cybermud

An interesting read from the Chicago Sun-Times. No registration required.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/...airwait24.html

From the article: "Zunk recommends that passengers go to the shortest line, no matter where airline workers tell you to go. And that goes for using checkpoints plainly marked for "priority customers" or "employees only," he said."

bursa

That's just not right...an employees only/priority line should just be that. Elite customers (those who travel a lot) will have paid more in airport taxes and fees and while use of the security lines increases also, it should still be an elite-only priviledge, like the discount when a company buys in bulk. To have anybody go into an elite line defeats the purpose, and I'm sure most FTers will strongly object to having one of the few benefits of flying so much taken away. Do TSA agents even allow non-employees/elite to go through the priority line?

JDiver

I can see the result now - the TSA says "we don't discriminate," the article says one may use any line, elite or even employee, and even has the sage advice of telling us to ignore airport employees. Oh, yeah, I can see this will end up just peachy: checkpoint rage! Oh, we already have it...

'Roberson and O'Hare Federal Security Director Mike) Zunk recommends that passengers go to the shortest line, no matter where airline workers tell you to go. And that goes for using checkpoints plainly marked for "priority customers" or "employees only," he said.'

OK, I will bust some employee lines and tell 'em "Mike sent me."

JonNYC

Zunk sounds like a real Shmunck

tismfu

I think that when we go through an elite security line, because we obviously have more money, we should have to fork out, say $10 or $20 to the TSA. Heck, that's how taxes work, might as well get us at the airport as well!

whirledtraveler

Can someone move this over to the Travel & Security Forum. It's not AA specific, and they need to get a load of this.

ALARISstl

Zunk is one stupid a*#hole.

Just one more reason to avoid O'Hare and connect thru DFW.

alamedaguy

I like this part.

If United is devoting a quarter of their seats to first class, what am I doing flying AA?

justageek

I agree that the folks quoted in the article are morons.

But the article does raise an interesting point. What makes an elite security line "elite," and who enforces it? The article makes it sound like the airlines just put up signs designating elite lines, but nobody cares who uses them--including the TSA and the head of security for ORD.

My experience has been that many airports have "maze dragons" (my favorite term so far for the non-TSA contract folks) to weed out non-elite passengers from the elite lines. But what do they actually do if you just ignore them and march on by?

skye1

Well, the article mentions their upcoming meeting with airline officials. I would think it proactive to let our airline officials know of our concerns regarding this news.

I noted that one passenger's complaint about "elites" supposedly having more money. I know for a fact that's not entirely true---it might just be that we chose to spend it differnetly, etc.

Brian-AAFlyer

Who is this idiots boss.. I think we need to be sending letters advising the people that work for us *WHY* the lines at elite desks are shorter.. its because we know the drill, we pass through fast and efficiently..

GET THIS MORON FIRED

khkchan

I remembered that in Montreal airport on a Monday morning, there were hundreds of people passing through security. An Air Canada employee was helping to direct passenger through security, however, everyone had to get inline! An elite passenger insisted that he wanted to jump to the front of the queue to use the lounge to send an important fax. The AC employee denied his request saying that this is a federal queue and she had no control over it. She was just helping passengers there. The hot-headed passenger asked the employee for her business card. The AC employee politely handed over her card and then moved on directing other passenger, including directing the passenger to the end of queue. As I was an AC elite, I didn't even thought of jumping the queue because of I am an elite. We are not in Asia or Europe.

If one carefully breaks down the tax you have paid on your ticket, I think you will find that a high-fare passenge does not necessarily paid more tax than low-fare passenger in terms of the money that goes to the airport and security.

Tax: US Domestic Percentage - 7.5% -> goes to FAA?
Tax: US Domestic Segment -> goes to FAA?
Fee: Passenger Facility Charges - fixed!
Fee: September 11th Security Fee - fixed!

From other view point, the percentage of security and PFC charges a low-fare paying customer is way higher than high-fare customers... should they have priority instead??

everywhere

A passenger whom flys more pays more tax annually...
A passenger whom flys more is almost always an elite.

24th ID

Please help my here. Are you saying you are elitebecause you have more money?

FWAAA

"Elite," when used on FlyerTalk, generally refers to those of us who fly enough to have status within a frequent flyer program. The lowest level generally requires 25k butt-in-seat miles annually. It isn't an indicator of excessive self-importance.

As a marshal, you obviously don't pay for your tickets. I'm guessing that you don't fly enough on one carrier on your own dime to have garnered elite status.

And I think you missed tismfu's sarcasm; I don't think tismfu was really advocating spending an extra $10 or $20 to pass thru security, but I may be mistaken.