Just a few points:

1. ANA, although a minor carrier from LHR, still have their own staff. I'm sure of this because 90% of their ground staff seems to be immaculately mannered and etc. Also if they were contract then I doubt they will have as many Japanese staff as they do presently.

2. In LHR T3, there is no passport control on your way out, only security checks. When you're eligible for Fast Track (F/J/Gold) you go through a separate security check lane which is always so much quicker. The ordinary line could take forever to clear...

3. Arrivals fast track: When arriving as F/J (never tried as a gold) you receive a bright pink card in the flight. When you arrive, you will find that Fast Track takes about 3 minutes max. to clear, whereas the normal line could take as long as 20-30 minutes to clear. Quite a wait if you're unlucky.

AC*SE: I don't think the airlines have to pay for the deparature fast track, because it's just a red circle sticker which I could buy from my local stationary shop! and besides, they don't write down which carrier you're going on.

Anyway, so it looks like letter writing time to me!

I hope this might change something... I doubt that agent will get much though...

CX gave me a pink envelop for the fast track lane (for arrival) with a CX logo and the corporate name in English/Chinese.

Starman, thanks for that. You are quite right, there is no longer any Home Office official to check passports on the way out. There is passport control in so far as that is done by the airline to ensure that the documents will be acceptable to the country to which the airline is conveying that passenger. Money talks and the airlines are fined by other countries! Again, I am sorry that you were treated so rudely.

stargold,

It is truely a shame that you were treated the way you were and I think you absolutely need to write to the airline. If I were this persons supervisor I would certainly want to know about incidents like this. I think your attitude complimenting the airline before you tell your story will serve you well. You also may want to point out that being only 17 and already a frequent flyer, the amount of money you are likely to spend on airfare in the rest of your lifetime is likely to be very high. I would think you would be one of the last pax they would want to make angry.

Good luck

Let me see if I understand this. You asked an agent of one airline to give a fast track pass to your friend who is flying on a different airline, who you admit doesn't qualify for a fast track pass. You are angry that the agent was rude in denying this inappropriate request.

That doesn't excuse the rudeness of the agent, but don't you think you bear any responsibilty here?

I hate to say this, but stargold can get a much better response thru the mail system than he could at the counter, because of his age.

I look very young, yet fly FC (and hold a Platinum card) on TWA and many other carriers. Unfortunately, because of my appearance and youthfulness, I get much better responses from letters than I do from personal encounters.

Cheers.

ed:

That was my whole point. I did say in my initial post that just a gentle "sorry but I can't do that" would have sufficed. Instead, she decided to go for the "let's be rude" option... and made me look stupid.

I'm not angry by the fact that she didn't do what I asked...

-stargold-

Are Star Alliance Gold members extended First Class check-in? I thought it was Business Class facilities only. (only asking because I have not flown on Star Alliance internationally much yet)

(Off Topic...)

Fly Boy:

ANA seems to be a bit of an exception in terms of their treatment of Star Golds.

All priority services provided are First Class, which is quite unlike any other Star carrier. This includes:

F CLS Check-in
F CLS Boarding
F CLS Lounge (except NRT)
F CLS Baggage Priority

Also, to my knowledge ANA is the only Star carrier who (sometimes) offers personal welcome to Star Golds (and sometimes even Star Silvers). On the flight, the FAs circle each Gold/Silver on the manifest which perhaps explains the noticeable difference in attentiveness.

Unfortunately, other carriers gives Star Golds Business Class priority.

(corrected item in bold)

[This message has been edited by stargold (edited 12-18-2000).]

[This message has been edited by stargold (edited 12-18-2000).]

I've had Delta FA's personally welcome me, a mere Delta Gold Medallion member riding in cheapo class, several times after takeoff, and once an FA even gave me and a travelling companion free headsets, just because I was a GM. The FA's noted each time that Delta appreciated my GM business, and, if this happens more often in the future, it may even lessen some of my bitterness over Delta's 2001 Skymiles "benefits," which we all asked for! The ground and air staff can be outstanding, when they go out of their way!

Stargold,

I recently had a very similar problem. Not at check in, but at boarding.

I was Flying Virgin Premium Economy and utilised the marvellous clubhouse at Gatwick. Passengers on the flight to MCO were called and we proceeded downstairs to the gate.

I went to the front of the mass queue of economy passengers (Which is a feature of Premium tickets, priority boarding and disembarkment) and showed my boarding card and explained I was flying Premium Economy and had just been called from the ClubHouse.

The agent on the desk looked at me as if I wasn't travelling in Premium (Maybe thats because i'm only 20) and said "you couldn't possibly have been in our Clubhouse, Only Flying Club Gold Members are allowed to use the lounge", now fair enough I am only FlyingClub Silver but I had been to the lounge as that is a privilege of my American Express Platinum Card. I said that I had due to my AMEX card, and again it was a look of 'you can't possibly be a Platinum Card holder', at this point the other agent looked at me and noticed my Flying Club and Amex tags on bag, and suddenly realised what an idiot the other agent had been. She then stopped boarding the other passengers and looked at my ticket and allowed me to board straightaway, much to the annoyance of the other passengers. Mutterings of "Who is he?, How come he can jump the queue?" could be heard which is not what I want when i have paid for a premium ticket.

I complained to Virgin upon my return from MCO, and spoke to a helpful person in Customer Relations. They were very concerned and credited my Flying club account with 10,000 miles to say sorry.

I can understand that you don't get many young people flying Premium/Business but these people must learn that there are some exceptions out there, and should be treated no differently to any other premium-ticketed passenger.

We young elites should band together...

I've been treated with the same sorts of looks and attitudes since I started flying as Elite. As far as written responses, I wrote to NW about a city ticket office agent who treated me rudely because I asked about fare rules or class of service, instead of paying the full Y fare he quoted me, and he later accused me of trying to use airline jargon to trick him, which I wasn't.

I guess he didn't expect that the 24 year onld in front of him had been elite for 7 years, and that on top of that, my job is making transportation policy in DC-- I was in MSP over a federal holiday weekend. NW gave me a typical canned response, and even when I replied to their reply, I never got a firm appology or anything.

One semi-good thing about being a young elite is that I could have had alcohol years before I was "legal"-- but I don't drink. Worse, it's hard to get refills of juice when the FA walks around the cabin with only wine.

RichardMannion:

I have checked the AMEX site - and the Plantinum card is only upon invitation?

[This message has been edited by Goldlust (edited 04-18-2001).]

Goldlust,

Platinum card is not invitation. I simply applied and received one.

It's kinda sorta. I was once interested in a Platinum card, so I called Amex and asked. Ten days later - glory be! - I received an invitation.