I was not-so-patiently waiting in line for 15-20 minutes at Hartsfield's routine security check, when, just as I reached the front of the line, two uniformed NW Airline flight attendants cut in front of me. They didn't appologize, explain, or even acknowledge the rest of us. The first one even held up the line to make sure her partner jumped into the line with her. I assumed that they were late for a flight, so I didn't say anything. In the meantime, I had to hurry to catch my NW flight to Detroit. Imagine my surprise when I found myself seated across the aisle from the same two flight attendants! Neither worked the entire flight. I've missed flights myself that I would have caught if I hadn't been held up in line. Is cutting allowed?

"Crew cuts"

Good thing you let them through ahead of you, or they would have missed your flight by a hair.

I am not sure if their method of shaving time off waiting in line is exactly ethical, especially since they were not working that flight. They could have at least said �Please excuse us.� However, they may have been traveling to a flight on which they will be working (and missing your flight could most likely delay the flight on which they will be working), and they may not have had any control over what time they arrived at security.

I have never noticed whether the airport in Atlanta has one, but I do know other airports have special lines for airline crew members and for those who are late but �have no control� over their late arrival to the security checkpoint.

I can tell you that that special line saved me from missing my flight in Boston after wriggling out from being caught in a stopped-cold-dead traffic jam. That was the only time I ever used a special line, and I was allowed to do it with permission after I explained my situation and showed my boarding pass.

I made my flight within five minutes of departure.

And I was hoping for an unusual travel thread based on dodgy, retro haircuts :O

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I was just in PDX on Monday, and there on big signs on top of the metal detectors, it states, "Flight crews please cut to the front of the line."

Sign of the times.

nothing retro about them......

Sorry CT-UK I always get crew cuts and mullets mixed up.

If the crew is not on the plane, we're not going anywhere.

At CLE there are 3 entrances to the C/D checkpoint: non-status fliers, FC and elites, and crew/employees.

I think it is standard that they go to the head of the line.

Believe so as well, even if they did not work the flight, seems they were dressed to work one when they landed.

I agree that some common courtesy like "Excuse me" is warranted on their part though.

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Seems to be pretty standard at most places, and I usually see a sign. Really, I have no trouble with this. The TSA doesn't need to be hassling the flight crew. I mean, they didn't used to clear security at all, right??

Pet peeve is when off-duty nonrevs try to cut to the front of the line in plain clothes dragging the spouse, buddy pass riders and 4 kids en route to Disney along with them. If you are gonna do that, make it a little discreet, but some employees just enjoy flaunting it. I remember one b*tch at ATL threatening a passenger who questioned her right to send her kids to the front of the line with arrest for "interfering with a flight crew" if he didn't allow her.

I think an element of that charge would require they at least be on an airplane. I would have told her right where to stick it.