Airline crockery and cutlery thieves!
#31
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Earth
Programs: Proud owner of 3 Mucci's (yes, 3!) the latest being Chevaliere des Bains Chauds, BA Silver (6 yrs)
Posts: 10,985
I'm ashamed to report I have a couple of BA spoons in my drawer. They are rather old and I can't remember how or when they were acquired but I'm obviously guilty of a crime. I'll take myself to the local cop shop now - oh, sorry I can't, they close at 5.00 pm
#32
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,198
The actual truth about the salt n pepper pots was. My wife handily placed them on the window shelf hoping the purser who was serving us on this leg of the trip wouldn't see them. However the Glasgow lass was smarter than my wife and realised what she was up to and spotted them straight away - obviously a common dodge in the F cabin.
We should have nabbed them the night before in semi darkness.
#33
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2,649
I remember a friend when I was living in New York, who took some amusement at the few odd bits of crockery and cutlery that somehow fell in my bag in the hustle and bustle to get ready to leave the plane... when he learned what I was paying for F or J tickets, he exclaimed that I ought to be unbolting the seats from the floor and taking them home with me! Never did get to that point...
#34
Join Date: Dec 2007
Programs: British Airways Executive Club, United Mileage Plus & bmi Diamond Club
Posts: 1,427
Opened my drawer the other day to discover that about 3 teaspoons were formerly used at 35,000ft. A BA fish fork from the Lander livery days & an american airlines sugar spoon was included.
I must say that I enjoy taking some items with me off a plane such as a miniature bottle of wine, but as a die-hard economy passenger, I don't really get much "kick" from plastic utensils as long as my thumb!
I must say that I enjoy taking some items with me off a plane such as a miniature bottle of wine, but as a die-hard economy passenger, I don't really get much "kick" from plastic utensils as long as my thumb!
#35
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: AA Lifetime PLT , BA Silver , BD RIP , HH Gold, SPG / Marriott PLT , EF Subscriber
Posts: 6,699
Not everything with an Airline Logo is stolen, I have a full set of 10 Royal Daulton Emirates Napkin Rings from the days when Airlines used to give Premium Passengers Gifts. The EK Rings I collected in Pairs.
I also have my most unusal Premium Passenger gift from ANA...A pewter cerumen spoon still boxed and unused.
I also have my most unusal Premium Passenger gift from ANA...A pewter cerumen spoon still boxed and unused.
#36
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: Virgin Silver, BA Blue, HHonors, Priority Club
Posts: 300
Fascinating thread!
HighLife, I am betting these were classical musicians who were found to have "misappropriated" airline stuff? I've had quite a few clients with kitchens full of such souvenirs. I always put it down to the usual artistic insecurity they tend to suffer: Having First crockery items somehow seems to reassure them of their "status" and interestingly all the culprits have been men - so far.
I have to say one of the most embarrassing incidents I've encountered was getting a long itemized bill from a famous London hotel for an extremely well known orchestral conductor, who'd left not only with the embroidered logo bath-robe, but all his suite's crockery, towels, some ornaments, an alarm clock, champagne flutes and even the bed-linen... (Mind you he was already a bit crazy by then...)
I have to admit I haven't done enough F flying to find anything really worth nicking yet - wish I'd been on Concorde...
HighLife, I am betting these were classical musicians who were found to have "misappropriated" airline stuff? I've had quite a few clients with kitchens full of such souvenirs. I always put it down to the usual artistic insecurity they tend to suffer: Having First crockery items somehow seems to reassure them of their "status" and interestingly all the culprits have been men - so far.
I have to say one of the most embarrassing incidents I've encountered was getting a long itemized bill from a famous London hotel for an extremely well known orchestral conductor, who'd left not only with the embroidered logo bath-robe, but all his suite's crockery, towels, some ornaments, an alarm clock, champagne flutes and even the bed-linen... (Mind you he was already a bit crazy by then...)
I have to admit I haven't done enough F flying to find anything really worth nicking yet - wish I'd been on Concorde...
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: France
Programs: MUCCI, BA LTG/GGL/CCR, AF PLAT, ETHIHAD AND LH USELESS PLASTIC
Posts: 2,063
Your guesswork is partly correct and your theory about status very funny! Yes, one of them is a very prominent classical composer - but the other one is very much non-classical! Love your story about the conductor ^
#38
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Hopefully on a plane...
