Well there is an indirect control. Airlines let First class passengers off first
and in many cases, elite members are towards the front (not alway)

these people get to the immigration first. With priority luggage tags, they get
their bags early, and they are the first ones to leave the airport.

there may not be any specific lines, but it does work(mostly) in the favor of the
frequent flyers.

True, but at least it is not blatant and in the face of everyone else traveling and waiting. Most people wouldn't reconginze the priority luggage tags or see the unloading of the plane front to back or closest to the doors to farthest from the doors as a preferential treatment system, as it does make logical sense.

Trust me I agree about avoiding Dulles at all costs, especially when the G terminal is involved, but sometimes it just ain't going your way.

[QUOTE=beachsoc6]Ok I am putting on my flame retardant suit...[QUOTE]

Are you by any chance the woman who called me a cheater in the SEA line awhile back?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ferrerid=16109

[QUOTE=Fredd][QUOTE=beachsoc6]Ok I am putting on my flame retardant suit...
That thread actually made me think about this. Not a woman, so nope. Also I would not call you a cheater you are doing what the current setup allows for and that is your right. I am pointing more towards the flawed nature of the system. I am not sure it is fair to allow this. I mean sure providing for people with diabilities, etc, should be accounted for, but elite fleirs and higher revenue fliers.

Sometimes I even think letting flight attendents and pilots jump line is not right. I know a few people who work in secured buildings/areas and allowing the extra time to clear the necessary security systems is required or else you are late for work. I am not sure this should be handled differently. I know they need to do preboarding/preflight things, but people in the lines need to make their flights also. That is probably another thread altogether though.

Once last year, I spent almost 2 hours in the security lines at IAD. that was the
end of it. Wrote a nice letter to the Airline, and a nasty one to the TSA and
stopped flying through IAD.

I guess my english was not clear enough since the problem is still there.
When them majority of the airports around the world can perform fairly good
job at security without any outrageous delays, why cant IAD?
but I guess that would be for some other thread!

uhhhhhhh, the post office DOES have several lines/programs for frequent, corporate and higher end mailers. Ever see an Express Mail ONLY line?? I have, pay more for express mail and you use the line. Presort your mail as a business? Pay less for mailing it and have the opportunity to drop it "out back".

Someone said they haven't seen priority immigration or customs lines?? They exist in MANY MANY countries. Want priority access? Fly more or pay more money, period (I bet your resentful that the FA's don;t let you wander around the F cabin, or that higher end fliers get off first on most int'l airlines??)

Actually like I mentioned before I do have elite status and can use some of these lines.

I have never seen a frequent mailer line at the post office. Do you get a status card to prove you belong in that line? I do see your point about the express mail lines and bulk mail drops, but those are different services being provided to different customers.

At the airport TSA provides everyone with the same initial screening. Therefore everyone has the same need when it comes to airport security, to get from one side of it to the other. Why should TSA allow certain fliers priority access. Maybe if someone was conducting a different type of business they should have access to a seperate service line, but I think everyones business with TSA is to get past them into the terminal.

As I said earlier also, I was not aware of any customs checkpoints that allowed for special first class passenger lines or elite flier lines. I know some do have seperate lines for nationals and foreign visitors and in EU countries, EU residents but I personally have not seen them for status holders. Perhaps it is better if I limit my argument to US airports and their customs areas, as this most closely relates to TSA security screening.

Actually I would not expect access to the first class cabin unless I bought a FC ticket, or was upgraded, just like it is fine with me if the airline unloads people or loads them in any order they want. If air transportation was a goverment provided service that everyones taxes went to support equally then I would have a problem with it. TSA is not the airline, it is an independent government agency as part of the Dept. of Homeland security and as such sould treat everyone needing it services equally.

In case your wondering I am also ok with priority check-in lines and boarding for elites and other "worthy" passengers as deemed by the airline, because the airline is a private company and I have a choice in air carriers, it is not the government

This came through an expedia business newsletter I subscribe to -- although not "elite" it has the same concept of perhaps paying $$ to be prescreened and avoid the long lines.

I feel that I pay enough to fly without tacking on "expediting" fees for screening.

