod to avoid the death stares!
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