Sassy!

I agree life's to short to get too bent out of shape about it. As one surprised Road Warrior said (while we were stowing our gear in the first class section), "You don't look like a Platnium Guy."

Being mistaken for being too young may be a factor but as an old shaggy haired Hippie most of the above has happened to me. I think it may be more due to precieved social economic status than age. Even if I'd wear my "professional attire" it would happen.

When I switched from nylon gym bags to the common $30 dollar Walmart leatherette expandable brief and a beat up old Travel Pro roll-aboard I got at Goodwill - things changed, even in casual dress.

Sassy!

RChavez

God, do I ever! I used to get those with fairly good frequency. And it was a great transcon service with drink setup and newspapers on boarding, champagne (okay, well, sparkling wine) on board....much better meal presentations, and of course the older BF seats. Now we have to compete for 16 seats on the occasional 752.

But...I digress.

IndustrialPatent

I got booted from BusinessFirst for not dressing appropriately... I had on sweater & baggy jeans, as it was a long flight and I wanted to stay comfortable (I’m not one to wear a suit & tie and changed into pajamas)… later another FA told me they thought I was 16 (not even close!) so that’s why they booted me. (It was an Economy ticket upgraded with miles… CO redeposited my miles and gave me some extra for my trouble).

ssullivan

I've never had a problem on CO, although two years ago I did have a US flight attendant card me when I purchased a cocktail in flight. When she saw that I was 27, she was so embarrassed that she forgot to take my $4, and the drink ended up being free.

I have noticed CO flight attendants in first class ask to see the boarding pass of very young travelers flying alone in first during the boarding process several times. They weren't rude about it or anything - just politely verifying the seat assignment. About half of the time, the passenger was really supposed to be in the back, and was just trying to see if he/she could get away with sitting in first. The funniest was a kid who got on the second leg of the ANC-SEA-IAH flight and sat down on across the aisle from me in row 1. When the flight attendant asked to see his boarding pass, and then reminded him that he was supposed to be back in row 20-something, he said "Oh, I thought you guys were like Southwest and we could sit anywhere."

NWAgoldelite

You think it's bad for you guys who are in your 20's, I'm 16 and it happends all the time. Agents looking at me funny, seatmates thinking "what is he doing up here?" (I can just see it on there faces). Although, I can't remember an occasion where F/A's were rude. I've also been asked a million times if my dad bought this seat for me.

On one occasion a CO agent accused me of using my fathers card because I was only 15 at the time, and had no ID. I thought he would take me out of F/C. After hassling me for about 20 minutes, he finally said, "well, it's ok."

[This message has been edited by NWAgoldelite (edited 04-30-2003).]

Viajero Joven

In my similar experience, the agent tried with a vengeance to find proof of account misuse so NW could close the account!! It got a bit nasty! That was the very hour I had the Gold Line put the age comment into my profile.

My commute from school to home was 200 miles DSM-MSP... so the balance was pure self funded leisure travel. I found I could fly, say, DSM-MSP-LAS for cheaper than DSM-MSP, so that's what I did over multiple weekends. The miles and elite status followed. And yeah, RChavez, I tried to explain how easy it was.... not until my LatinPass quest did one of my buddies "get it"-- he's a Nicaragua national who joined me for that trip, and has tagged along on others. He's multi-elite now, too.

Speaking of the days of nice F flights, my first itinerary as elite put me in the upper deck of a 742 SEA-MSP. I've never been the same since.

------------------
RChavez and entropy, which building were you in? I lived in MacGregor House for summer 92.... and know other MIT alums that entered in Fall 93. Maybe we know some of the same people.

SPN Lifer

Welcome to FlyerTalk, NWAgoldelite!

Originally posted by traveler4ever:
Originally posted by RChavez:
Or you could politely chuckle and say, "I'm glad you're in the right place!"

I must admit to a subconscious surprised ageism in expecting TransWorldOne to be older than his mid-20s when meeting him in person at NRT -- based on the wisdom and perspective of his posts -- and hope I caused no offense. (!)

If not carefully done, all comparisons of oneself and others can become invidious. The root cause of the hostile reactions is envy, while the surprised reactions are merely a reflection of the fact that that statistically, you truly are elite!

Enjoy it! You can be happy or sad, the choice is up to you.

IndustrialPatent

That makes two of us !

dknn

I've had my fair share of rude looks and comments for looking being young (I'm 23). Once on a NW flight while seated in the exit row, I was asked if I was old enough to sit there not by one FA but by two. Recently while entering the RCC in DEN, I was questioned if I was 18 and at the other RCC if the card belong to my father.

Last month in Vegas I've never been ID so much and I've been there about 4 times since turning 21. I take it as a compliment and I usually ask the person how old they think I am, which varies from 16-20.

I am Chairman's Preferred on US and generally receive good service but I've noticed how FA treat other passengers better. I do like looking at the expressions on people's faces when they call my name for the last seat in F.

Fishbait

Same goes for me traveling with my girls. We have all been elite for several years running (6 or so? since they were very small), and I think I have heard it all. During combined FC/small children preboarding, I often get "Those are NOT small children", to which I usually reply "No, but they are in first class". The most annoying thing happens more often than you may think: My (well-dressed, much to their dismay, lol) girls are often skipped for meal selection in F, and then returned to at the end, with the last choices. I have questioned the FAs about this twice, once was told something to the effect of "They are only children, do they really need a choice?", the other time was some sort of explanation that they were taking orders from "higher levels" first. Funny thing is, they were Gold, just like me, and I was very early in the selection pool. For the most part, I just blow it off, as it's not worth the stress.

Robin

entropy

A gate agent once came on board EWR-SFO flight and asked to see my BP. He took a look at it, and then said thank you and left. I don't recall being poorly dressed that day. Most likely surprised that a silver got a transcon upgrade....

Viajero Joven: RChavez and I lived at Senior Haus. Dont' know about ppl who entered then, I do know people from that era of MIT though.

I LOVE EWR

Interesting topic. I am only 20 and I have only been questioned once on another carrier. I am 6'5 300 pounds so I do look a little older than most. The CO crews and other fellow PAX always ask if I am traveling on business which I obviously never do as I am in college. They all seemed surprised when I tell them my age.

Also Fishbait I COMPLETELY understand that life is to short to be upset by the little things but if a FA told me that...

"They are only children, do they really need a choice?"

I would have sent a letter to CO. I think that is unacceptable behavior from an FA.

[This message has been edited by I LOVE EWR (edited 05-01-2003).]

East Coast Wing

Over the years I've noticed some differences if I'm wearing a suit versus casual clothes....but now that I'm 31 it's less of an issue.

I used to fly between DTW-CLE twice a month starting at age 12 to visit my mother after my parents divorced. I used to get all kinds of strange looks/questions/comments, etc. On the upside, the CLE Republic Airlines staff got to know me and would move me to first if they had empty seats. They thought it was "cute".....

Final comment...my fiancee got carded at the EWR P-Club bar in March when we were flying to Florida....she's 31 and it made her day!!!

novicebutintertested

I had somewhat of the opposite happen, when I was 15-16-17-18-19, I would be offered wine and or beer in first class without a second question from the FA, now that I have turned 21, I am usually never offered wine and or beer and if I ask for some, the FA usually laughs and asks to see ID. I now keep my Passport out to show, because I am told that I have faked my license.

GO FIGURE!!!

Fishbait

To be fair, that was not the exact wording, but certainly how it came off. Maybe something more like "Oh, I hadn't realized the children had a specific choice in mind". But it was not difficult to read between the lines. It has happened often enough that I do not doubt the intentions.

Robin