Agreed. Also, anyone who really wants to know what's on the magstripe can build a reader for a few bucks. Reminds me of that old urban myth about hotel key cards.
Now if somebody would just explain that to the ID card (and by extention database) fetishists in government... ;)

Ugh, and I have coworkers who travel all the time who still believe that one! I once told one "think of it this way -- what is on that card if you make the reservation without a credit card and pay cash at the time you check in?" Pure logic says that there's no way a hotel key system could be dependent on a guest's credit card number.

I never used to show my elite cards. I frequently encountered "Sir, this line is for first class or elite paxs only" or after asking about the available room upgrade and amenity "Oh, I didn't know you were a Diamond/Platinum. It's not in your res. Let's see if I can get a better room for you, sir."

Now, I always use my elite card. It's a polite, non-verbal way of communicating my status, eliminates the embarassment of my explaining that I am indeed in the correct line or the need to request published benefits.

When checking into a hotel, I usually put my elite card on the desk with my credit card. For a while, my travel agent was about 50/50 putting my awards number in my hotel reservations and so pulling out the card just became habit. My airline card only comes out when I'm flying a partner airline who boards partner elite before the rest of coach.

When a program is new, it helps to have the card. My husband and I were two of the first ATA Elite members, and our business commute happens to be MDW/MCO. Early on, the gate personnel didn't even know the program existed. We stood out like a sore thumb among the disabled and extended family groups. We were often curtly told, "This is the PRE-BOARD line" as though two healthy adults had no right to be there. The card helped for boarding, but I never got any of the supposed perks. The gate agents would look at me blankly, even when I took to bringing a copy of the brochure. It was the same up until they discontinued the MDW/MCO route and we switched to SW.

Worse yet, the employees were getting pretty disgruntled towards the end and seemed to take it out on those who dared to think Elite counted for anything. In their early days of online check-in, they double-assigned our seats literally more than half the time. Pre-boarding helped, as posession is nine-tenths of the law. But on one memorable trip, we had boarded as Elite and another couple showed up with boarding passes for our seats. The gate agent came on board and insisted that we move. I pointed out that a) we had checked in first; and b) we were Elite and thus supposedly entitled to preferred seating anyway. She copped an attitude like I've never seen, as did the FA, and they threatened to remove us from the plane if we didn't move. I had never even raised my voice or acted snotty! I was going to report her, but ATA filed for bankruptcy shortly thereafter and mostly bailed from MDW. My sole consolation was that she probably lost her job.

I don't even carry any of my airline cards unless I'm flying int'l. The only elite card I hold these days is AA, and I book all of my AA flights directly while logged in to my account, so my Goldness is shown right on the boarding pass. I have never needed to show the physical card to anyone.

I can't think of a really good reason I even carry it internationally...I just do. It's not like Gold by itself gets me into lounges. I guess I just have this fear that someday I'll get rerouted onto another One World carrier and then I'll need to flash it to get into an F check-in line or something.

I usually do carry the hotel cards just in case, but honestly I haven't pulled them out on any of my recent stays. I book directly at the hotel sites using my corporate code (if applicable) so my number/status is always on the reservation the first time.

The only card I always seem to have to use is my National Emerald Aisle card. It's a bit effing annoying...I have my confirmation number and driver's license, that should be all the data they need. (The printout actually has my EA number on there too!) But they always ask for the card, and the one time I did not have it, it was like a 10 minute ordeal to get out of the parking lot. The last time I rented, they wanted to see my EA card, my DL, and my credit card, and then - get this - keyed in the numbers by hand!! That data should already all be resident in the system: check my ID and contract number and be done with it!! :mad:

I never present my BA card at a check-in desk. I've had to flash it a couple of times, most often is when I am taking a guest into a lounge on the back of my status, the same for my LH card.

I also had to flash my BA plastic when I was checking in at DUB, they only had the one check-in desk open (monitor showed it was Club Europe but everyone was there) and the line was several dozen long. I stood to one side waved Silver plastic and the agent sent back the next people in line and called me forward. A tad 'DYKWIA' but I couldn't be bothered to wait for 40mins because they weren't properly staffed!

I've never presented my SPG card! Only use it to get the phone number off the back.

I have flown with a BA FF who used any excuse to flash his plastic :D Elite security line, check-in desk, lounge, coat check in lounge :D

I have used my elite cards only for a) getting into the elite lines at MSP and SEA, and b) getting onto AS flights before general boarding (not AS elite, but used to be AA and now NW)

Presenting it on checking is pretty tacky, imho.

Seconded. :D

Herbie

At hotels I hand the clerk my credit card along with my elite card. With airlines, it depends. If I'm flying paid F then I don't bother. If I'm flying Y and using the F/J line then I hand the TA my card and my ID.

For me, there are typically two instances only that require me to pull my elite card. First when checking-in, and second when going through premium security line when flying on Y.