In my 10 years as airline employee, it would never have crossed my mind
to ask another passenger to rent his/her shoes for the flight. Most airlines
do have a dress code for flying NRSA and it is the employees responsibility
to comply with those. Of course like some of you mentioned this could have
been a companion. While working at an airport, I have encountered passengers
holding buddy passes who had no clue what standby travel was about.

What's a buddy pass?

The employee could very well lose their travel privileges for this type of behavior.

I never knew there was a NRSA dress code, and I have traveled more than 95% of passengers for 25 years. Proceeding from this premise, it seems to me, having worked in a uniformed service in a former life, who (of the audience, because a dress code presumes an audience) is going to know? You're either in uniform or you're not. When you're not, no one knows you from a hill of beans. And, given the collegiality reported above, why would a GA want to enforce it -- e.g., rat out an employee or family?

Of course I'm not doubting the story. I just don't get having a dress code for this. Tell employees never to be out in a partial uniform, period, full stop. Because that's disrespecting the uniform. (Though I always see dead-heading pilots without their bars on their epaulets.) (And I don't have a problem with it.)

traveling on a buddy pass, i was once denied boarding for wearing peep-toe high-heel shoes. The GA interpreted the dress code of "covered shoes" to include 100% of the foot. He deemed my slight peep of a toe unacceptable. since I had my other shoes in checked luggage and he was boarding me as the last person before the gate closed, i didn't have time to buy/get other shoes. never mind that i was hanging around the gate for the previous 1 hr. oh well, lesson learned. i now always travel in completely closed shoes (when on buddy pass), which is a pain in the summer in tropical areas.
in that case, i had to go back and travel next day (this was in LHR).

1) Don't think I've ever heard that term of art before...

2) Seriously, aren't the gate/ticketing et al staff contract at LHR? That might explain the lack of the collegiality that was described above... IME, it explains a lot of instances in which there is no flexibility at LHR.

I often travel wearing my leather dress shoes and have tennis shoes in my bag. I would have been happy to rent them to the NRSA provided he's ok with a size 13...how come this stuff never happens to me?

We bow to your extraordinary record of achievement, but all of us still occasionally learn something new.

There is a difference between a dress code and a uniform. . .a big difference. The point of a uniform is to make it possible to specifically identify you; the point of a dress code is to present a certain "look," which in this case the airlines prefer their pass flyers to transmit. The dress code is not in place to identify people as non-revs, but simply to "class up" the front of the plane a little (and the rear too). You may argue until you are blue in the face about whether this policy is necessary, good, smart, whatever. But as I said earlier, if you're the one flying on passes--and if you've got any sense at all--you simply shrug and comply. In return you get a nearly free ticket, possibly in the front of the plane, to the corners of the world. This is not a situation about which bright people complain.

It is a fascinating society in which those who enforce simple policies are seen as "ratting out." Assuming you're referring to my earlier post, I spoke of the collegiality that exists when the NRSA flyer does his part cheerfully, and the airport staff does their part cheerfully. Never did I say that we try to get them to wink at the rules. I said that we observe them, and enjoy the mutual respect that ensues from that.

It's simple: the airlines institute the policies and charge the airport staff with enforcing them. The reason the GA would want to enforce them is because it is part of his or her job.

We're so glad you're not doubting the story. And since you apparently don't fly on passes, whether or not you "get" the dress code idea is pretty much irrelevant, isn't it? Oh, and if a pilot removes the shoulder boards, ID tag and wings from his shirt, takes off his hat, tie and jacket, he's not out of uniform. He's a guy in black pants and a white shirt.

Oh, I thought they were FO's who were "de-badging" themselves...sorta like some BMW drivers with the bottom-feeder models in a series, i.e., 550, 545 and 540 owners do not debadge...525 (eeek!) and 528 drivers usually do.

Actually, I would never consider flying in anything but fully closed shoes.... NRSA or not. If you have to evacuate or there is an accident, you want to be able to step and climb over anything. Likewise, I would not wear anything synthetic either.

I used to drive a 518i *with* badges. It was so embarrassing, it was the slowest car on earth.

i don't know if you are male or female, but for me a shoe that has 1/2 inch square opening of the toe is equivalent for practical purposes of a fully enclosed shoe; meaning if someone steps on my foot, it won't hurt any more or less and my nail won't bleed if something contacts it directly.
more generally - while i agree that being prepared for an accident is prudent, i don't always dress for that simply because it's not practical. high heels would be terrible in an emergency, yet my departure/arrival activities often require certain style of dress and it's a risk i'm willing to take.

Dare I say it? TTIWWOP

I did encounter a NRSA who was a friend of a UA employee of over 10 years and was denied F seat from ewr to ord as the GA claimed the cabin checked in full but wasn't when the door closed. She was a bi-polar sufferer and felt it was only decent to help her through security and guested her to wait in the United club and got her breakfast as well. She wore jeans, boots and nothing out of the ordinary and was dressed decently but treated shabily by the GA.

She had excellent manners and did not once give the impression " i deserve this and this".

Just out of curiosity, what kind of shoes did he have on? Were you able to figure out if he had already been told by the GA that he needed "regulation" shoes in order to board in his class?

(oh, and what's the opposite of NRSA? ... and I don't mean a regular passenger, or a dead-heading pilot (unless that is the opposite) )