DYKWIA | 2023 edition
Oct 13, 2023, 3:16 am
#481
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London, U.K.
Programs: bmi British Midland International Diamond Club
Posts: 3,380
I own up. T'was me some 20 years ago. Heathrow Terminal 1, old bmi lounge, travelling to CDG on a BD flight. I flashed my shiny Eurostar Frequent Traveller Gold card at the dragons but they made me do the walk of shame. This was at the time when bmi Diamond EuroClass tickets were fully interchangeable with Eurostar Premium First tickets on Paris/Brussels routes. I was behind the curtain obviously.
Oct 13, 2023, 3:16 am
#482
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Devon, UK
Programs: VS Silver; Matmid Silver, BA Bronze; Accor Plat.
Posts: 1,029
Oct 13, 2023, 4:38 am
#483
Join Date: Nov 2022
Programs: British Airways Executive Club - Silver, Nectar, Tesco
Posts: 1,038
Oct 13, 2023, 4:45 am
#485
Join Date: Nov 2022
Programs: British Airways Executive Club - Silver, Nectar, Tesco
Posts: 1,038
Oct 13, 2023, 4:53 am
#487
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Programs: Sir Ratechaser Seigneur de la Patience d'un Saint (Mucci), BA Silver, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 2,672
Im going to break all the rules (rules dont apply to us Golds anyway, right?!) and post a Eurostar DYKWIA, from Paris Gare du Nord today.
There was an American man behind me in the queue for security and passport control and I really wanted to give him a kick in the shins. Every time there was someone to check the ticket so they know youre in the right place, hed just say Im business premier, and then when we were queuing for passport control he called one of the staff over and said Im business premier, why are we queueing? I was seconds away from violence. Unbelievable.
I saw that he got held up at passport control a while longer whilst the wonderful French official flicked through every page of his passport. I enjoyed that.
There was an American man behind me in the queue for security and passport control and I really wanted to give him a kick in the shins. Every time there was someone to check the ticket so they know youre in the right place, hed just say Im business premier, and then when we were queuing for passport control he called one of the staff over and said Im business premier, why are we queueing? I was seconds away from violence. Unbelievable.
I saw that he got held up at passport control a while longer whilst the wonderful French official flicked through every page of his passport. I enjoyed that.
Oct 13, 2023, 5:33 am
#488
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 81
I did see a quite amusing one in Seville the other week. Well signed lines for the BA flight (business desk with totem of all who are eligible) and then general line. As is people's want a queue formed for business line quite early even though ground contractor will be paid to do about 2 hours or so pre-flight. They opened up at about 2.5 hours out from departure.
Happily stood in the business queue as we advanced along with a full A321 CE load plus status pax, a man in blazer and hat with wife in tow and gold tags on his bags arrives and rolls himself round the queue to front left of the tensa barrier (1A and 1C for those who wish to know). There is an exchange of looks between him and a few of us at which point he just says he is in business. There were a few people in front of us and almost collectively it was politely pointed out this was the priority queue. A repeat of but I am in business/status ensued, to which there was a semi collective so are we. The reply of oh so you mean we have to join the back was met with a yes afraid so and a point to where it was.
I just found it quite amusing and mean no ill to the gent concerned with whom I did have a pleasant chat waiting for bags at LGW, but I do wonder how he thought it was going to play out any other way.
Happily stood in the business queue as we advanced along with a full A321 CE load plus status pax, a man in blazer and hat with wife in tow and gold tags on his bags arrives and rolls himself round the queue to front left of the tensa barrier (1A and 1C for those who wish to know). There is an exchange of looks between him and a few of us at which point he just says he is in business. There were a few people in front of us and almost collectively it was politely pointed out this was the priority queue. A repeat of but I am in business/status ensued, to which there was a semi collective so are we. The reply of oh so you mean we have to join the back was met with a yes afraid so and a point to where it was.
I just found it quite amusing and mean no ill to the gent concerned with whom I did have a pleasant chat waiting for bags at LGW, but I do wonder how he thought it was going to play out any other way.
Last edited by Kranebitten; Oct 13, 2023 at 11:52 am
Oct 13, 2023, 6:00 am
#489
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 713
I was in the BOS lounge a couple of days ago, where boarding is directly from the lounge. They announced Group Zero boarding and a few people went forward, including one man who was politely turned away and asked to wait for a moment, as he was in Group 1. He announced loudly "but I am a gold elite member and I fly thousands of miles a year with BA so I always board first". The agent was professional and simply said "it won't be long until we call Group 1". Needless to say, Group 1 was called 30 seconds later (and funnily enough probably half the lounge went forward). Is Gold Elite a new category? 
Oct 13, 2023, 6:49 am
#490
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,554
I was in the BOS lounge a couple of days ago, where boarding is directly from the lounge. They announced Group Zero boarding and a few people went forward, including one man who was politely turned away and asked to wait for a moment, as he was in Group 1. He announced loudly "but I am a gold elite member and I fly thousands of miles a year with BA so I always board first". The agent was professional and simply said "it won't be long until we call Group 1". Needless to say, Group 1 was called 30 seconds later (and funnily enough probably half the lounge went forward). Is Gold Elite a new category?
Oct 13, 2023, 12:13 pm
#493
Join Date: Nov 2022
Programs: British Airways Executive Club - Silver, Nectar, Tesco
Posts: 1,038
Oct 13, 2023, 1:22 pm
#494
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, TK Elite
Posts: 483
Oct 13, 2023, 1:47 pm
#495
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,851
Not on BA but AA but she had BA tags on her carryon:
A few weeks ago I landed at DFW at 2am after a miserable diversion to a town in the middle of nowhere. Upon finally making it to DFW, everyone on the plane was directed to a customer service center for rebooking. The only priority service available was for those of us in wheelchairs. One lady, not in a wheelchair, kept trying to cut in front of me "but I'm elite flying business." The first time she tried it, the guy pushing my wheelchair sent her away. The 2nd time my travel partner did. The third time it was the agent who sent her to the very end of the line that had doubled while she kept attempting to cut in front of me. I saw some smirks from a few people in the main line when she got sent to the back of the line.
A few weeks ago I landed at DFW at 2am after a miserable diversion to a town in the middle of nowhere. Upon finally making it to DFW, everyone on the plane was directed to a customer service center for rebooking. The only priority service available was for those of us in wheelchairs. One lady, not in a wheelchair, kept trying to cut in front of me "but I'm elite flying business." The first time she tried it, the guy pushing my wheelchair sent her away. The 2nd time my travel partner did. The third time it was the agent who sent her to the very end of the line that had doubled while she kept attempting to cut in front of me. I saw some smirks from a few people in the main line when she got sent to the back of the line.