a friend of mine says he met someone from the aviation industry who holds something called the god card.

apparently it allows for unlimited complimentary FC travel to the point where they will remove ticketed passengers from their seat assigments to accomodate these cards holders.

i think the idea and name sound idiotic, but i wouldnt put it past the airlines. perhaps they issue these cards to powerful heads of state or leaders of industry.

I know most ex CEO's of airlines get unlimited FC travel.

anybody heard of this or something similar?

1) I doubt this exists. From the vague details it just doesn't sound right.

2) If it did exist I'd rather have one rather than an AS Jesus card...

3) This has nothing to do with CO so feel free to follow it over in Travelbuzz...

Xyzzy
CO forum moderator

Did he say FC travel on any airline or just related airlines? That's the key.

Some airlines have "uber" elites that are given cards by invitaion only. However, unlimited FC travel seems far fetched.

Lifetime AAirpass? Yours for US$3m, although you are only in F if there is availability

What sounds odd about this is, wouldn't someone with that much "juice" most likely be travelling on corprotate/private jets?

Probably he just had lunch on AS

A friend of mine who was the Executive VP of operations for a regional airline once showed me his passes on various other airlines who connected to his (this was at a fairly major US airport.) They were basically no-questions-asked-confirmed F passes, with bumping rights. I asked if he'd ever used one, and he said yes but never to bump, because he felt like that was a nuke best left for the direst of circumstances. The honor among the airlines was that they gave these things out but didn't really expect them to be (ab)used. At his level, that would be a career-limiting move.

I never heard the term "God" card.

Depends. Commercial carriers could well be the way to go if one has to do seriously long-haul flying (you can't use a customs setup or an ultra-long range jet from the local airfield so you still have to go through the hassle of major airports).

This makes no sense at all. Someone who worked for an AIRLINE was able to bump PAYING F pax. off another airline for free... Hmmmm... I don't think so.

Well, that's what he said. My assumption, though, was that in the case of absolutely, positively needing a seat, they would bump off someone else (e.g., a nonrev in F) before a paying passenger. Probably they'd bump somebody in the back first, though. I gathered it was to be used only in operational crises, e,g, an accident, etc., where his own carrier couldn't get him there. Remember this is a club at that level.

Your friend's acquaintance's terminology is novel and non-standard.

When the late Larry Lee Hillblom was a controlling shareholder of Continental Micronesa he had a "005 Card" with such powers. As a reservations sales representative for UA SFORR between 1985-87, I was aware of UA directors having such cards -- probably with the UA carrier number, of course.

While they do have the priority described, I don't think it is ever used, except in extraordinary circumstances. It would be contrary to their own interests in seeing the carrier succeed, in almost all instances.

Not to blaspheme, but isn't it unjust for Him to issue uber-elite status cards? I mean from one side of his mouth, we hear this "meek shall inherit the Earth" business, then we see these cards that...

(FTer struck by mysterious lightning on a clear day)

I should also mention that this conversation took place in 1982. By cracky.

I would have no trouble whatsover believing these cards used to exist or even still today exist (especially as described: recipricol between partners). There are certainly several scenarios that I can imagine where an airline opearational guy might have cause to fly and fly now, just give me a seat. All of the ones I can imagine would be for emergency company business, and heaven help you if you ever used the privilege inappropriately. Basically, I see it as a card that authorizes someone important to be able to cut thru all the crap and make something happen NOW, and worry about the fallout later.

An example from PERSONAL experience where such a thing might have come in useful was where a 747 I was supposed to board in the Cook Islands needed a part to be flown in from Fiji before the 747 flew again. The scenario I imagine is that even the part could be comandeered out of someone else's parts stock (we will take care of the paper work later), then fly me and the part to the other island (hours away) on someone else's airline, and fix the plane that is stranding hundreds of passengers and the 747 intended to carry them.

Would you REALLY want them to have to play unnecessary paperwork games at a time like that? Or have to explain to an inexperienced GA that you really DID want to get on the plane, and that it was "kind of important". And have the GA react to them like inexperienced GAs react to us from time to time?

Seems like a "cut thru the crap card" between carriers could have very legitimate uses. And watch out if you EVER abuse the privilege.

Yes, it is called a Air Marshall Badge...