FliGuy

Flight from GLA-LHR on Saturday morning, lady in 1A boards almost last... has a bit of a huff to get her (small ish) handbag in overhead locker.. she rather aggressively pulls my case out and shoves along to make space for her bag (i'm in 2C). Maybe she has had a bad morning. After take off, lunch and drinks were served. Cabin crew were good... efficient and friendly. There was a very old lady in 1C and the cabin crew (I think it was CSM / Purser?) was very attentive, got her some water pre take off and generally made sure she was OK... also proactively topped us up with more Champers (is was a leisure flight for us .
As she started clearing away trays, 1A lady says that she "didn't engage me to make sure I was finished with my meal", CSD apologises and leaves tray with her. 1A then goes to toilet. When she comes out, she asks the CSD what her name is to complain and says that she should be smiling when serving. CSD says she doesn't need to be told when to smile (quite rightly IMO). 1A lady takes her seat. After landing at LHR and we are waiting to disembark, the CSD politely asks 1A lady if she would like her card with her name on it... 1A response that 'no its fine... you wont be here much longer anyway' !!!?? really bizarre. She was very quiet and not loud at all (kind of emotionless) when speaking so not overtly DYKWIA, which made it a bit strange. No idea why people can be so nasty!

LCY8737

In all fairness, it is occasionally astonishing how many people are eligible for priority boarding. In between the frail, elderly, young, gate bag checkers, golds, silvers, bronzes, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, firsts, businesses, and the otherwise disabled or entitled, it is sometimes difficult to find one's place.

And don't get me started on the groups. Sometimes 1-3 board together, other times 1 is separated from 2&3, sometimes 1 then 2 then 3, occasionally it is all at the same time. sometimes staff care, sometimes they don't.

To someone who is not religiously following FT all of this can't be easy. Then again, BA seems to love the opaquness of it all - why else would they call business class "club"?

geerat

I always find there’s a bit of a DYKWIA attitude with the person at the front of the priority queue. I was waiting for the check in for a BA flight from AGP-LHR. I was a little early so I hung around for a bit and by the time I had returned, the priority check in was up to about 50 people. I went near the front of the queue to check the screens to see if there was a dedicated gold/owe check in as I couldn’t believe there were that many people in the business class queue and the guy at the front said in the most entitled way something along the lines of “this is the business class queue” I’m not why sure being first in line of a 50 person priority queue entitles someone to feel so special.

estate

I mean, because boarding first or very early is clearly very important to them, and as a result they chose to spend their own time queuing to board instead of sitting down comfortably in a chair.
Sure, that attitude is a bit on the nose, but if you like to board early, because for *whatever* reason it's important to you, then seeing someone walk to the front of the queue near the end of the boarding process, and thus see a potential reason to have that taken away from you, would understandably make you uneasy. Taking it out on someone like that is pretty poor, but if they looked you over to see if you were just asking a question of the gate staff or actually intended to cut in, I can completely understand.

They invested their own time on something important to them, and they don't want to see it taken away by someone who didn't make the same investment.

I'm not excusing their behaviour in the instance you describe, but it's straightforward to explain.

OverTheHorizon

In my weekly commuter days, I was often to be found at the front of the Group 1 line, because the alternative would be to end up at the back of it... and I really wanted my rollaboard above my head!

I did once have a lovely lady ask if I would like to go in front of her as she only had a Silver card - I politely declined

EDIwanderer

Was flying LHR to EDI last Weds as a Silver in CE so group one. Two in front of me in the Group 1 queue were a middle aged couple with Bronze apps open and ready to scan at the gates. Fine I thought as I’ve been a Bronze CE traveller before in group one - and it transpires they were in CE back in row seven. Thing that irked me was the BA Gold cards on both their backpacks that have received many sellotape repairs over the years! If one there were queue wardens with wire clippers!

CanaryWharf

On a recent flight to ZAG: I was in 1A and put my hand luggage into the smaller overhead locker (fits only one suitcase) just above row 1. The guy in 1C arrived quite late along with Group 5. The first thing he does is to tell me that he is a Gold member who has priority regarding bags, and that I should move mine. I smiled and told him that there is no such priority, and that he knows it as well. No response, and he walks down to place his luggage in row 5.

My revenge was not telling him that I am a GCH as well, so he might have spent the whole flight thinking about how a Blue member flying CE or even worse - someone not even registered with BAEC - took his personal luggage space.

dbthebolt

I had a mildly amusing DYKIA experience at LHR a while ago. I wandered over to one of the B gates as the monitor showed that my flight to JFK was boarding. I say boarding, but in reality not boarding. It was a hi J 747, and the queue for group 1 was lengthy to say the least. I joined the line, which continued to grow behind me. I heard a slight commotion behind me, and a couple were barging their way through the queue as they "were gold card holders flying club class." The couple reached me, looked me up and down, and began huffing and puffing about the line being for Club Class only. (I was slightly scruffy), but not too bad. Their complaining and barging, and me not moving aside for them attracted the attention of the BA check in agent was actually policing the queue and ejecting people who were not in group 1. (You don't see this very often.) She then asked (politely) if I was flying in Club today. I said no, but before I could continue with my answer, the couple piped up, pointing furiously, and said; " I told you he shouldn't be in the queue, this is for Club Class passengers only." I took my time getting my boarding card out and gave it to the agent, who smiled and said; "Ah, 2A nice to see you again Mr. Bolt" before handing it back to me and continuing her policing. I turned around to the couple and politely told them that group 1 is also for First Class passengers. Terrible I know, but I just couldn't help it. I was glad that I managed to brighten up the Day for some of my fellow passengers judging by the wry smiles.

Dubh

I've had the barging up the queue behind me a few times, and it has always been a couple (maybe they egg each other on...?). But they always stop at me, and I've always put it down to the fact that I'm 6'7" and bouncer-like. The funniest one was last year when they were huffing and puffing behind me when I heard in a comedy whisper, "But he's wearing gym shoes Stephen!"

smokie36

Haha me tomorrow and 1A on both long haul flights.

carrotjuice

I would’ve feigned ignorance and asked the “policer” quite loudly, the couple behind me have been harrumphing that I’m standing in their way for the Club queue, is there one for First Class?

T8191

Oh, no, Sir. That is becoming DYKWIA yourself. One should rise above these situations and let the paid staff deal appropriately with matters. Although turning left on boarding also helps restore one's equilibrium.

Cymro

I agree with you but dealing with DYKWIAs requires mutually assured destruction to be an option.

T8191

Isn't MAD a Spanish airport?
Anyway, I don't want to be destroyed by the 6'6" Rugby player I've just told to ...

carrotjuice

Absolutely. It's not DYKWIA if you're being forced into a game of "whether mine is bigger than yours".