Travel Briefs
Airports Create Registered Traveler Consortium
Last week we told you about the new Registered Traveler program that will employ technology, registration and background checks to create a private, fee-based screening system designed to expedite airport security checks.

It's likely that the program will spread to all mid-size and major airports where there's a need. For now, the Registered Traveler Interoperability Consortium (RITC) has been established by some U.S. airports and potential service providers to outline the financial standards, technical interoperability standards and common business processes that will guide and establish the Registered Traveler Program around the country. Of course, it will require TSA approval.

Here is the growing RITC list of member airports that have indicated an interest in establishing a registered traveler program.

http://rtconsortium.org/searchRoster.cfm?orgType=a

What you are overlooking is the fact that the TSA has no preferential lines for screening either. Passengers from the "standard" lines oftern step over to the TSA agents that happen to be in front of where the airline elite lines terminate. And I have stepped over to the TSA lines in front of where the "standard" lines terminate many times when they are shorter. TSA doesn't care which line you came from.

When I have hundreds of ExpressMail packages to mail at one time after a busy weekend of packing and labeling, my local Post Office does indeed ask me to step around to the side door and drop them off, bypassing the line of customers waiting for counter service.

When I was travelling back and forth between Canada and the US every week, I has an INSPASS card that let me bypass the (US goverenment) immigration line at the Toronto airport by inserting my card, laying my hand in the reader, and walking through the gate that unlocked. I often skipped past dozens of waiting citizens.

So in summary: The TSA does not provide preferrential treatment to frequent fliers. The US government owned US Postal Service does. The US Government immigration/customs service does.


I have no problem with a company (the airlines) providing preferential treatment to the customers that provide them with the most revenue.

Three reasons:

1. Status fliers are experienced fliers and don't hold up the line figuring out what can stay in their pockets, whether they need to take off their jackets, etc. like casual fliers.

2. Status fliers pay more, overall, for screening then casual fliers.

3. Status fliers will fly less (as they've already started to do) if the flying experience exceeds a certain threshhold of discomfort.

Here's my "retort":

I've never once felt guilty, rather I've been pleased. I've more than once thought "neener neener" and have taunted those in the layperson line with obnoxious eybrow raises and smirks. On occasion, I've walked right past a hundred people in the proletarian queue when there was no elite line, and created my own express lane. A don't belong in the line with the hordes of the uncivilized. Disavow your egalitarian beliefs and stand aside, I am not like you.

Part of the problem is that the hordes of uncivilized often try to carry their hoards onto the plane.

I could take EVERY type of establishment that we all spend money at (and stand in a line) and make ALL of the same arguments that posters are making here regarding having priority lines for frequent customers.

How about the grocery store? From the store's viewpoint, wouldn't it make sense to reward its best customers with priority lines? The more you spend at that store the higher your status.

Take the argument that FFers know the procedures better and move through the screening quicker than infrequent flyers. Wouldn't shoppers that regularly go to a store know that store's procedures better? How about at the self-checkout counters?

As I said above, you could use this comparison with EVERY business establishment - the post office (as other posters have used), grocery stores, fast food restaurants, department stores, delicatessans, auto repair shops, etc. Imagine if fast food restaurants implemented a "frequent dining" program?

LOL!!!

I think you just verified Sylvia's point!

It would and, in fact, many do reward high-volume customers with a variety of bonuses.

Sorry, but that's simply silly. What "procedures" does one need to know to check out efficiently? Grocery stores do, however, have express lanes for those with only a few items, as well as cash-only lanes so that other customers aren't held up while customers write checks or have credit card charges processed. Banks have separate lines for commercial depositors -- their business is usually transacted quickly. It's exactly the same principle.

I'm not particularly familiar with fast-food restaurants. However, a number of the lunch places near my office have "frequent dining" programs -- you get a card punched each time you buy lunch, and after a number of punches you get a free meal.

I see you don't list any FF programs in your identification. Is it because you don't have status with any of the airlines?

I really don't understand your objection to elite lines for TSA (other than the unfortunate use of the term, "elite"). Airlines, like virtually every other business reward their best customers in a variety of ways. What's wrong with that?