Middle manager upgraded ahead of senior VP, told to give seat to superior.
May 18, 2014, 9:19 pm
#46
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
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How about your father?
May 19, 2014, 3:18 am
#48
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Completely agree. This thread just goes to remind us of the chasm in attitude that exists between those on either side of the Atlantic. Indebted servitude is seemingly alive and kicking in the United States.
May 19, 2014, 5:32 am
#49
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May 19, 2014, 6:25 am
#50
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Middle manager ahead of senior VP list told to give seat to superior
I'm curious as to the ages of those posting various perspectives here. Someone suggested a geographical split, which I also find interesting.
I'm late 20s and think the only person at the office I'd ever consider giving my upgrade to would be a pregnant colleague. No way would I give my VP my seat, and if ordered to, I'd be looking for another job using GoGo wifi.
I'm late 20s and think the only person at the office I'd ever consider giving my upgrade to would be a pregnant colleague. No way would I give my VP my seat, and if ordered to, I'd be looking for another job using GoGo wifi.
May 19, 2014, 6:26 am
#51
Join Date: Nov 2011
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May 19, 2014, 7:18 am
#52
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Doing fine thanks for asking. But then I have enough confidence in my ability and of my value to a company that I don't have to play lickspittle to the petty whims of middle management. Your mileage may vary.
May 19, 2014, 7:31 am
#53
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May 19, 2014, 8:23 am
#54
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And here comes that chasm between the US and the rest of the world again.......
May 19, 2014, 8:28 am
#55
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Originally Posted by Apieinthesky
Your female boss/colleague is not your "lady friend," nor is she your mother. And I am sure she would not appreciate being regarded that way.
I wouldn't hesitate to give my upgraded seat to my lady friend. In no way am I implying she is less physically capable than I am (actually, likely the opposite).
I would do the same if I was traveling with my mother. It's in part to be nice, in part to show respect. Actually, I do think my mother deserves, from me, least of all, an upgrade while traveling for raising me and looking after me for the majority of my life.
Last edited by LTBoston; May 19, 2014 at 3:31 pm
May 19, 2014, 9:16 am
#56
Join Date: Jul 2011
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I'm an American, moderately senior in my company, and I would never consider asking a subordinate to give up their first or business class seat for me, or even taking it if offered. When I was younger, I did have an opportunity once when a very senior person passed me once in First (transcontinental). (He had had an assistant book his ticket last minute - not because the meeting was scheduled at the last minute but because that was how he did things, so the price was ridiculous. The assistant had sent the itinerary around to the group.) I do my own booking and found there was a TOD upgrade, which I paid for myself. He said something half-jokingly about why should I be in first and not him. I turned it around by saying, with a smile, that I did not see how someone could spend $X on a ticket and not get upgraded to First. I volunteered to teach him how it works next time. He was one of those guys who travels a lot but never pays attention to how miles, status or upgrades work and undoubtedly flew coach on expensive tickets a lot more than he needed to. (Most of the people I work with are the opposite.)
May 19, 2014, 10:40 am
#57
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I'm an American, moderately senior in my company, and I would never consider asking a subordinate to give up their first or business class seat for me, or even taking it if offered. When I was younger, I did have an opportunity once when a very senior person passed me once in First (transcontinental). (He had had an assistant book his ticket last minute - not because the meeting was scheduled at the last minute but because that was how he did things, so the price was ridiculous. The assistant had sent the itinerary around to the group.) I do my own booking and found there was a TOD upgrade, which I paid for myself. He said something half-jokingly about why should I be in first and not him. I turned it around by saying, with a smile, that I did not see how someone could spend $X on a ticket and not get upgraded to First. I volunteered to teach him how it works next time. He was one of those guys who travels a lot but never pays attention to how miles, status or upgrades work and undoubtedly flew coach on expensive tickets a lot more than he needed to. (Most of the people I work with are the opposite.)
May 19, 2014, 10:48 am
#58
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I've traveled a lot over the years in all sorts of scenarios: with superiors, with subordinates, as the high-status traveler, as the low-/no-status traveler. Everywhere I've ever worked, whomever gets the upgrade occupies the seat. I've never seen this expectation to give it to someone else or decline a normal status upgrade offered by the airline. Everybody knows how the game works - we all know that occasionally an upgrade is part of it.
I wouldn't read much into this on a larger societal scale: I think it speaks more to the OP's work culture than anything. I think a lot of other work cultures out there (within the U.S.) are completely different.
I wouldn't read much into this on a larger societal scale: I think it speaks more to the OP's work culture than anything. I think a lot of other work cultures out there (within the U.S.) are completely different.
May 19, 2014, 2:07 pm
#59
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2,378
Nowhere did OP say they were more deserving. OP said it was "nice".
I don't agree. Why does one have to be "deserving" of something for me to give it to them? I wouldn't hesitate to give my upgraded seat to my lady friend. In no way am I implying she is less physically capable than I am (actually, likely the opposite). Why do I do that? I don't know, because it's nice? I know she personally wouldn't hold it against me if I didn't, but I still will. I would do the same if I was traveling with my mother. It's in part to be nice, in part to show respect. Actually, I do think my mother deserves, from me, least of all, an upgrade while traveling for raising me and looking after me for the majority of my life.
Sometimes I give a dollar or two to beggars or performers I see on the streets or in the subway. Do I think they deserve it? No, they can go get a job if they think they deserve the money. But I think they need it more than I do, and it's no big deal to me, so I do it. It also depends on my mood sometimes. If the upgrade matters that much to you, then don't give it away. If you're angry at your boss and it won't cost you your job, or if you don't care if it does, then keep the upgrade. If the upgrade doesn't matter so much and there are other factors in play, then give it up.
I don't understand how you guys went from "it is nice" to "whoever wrote that is sexist"
I don't agree. Why does one have to be "deserving" of something for me to give it to them? I wouldn't hesitate to give my upgraded seat to my lady friend. In no way am I implying she is less physically capable than I am (actually, likely the opposite). Why do I do that? I don't know, because it's nice? I know she personally wouldn't hold it against me if I didn't, but I still will. I would do the same if I was traveling with my mother. It's in part to be nice, in part to show respect. Actually, I do think my mother deserves, from me, least of all, an upgrade while traveling for raising me and looking after me for the majority of my life.
Sometimes I give a dollar or two to beggars or performers I see on the streets or in the subway. Do I think they deserve it? No, they can go get a job if they think they deserve the money. But I think they need it more than I do, and it's no big deal to me, so I do it. It also depends on my mood sometimes. If the upgrade matters that much to you, then don't give it away. If you're angry at your boss and it won't cost you your job, or if you don't care if it does, then keep the upgrade. If the upgrade doesn't matter so much and there are other factors in play, then give it up.
I don't understand how you guys went from "it is nice" to "whoever wrote that is sexist"
That's a rather bizarre attitude. If you don't think they deserve money then why give it to them at all? (For the record, my argument is that they do deserve it, not that you shouldn't give).
I didn't say it wasn't nice - it blatantly is. That doesn't stop it being sexist. Go on about how nice it is for you to give up a seat for a woman all you like, treating people differently because of their gender is the very definition of sexism... What would your reaction be to me saying "I'll always give up my seat for a white person"? Giving up my seat for them is "nice", but that doesn't stop me being racist as well.
May 19, 2014, 3:57 pm
#60
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And necessary. If they do not realise that they are wasting money then it calls their competence into question. Remember their behaviours are generally repeated in different situations and they are probably wasting money in other areas as well because of their ignorance.
