DYKWIA | 2018 edition
#617
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,654
Returning on BA from YYZ a few years ago, my wife back then and I were in J and in the Club World queue. It was mid-summer and we were both very casually dressed, me in shorts and flip-flops and unshaven for a week. A woman in her 50s was in front of us (with a GC luggage label on each case) and rather sneeringly looked us both up and down when we joined the CW queue before snapping, "this is the business class queue, I think you will find Economy is over there", and gestured towards the long Y queue that had formed.
My wife replied that yes, we were already in the correct queue thanks and we stayed where we were. However, when the woman in front of us reached the agent she was very assuming with her but the agent suddenly said, "madame this is the Club World check-in, your ticket is in Economy, you will have to join the Economy check-in line". Then the woman started ranting at the agent saying her HUSBAND was a GC holder (which explained the luggage labels) and therefore she was fully entitled to use this check-in desk, he flies thousands of miles with BA, controls a large travel budget, blah, blah, blah. The agent was having none of it though and stood her ground ^
When she finally turned round to skulk off to the Y line my wife very helpfully gestured to her left and repeated back the woman's original advice to us....... "yes, I do believe you will find Economy is over there"
My wife replied that yes, we were already in the correct queue thanks and we stayed where we were. However, when the woman in front of us reached the agent she was very assuming with her but the agent suddenly said, "madame this is the Club World check-in, your ticket is in Economy, you will have to join the Economy check-in line". Then the woman started ranting at the agent saying her HUSBAND was a GC holder (which explained the luggage labels) and therefore she was fully entitled to use this check-in desk, he flies thousands of miles with BA, controls a large travel budget, blah, blah, blah. The agent was having none of it though and stood her ground ^
When she finally turned round to skulk off to the Y line my wife very helpfully gestured to her left and repeated back the woman's original advice to us....... "yes, I do believe you will find Economy is over there"
#618
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 351
Yesterday PRA to LHR we were all at the gate and two gentlemen started to queue, we lined up alongside them in a second queue (there were two podiums) when two ladies came forward to “ask” the desk something and then promptly stood in front of the two men. They then called for pre-boarding and we moved forward (I was in a wheelchair), and so did the two ladies. whilst we were processed I overheard an interesting conversation. First they were asked if they had additional needs, then they were asked if they were with us - at which point I said no I was only travelling with my husband the last thing I heard as I moved off was them being asked why they had come forward! We had time to get to the plane, dismantle and fold the wheelchair, board and stow our things before they finally appeared so obviously the gate agent didn’t think they needed priority boarding!
#619
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,112
(try to cut in at platform doors on the tube and I will be bellowing at you like a deranged walrus)
#620
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: GGL
Posts: 260
Super fun at T5 immigration this morning. A gentlemen is knocked back the e-gate. He then starts ranting and raving. Some of my favourite lines were;
"Why is my chip and pin not working"
"I paid extra for chip and pin"
"It is time to take the Great off the front of this passport"
"This is all Theresa May. She is robbing you all blind. Don't believe anything that she tells you"
At this point one of the border agents pointed out that if he removed his rather large sunglasses and oversize wireless headphones he would have much better chance.
"Why is my chip and pin not working"
"I paid extra for chip and pin"
"It is time to take the Great off the front of this passport"
"This is all Theresa May. She is robbing you all blind. Don't believe anything that she tells you"
At this point one of the border agents pointed out that if he removed his rather large sunglasses and oversize wireless headphones he would have much better chance.
#623
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,400
Not wanting to defend a DYKWIA here but I sympathise a little with him as UK e-gates seem to fail more frequently for me than those used by other nations. The fact that LGW/LHR attendants are pathetically useless just adds insult to injury: I'm blind as a bat and keep my glasses on until I have positioned myself correctly in the yellow circle and turned into the correct direction. I've been frequently shouted at by those attendants for not taking off my glasses the microsecond after I entered the e-gates.
#624
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold / OW Emerald
Posts: 753
Not wanting to defend a DYKWIA here but I sympathise a little with him as UK e-gates seem to fail more frequently for me than those used by other nations. The fact that LGW/LHR attendants are pathetically useless just adds insult to injury: I'm blind as a bat and keep my glasses on until I have positioned myself correctly in the yellow circle and turned into the correct direction. I've been frequently shouted at by those attendants for not taking off my glasses the microsecond after I entered the e-gates.
#625
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,706
That's odd. I am wearing my glasses in my passport photo. I use the e-passport gates at LHR and do not take my glasses off but the gates work for me.
#626
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold / OW Emerald
Posts: 753
Interesting. Will see if it has to do with the age of the passport. With my 7 year old passport I had a 50/50 track record. Now I have a new one.
#627
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: GGL
Posts: 260
These were big Ray-Ban Aviator XL style face covering shades. Disappointingly they were not mirrored. Was it Boris? Too young but could well be a nephew. Jeremy Corbin this chap was not!
To be fair lots of people were being bounced this morning and only about 30% of the gates were open. Why is that? I know they arent really "e" but really. It was the kind of thing to make you grumpy after a long flight. I still want to know what "chip and PIN" immigration is though.
If the DWKWIA is on flyertalk, thanks for the chuckles.
To be fair lots of people were being bounced this morning and only about 30% of the gates were open. Why is that? I know they arent really "e" but really. It was the kind of thing to make you grumpy after a long flight. I still want to know what "chip and PIN" immigration is though.
If the DWKWIA is on flyertalk, thanks for the chuckles.
#628
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: LHR
Programs: BAEC GGL & CCR / QF LTG
Posts: 829
Not wanting to defend a DYKWIA here but I sympathise a little with him as UK e-gates seem to fail more frequently for me than those used by other nations. The fact that LGW/LHR attendants are pathetically useless just adds insult to injury: I'm blind as a bat and keep my glasses on until I have positioned myself correctly in the yellow circle and turned into the correct direction. I've been frequently shouted at by those attendants for not taking off my glasses the microsecond after I entered the e-gates.
#629
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA GGL, UA Plat, DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,380
My iPhone XS does better facial recognition than any e-gate / passport at LGW or LHR (LCY is always fine). One time at LGW the boarder patrol person couldn't even get my passport to read in their reader, was rubbing the Machine Readable Zone with paper, and everything. There is no physical damage what so ever to my passport. In the end he gave up and waved me through.
At LHR and LGW ? 0% 😮
I spent a very pleasant few minutes chstting to a Border Force guy one quiet night at Gatwick while he looked at my passport from every conceivable angle... and couldn't find a thing wrong with it.
It will come as no shock to anyone when some sort of a procurement scandal for those e-gates eventually comes to light