24? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I've been top tier since before I could vote and never once had a problem.

Well, I (22, elite since 14) have had my share of problems like all you other posters up there. I now usually deal with it by smiling and saying something in the likes of a friendly "My, you must not be used to young first class / elite travellers. Don't worry, I'm used to that."

I wasnt going to post this, but try being a young black man. You should hear the questions and see some of the reactions I get. Besides the stuff you noted above, the best and most often ask question when I fly FC is, Are you a Rapper or You must be an football player. Love their reaction when I tell them what I do for a living. Most of the time I just take it in stride.

Last week flying IAH-CLE I had a young man approach the seat (2F) and tell me he was in the window seat. I got up to let him into his seat and noticed the baggy jean, black heavy metal t-shirt, backpack, and skateboard. (Didn't bother me any). Within 30 seconds of him sitting down the FA asked to see his BP to "verify that everyone was in their correct seat" (she did not check mine) and just shrugged when he produced one for 2F. Shortly befor takeoff a gentleman boarded the plane and loudly announced to the FA that he was gold and should be seated in FC not that "young criminal" (a reference to the young man seated beside me). Before takeoff another FA asked to see his BP, again to check for proper seating. He was good natured about it and laughed and said he got that all the time.

Once in the air we started talking and it seems he is one of the "hot extreme skateboarders" (my daughters words not mine) and he travels cross country on a weekly basis. He said he gets questioned all the time and actually thinks it is funny. This young man was well spoken, very polite and quite funny. He is 16, travels all the time, and has his own business.

Before we got to CLE I wnet to the restroom and on the gally wall they had the pax list and I nted he was a PLAT.

Just proves you can't judge a book by it's cover! (a lesson I learned a long time ago)

Jamflyer:

I go through the same thing myself. I HAVE to be either a rapper, basketball player, high-level criminal, or an airline employee. Thankfully, I've never had a problem with airline staff, only with some passengers who have yet to realize that the times are changin'...

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Thank you for choosing Continental Airlines, a proud member of the SkyTeam Alliance.

Sounds like a young CO flyers get together is in order - there's certainly enough of us...

What do you do for a living?

I am 28 yrs old and fly alot for work and have been elite for the last several years. I have gotten a few rude stares and comments. I had a flight attendant in BF once asked if my parents worked for the airlines because he had seen me so many times in BF on the MAN-EWR flight. I politely explained I was a consultant and he was polite as always to me.

The only person who has ever said something rude to me about the way I dressed in FC was my mother. It was the middle of the summer and really hot here in New Orleans so I ducked into a bathroom in the Chicago airport before returning home to NOLA and changed into my favorite raggedy House of Blue T-Shirt and flip flops. Mom picked me up at the airport and said she couldn't believe I just flew FC like that!

The NOLA airport staff have always been very nice to me, even in my casual clothes. They all know me so well from flying into a small airport they even ask by my parents.

I've only had a problem once, with a BUF gate agent, while boarding an ERJ flight to CLE. She called elite boarding and the three people dressed in suits in front of me were greeted with smiles and allowed to board. As soon as I approached the smile disappeared and she snipped that "This is elite boarding ONLY!" I said "Yes, I know" and handed her my boarding pass. She responded by sending me over to the TSA secondary screening, ensuring that I would be last to board anyway. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

Great story! Ok, who was it? My daughters want to know!(ok, maybe me too, lol).

This is another situation I fully understand. The girls and I fly around most of the summer to/from surf contests, with a surfboard bag to check. The comments heard in and around the FC check-in line are sometimes downright hysterical. Everything from "This is for First Class only" to strangers approaching my daughter and asking is she is "somebody". (In all fairness, we are often straight off the beach; after checkin we clean up and change). I have met many pro-surfers (a grungy looking, but extremely well traveled bunch), and suffice it to say: You really can't judge a book by its cover!

Side note: CO has raised its fees for bringing the boards so much since last summer, I will have to fly another airline this year for this purpose. Last quote for connecting HNL flights was over $1200 for one bag with 3 boards! Ridiculous!

Robin

Well, Princess, from your comment.. hehe, it seems that they FA's recognize that only non-revs get to sit in BF on a regular basis.

Q.E.D.

Ah... but the one complaining to the FA was obviously no "gentleman" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

So when are we having a flyertalk under 30 get together? email me or post on below thread
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum95/HTML/003302.html

Curious - what do you do for a living?

When I was perhaps 22 I remember a gate agent at LAS getting into an arguement with me stating my standard rolling suit case would not fit into the over head.

I cannot prove this, but I beleive this was done because of my age.

I called the supervisor over and he lightly appologized.

It is intersting that this occured a very long time ago and I still fume when I think about it.

Not treating your young FC passengers well is even worse than not treating your older FC passengers. We will be traveling longer and we probably have more inluence over others over the long-term.