How to tell if someone in check-in line isn't SP
Jun 11, 2015, 5:31 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: DL DM 0.4MM
Posts: 330
How to tell if someone in check-in line isn't SP
The (humorous) highlight of my commute to and from my worksite via DL has been going to the SP line to check my bag. Most of the time there's no one there and it's a quick process, but many other times I find people in line that really should be in the general line. There's several clues that say that the person is in the wrong line that I've noticed and I was wondering if other SP folk have others I haven't considered.
1. The biggest one, is that there are terminals available for keying in your SM# and starting the process, but the dude stands there like a potted plant at the front of the line waiting for a human to address them. I'll ask if he's going to use the terminal, he looks clueless, then I step past, load my bag and get my BP, and the GA sees the label and loads my bag, with the potted plant staring at me slackjawed.
2. A college looking student wearing no socks and crappy luggage. Though, I don't know for sure, could be SP, just guessing. I don't use brag tags and this person may be the same. On the otherhand, if they have travelpro or tumi luggage, I normally assume they are SP.
3. Groups of similar dressed people like in a tour group. Fairly obvious.
4. People that don't speak any English (not a criticism). These I generally try to help. I can only imagine how difficult it must be.
I wish DL GAs would politely request those that do that to go to the other line, or eventually both lines will just even out and there won't be any benefit to the SP lines.
1. The biggest one, is that there are terminals available for keying in your SM# and starting the process, but the dude stands there like a potted plant at the front of the line waiting for a human to address them. I'll ask if he's going to use the terminal, he looks clueless, then I step past, load my bag and get my BP, and the GA sees the label and loads my bag, with the potted plant staring at me slackjawed.
2. A college looking student wearing no socks and crappy luggage. Though, I don't know for sure, could be SP, just guessing. I don't use brag tags and this person may be the same. On the otherhand, if they have travelpro or tumi luggage, I normally assume they are SP.
3. Groups of similar dressed people like in a tour group. Fairly obvious.
4. People that don't speak any English (not a criticism). These I generally try to help. I can only imagine how difficult it must be.
I wish DL GAs would politely request those that do that to go to the other line, or eventually both lines will just even out and there won't be any benefit to the SP lines.
Jun 11, 2015, 5:35 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Anywhere with mountains
Programs: DL PM, Hertz 5*, SPG
Posts: 328
I rarely go to the line as I don't check baggage and I use electronic boarding pass. But, I am thankful that at SLC, there is a gatekeeper to the SP area, and you don't get in unless you are SP (or have eBay DM tags and act confident . . .)
Jun 11, 2015, 6:43 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta DM/1.3MM, Marriott PP/LTP, Natl EE, Etihad Guest, FT FNG
Posts: 662
You can also find Silver, Gold and Platinum bag tags.
Jun 11, 2015, 7:16 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: DL Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, Hertz Prez Circle, National Exec
Posts: 1,357
2. A college looking student wearing no socks and crappy luggage. Though, I don't know for sure, could be SP, just guessing. I don't use brag tags and this person may be the same. On the otherhand, if they have travelpro or tumi luggage, I normally assume they are SP.
Does buying up to C+ get somebody full Sky Priority or just the early boarding? Because I've definitely been seeing an uptick in people who have no clue what they are doing but make comments along the lines of "I paid 39/49/59/69 bucks to get XX" where XX is whatever thing that normally is part of Skypriority and they're mad about it not meeting their expectations. Which, to be honest, I don't really blame them for, I blame Delta's marketing for creating unreasonable expectations. Like that intentionally misleading ELBOW ROOM *for your knees ad that they have everywhere that shows a midget in a C+ seat with nobody else in the seats around them. Or the other one that shows two people with the camera at an angle that hides the fact that the space between them is an aisle.
Jun 11, 2015, 7:21 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta DM/1.3MM, Marriott PP/LTP, Natl EE, Etihad Guest, FT FNG
Posts: 662
Jun 11, 2015, 8:01 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: DL DM 0.4MM
Posts: 330
My point, which I probably didn’t explain very well is that it has been my experience that people that have TravelPro travel a lot, and same with Tumi, or they spend a bunch and may be in F, which I assume gets them into the SP line. Does that mean they are always SP? No, not hardly. Just more often than not. Just playing the probability game.
Jun 11, 2015, 8:07 am
#8
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA | CLT, formerly LHR & AMS (with just a bit of PSP)
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, BonVoy Titanium, (soon former) Caesars7*, (former) Wynn Black, HR "Icon"
Posts: 8,172
My point, which I probably didn’t explain very well is that it has been my experience that people that have TravelPro travel a lot, and same with Tumi, or they spend a bunch and may be in F, which I assume gets them into the SP line. Does that mean they are always SP? No, not hardly. Just more often than not. Just playing the probability game.
Jun 11, 2015, 8:25 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: DL DM 0.4MM
Posts: 330
Jun 11, 2015, 8:25 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA | CLT, formerly LHR & AMS (with just a bit of PSP)
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Posts: 8,172
Jun 11, 2015, 8:30 am
#13
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Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
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Jun 11, 2015, 8:32 am
#14
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: US-Europe
Programs: DL DM Charter/2.5MM, AA EXP, Marriott AMB, LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Avis PP, National Exec-E
Posts: 529
At RDU, the line is small and not regulated by an attendant and often there are non-SPs in the line as the SP agent will take customers from the general line, since I expect it, it doesn't bother me as I only use the SP line for Int'l travel (Passport check). The thing that gets me is when there is a person adjusting their luggage in front of the counter to meet the weight requirements. This clueless person will have their two large pieces of luggage fully open thereby blocking access to the counter and nobody can get to the agent. I see this too often and it should be better managed.
Jun 11, 2015, 8:33 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA | CLT, formerly LHR & AMS (with just a bit of PSP)
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, BonVoy Titanium, (soon former) Caesars7*, (former) Wynn Black, HR "Icon"
Posts: 8,172