I was on a flight recently and upgraded to F. They let one guy board before everyone else. I was first to board the plane (after that guy) and when I got to my seat, there was a small briefcase in the underseat storage in the seat next to me. The guy I'd seen board early came back from either the cockpit or the restroom (I didn't see) and sat next to me in the window seat. Since he had to walk over me to get to his seat, we greeted each other and then I said, "Did you board early?" He said, "No." He then proceeded to ignore me throughout boarding and flight. Not that I wanted a conversation, but when you're sitting next to someone and you bump into them and say "Excuse me" or whatever? All of that stuff was completely ignored.

The point is, he boarded early and I knew he boarded early, but then he lied to me about it. It wasn't really any of my business, but still, why lie? I wasn't sure if he was a FAM or not b/c he was just wearing a golf-type shirt and khakis and I remembered reading that they wear suits. Maybe not anymore?

Was this a FAM?

GG

If he was seated in a window seat, he probably wasn't.

Indeed, he was in a window seat. What other reason would he have had to get to board early? This was an AA flight and he boarded before the Plat/ExPlat boarding call. There were no people with wheelchairs or otherwise who needed to board early.

GG

They do have to be the first/last one in the bathroom though .... but he should have been sitting in the aisle seat.

What other reasons for boarding first? Perhaps he was a minor celebrity - one you obviously didn't recognize.

Or perhaps he pays full fare F for all his flights and AA treats him to VIP privileges like boarding first.

Or perhaps he was an armed LEO and boarded first for a meet and greet with the crew. On-Duty Sky Marshals almost always sit in aisle seats, but there's no rule that says everyone with a gun has to sit in an aisle.

Might have been a high-level AA employee - and gets to board whenever he feels like it.

may be an off duty pilot?

Should have reported that unattended bag, see what the crew and that guy would have said.

Nobody here can answer your question with anything other than opinion and conjecture, so it's all rather meaningless.

I hope that the bag was moved from your space under the seat in front of you.

No, it was in front of his seat. I was in the aisle. I didn't word it properly.

GG

How many threads on FT have you read? Many are opinion and conjecture. Your point?



GG

He may also have been an FAA or airline inspector, especially if he was in the cockpit for a short period of time. Some FAA inspectors ride in the cockpit and some don't. But, there would have been nothing to prevent him from telling you he was an inspector.

So true. Look at the debate "Is it opinion? Is it conjecture? Is it a hard fact?" every mention of the simple phrase "Kip Hawley is an Idiot."

I thought that was fact! BWAH!

But back to my own OP...

GG

I doubt it was an "on-duty" FAM. Did the guy intently watch the rest of the PAX board? That's usually a good sign.

Not everyone wants to talk while boarding, and some people might feel that if they answered yes to your first question they would be draw into further conversation.

I could be an AA VIP, an off duty pilot or other AA employee, an FAA inspector, an off duty FAM, or LEO carrying a firearm, etc.