Posts: 6,580
On a recent trip to NRT somehow a set of the new Delta BusinessElite Duvet's made their way into my carryon bags. Those things are so warm them grace my dorm room bed :-)
#39
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: LBA
Posts: 358
We were fortunate to fly on Concorde (a cracking Expedia deal!) some years ago. I loved the small salt & pepper grinders and the napkin rings. I nicely asked the steward if we could keep them (two sets) as a souvenir - no problems. On leaving the plane the same steward gave me a bag with four more sets with the words "well, you can't have a dinner party with out a set of six can you?"
Happy memories
Happy memories
#40
Join Date: May 2000
Location: VA USA IAD\DCA
Posts: 573
As so many have said, it is amazing what is on ebay. But this pinching of objects is hardly restricted to the airlines. USATODAY did an article about this a couple of months back, looking at theft of dishes from hotels. Some hotels even created an amnesty program -- give us crockery, we'll give you a room discount -- and similar if I'm not mistaken.
Dave
Dave
But I am just curious why hotels and airlines can’t find a way to put some alarm tags in their equipments like department stores do
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,005
this is not some attempt to convince you all that I lead some sort of glamorous life...
HOWEVER ....
in the (London) house of a very famous musician....
in the home of an actress you would all be pretty familiar with ....
a widely respected, and hugely published intellectual in Italy in whose kitchen I found .....
None of the non-famous people I know have ever indulged in this odd form of collecting.
HL
HOWEVER ....
in the (London) house of a very famous musician....
in the home of an actress you would all be pretty familiar with ....
a widely respected, and hugely published intellectual in Italy in whose kitchen I found .....
None of the non-famous people I know have ever indulged in this odd form of collecting.
HL
It might pay to snoop around their kitchens, too - mine would reveal a sad but stunning collection of Sabena-ware. The bathroom is more fun with a glamorous set of exotic shampoos from hotels around the world, lined up behind the Tesco's Timotei.
#42
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: London, England
Programs: OW Emerald (BA), UA*G, Marriott Plat, IC RA, Various others
Posts: 1,009
There was a great story from the Ritz in London following their amnesty in 1994:
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Most hotels are not in the habit of rewarding light-fingered guests who make off with towels, ashtrays or more substantial booty. But the Ritz Hotel in London is doing precisely that. To collect items for a "heritage room," the hotel is offering a swap for items removed between 1906 to 1960. Anyone returning crockery receives afternoon tea. A chamber pot is good for a night's stay. And monogrammed bath towels can be traded in for dinner. Big-ticket items, like silverware or even furniture, are assessed individually but could be worth a weekend for two in a suite. About 40 items have been returned.
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One gentleman arrived and asked to speak to the manager. He said he had taken something from the Ritz during the war, but was not able to bring it back - he was still married to her! Whilst billeted there, he met and fell in love with a chambermaid, and they were still together. I believe the Ritz made quite a fuss over them both.
But on the subject of airline crockery or cutlery, many people do pinch the odd souvenir from time to time...perhaps they think it is fair game given some of the prices they pay for a ticket. But there is a very serious trade in used crockery and cutlery - just visit any one of the Airline Collectibles Fairs worldwide, and you will see ballrooms piled high with the stuff. There is one coming up at Kempton Park Racecourse on 11th May (11-3pm). They sell everything - crockery, blankets, bits of aircraft, books, magazines, videos, postcards, keyrings, cutlery, DVDs, slides - basically anything that is aviation related. There was just a huge one at LGW, and to no huge surprise, there were piles of OASIS Business Class crockery on sale, for example. Plus, you can pick stuff up at airports around the world (Haneda Airport has both a JAL store and an ANA store)...
I purchased the old Navy and Gold BA Royal Doulton First service when they changed patterns. I was sent brand new stuff, which was still in the original boxes, and use it as everyday chinaware. It is very nice stuff, and most durable, too. Only way to tell it is BA is to look at the bottom of each piece and see the name.
------------------------------------------
Most hotels are not in the habit of rewarding light-fingered guests who make off with towels, ashtrays or more substantial booty. But the Ritz Hotel in London is doing precisely that. To collect items for a "heritage room," the hotel is offering a swap for items removed between 1906 to 1960. Anyone returning crockery receives afternoon tea. A chamber pot is good for a night's stay. And monogrammed bath towels can be traded in for dinner. Big-ticket items, like silverware or even furniture, are assessed individually but could be worth a weekend for two in a suite. About 40 items have been returned.
------------------------------------------
One gentleman arrived and asked to speak to the manager. He said he had taken something from the Ritz during the war, but was not able to bring it back - he was still married to her! Whilst billeted there, he met and fell in love with a chambermaid, and they were still together. I believe the Ritz made quite a fuss over them both.
But on the subject of airline crockery or cutlery, many people do pinch the odd souvenir from time to time...perhaps they think it is fair game given some of the prices they pay for a ticket. But there is a very serious trade in used crockery and cutlery - just visit any one of the Airline Collectibles Fairs worldwide, and you will see ballrooms piled high with the stuff. There is one coming up at Kempton Park Racecourse on 11th May (11-3pm). They sell everything - crockery, blankets, bits of aircraft, books, magazines, videos, postcards, keyrings, cutlery, DVDs, slides - basically anything that is aviation related. There was just a huge one at LGW, and to no huge surprise, there were piles of OASIS Business Class crockery on sale, for example. Plus, you can pick stuff up at airports around the world (Haneda Airport has both a JAL store and an ANA store)...
I purchased the old Navy and Gold BA Royal Doulton First service when they changed patterns. I was sent brand new stuff, which was still in the original boxes, and use it as everyday chinaware. It is very nice stuff, and most durable, too. Only way to tell it is BA is to look at the bottom of each piece and see the name.
#43
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,160
That was a total fabrication of the truth - tell her anything and she believes me.
The actual truth about the salt n pepper pots was. My wife handily placed them on the window shelf hoping the purser who was serving us on this leg of the trip wouldn't see them. However the Glasgow lass was smarter than my wife and realised what she was up to and spotted them straight away - obviously a common dodge in the F cabin.
We should have nabbed them the night before in semi darkness.
The actual truth about the salt n pepper pots was. My wife handily placed them on the window shelf hoping the purser who was serving us on this leg of the trip wouldn't see them. However the Glasgow lass was smarter than my wife and realised what she was up to and spotted them straight away - obviously a common dodge in the F cabin.
We should have nabbed them the night before in semi darkness.
You will excuse me as a flock of blue pigs flew past the window whilst I was writing!
You 'fessed up to being a tealeaf in front of eveybody and now you have the effrontery to blame your wife! Just how low is that? Sundance has not respnded because she is just shocked at your peridity. Your wife has gone off to the tundra with you and the dog for company. Has she any idea that she has BA's answer to Mr Al-Feyad clasped to her bosom! Is that why you had to flee to Argentina? Did Scotland Yard get a bit too close to comfort?
Anyhow - I am delighted to know that I Pucci went throught the cupboard and discovered.
Cutlery from AA, US, and some of Braniffs wonderful coffee mugs. Swizzle sticks from Southwest Airlines, United, BCAL, Continental, and propellor shaped ones from TWA. China from BCAL First Class when we knew that BA were coming and that everything of BCALs would be ditched. Packs of cards from United, American, TWA.
Now you might say - what right has she got to mouth off at poor old HIDDY when she is no better herself. That much is true - but I did not blame my Other Half for my own misdemeanours. One might also add that HIDDY should have set a much better example to one of such young and tender years such as me. That is what is expected of the older generation. I can only bow my head in shame and say that just because he had fallen down the well I ought not to have jumped down on him even though it would have been so soft a landing I would probably have bounced straight back up again.
#44
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold(OWE), QF LTG, MR Plat, IHG Spire, Hertz PC
Posts: 8,156
I feel like the only person who has not stolen a thing from an aircraft. What am I missing out on?
Closest I have gotten is taking the PJs with me which I believe is perfectly acceptable.
Closest I have gotten is taking the PJs with me which I believe is perfectly acceptable.
#45
Join Date: Feb 2005
Programs: United 1K, BA Silver, Marriott LTP
Posts: 823
I even failed to take the PJs with me on my one and only F to date; I will of course rectify this next time!