I checked off the box not expecting it to be printed on the card. The incident with the TA made sure there will be no printing of DR on the next one. Like I said before that was not the issue. The issue was the poor service.

So I have found that wearing some amount of leather and faking a Dutch accent will open all sorts of doors.
In all honesty I think you are doomed at most of the large east coast hub airports if the agent at hand is having a bad day. I have been treated poorly while professionally dressed and not. Good luck sir, perhaps buy one of those tuxedo shirts and do a quick change in th BR before dealing with the next agent.

This is the correct answer.

Does that work? Maybe because of my school uniform when I was growing up...but when I see a sports jacket over a T shirt that is exactly what it looks like...someone trying to dress up a T shirt...be casual, or be formal...
;)

I am with you on this one Fran (and I'm not that old!)...at my school, where we had a coat and tie uniform, it was a big deal if you got caught wearing a baseball cap indoors. We were strictly informed that hats were never to be worn indoors....HOWEVER... (and I've had this debate with many people) it can be argued that large structures that are of a transitory nature (bus station, train station, airport terminal, stadium, etc...) are exempt from this rule because of their nature as a place you are transiting through or that are basically "outdoors"...

Maybe someone with military experience can chime in with what the rule is for them? I know naval officers when they are in their "dress whites" have specific rules for when they can and can not wear their hats.

(As a random aside Air Force officers in their dress uniform are NOT suppose to use and umbrella even if it is raining...)

I've been a SM and GM since the age of 19. I'm currently a GM at 21. I've been treated well for the most part. I've gotten a few comments about being young, but those are fine. I do feel like I get poorer service when I'm waiting in the medallion check in lines. People seem to think I'm in the wrong line and don't pay me much attention, which is frustrating. Most of the time, I find these lines slower than normal check in. That's really my only complaint.

I can't remember being treated any different on the aircraft, when I get upgrades. I usually dress in nice (designer) jeans and a polo. Many times, this is quite nicer than a lot of people I see in 1st class on the routes I generally fly. I've had good service and they've kept the drinks coming. I expect the same service, regardless of age.

I'm 23 and a Platinum and have never had any issues before (heck, I'm currently sitting in 1D on Flt 1094 from ATL-MSP somewhere over Kentucky). 90% of my travel is leisure and I dress casual (right now, I'm wearing a t-shirt and shorts in F) - no issues have ever really come up - most of the time when I get a comment from someone about being a Plat and so young, it's a comment of fascination - as in wow, that's impressive, what do you do, etc. I've had some great discussions with FAs and TA/lobby employees on this.

I am 41 and been flying for 11 years, 9 of which at PM status. I wear whatever damn clothes I feel like wearing. In the summer this is almost always shorts and a polo. I have NEVER wore a suit to fly and only very occasionally a tie. I get the same treatment regardless of my dress.

I am curious as to why "a little kid that knows nothing about flying" means. Asking where your parents or UM sticker is? Airport agents basically treat everyone like they know nothing about flying and many of them don't.

This I have to disagree with...

OP has a point. As a paying CUSTOMER he has every right to be entitled to the same level of polite, efficient, customer service as any other customer.

I am not disagreeing with the statement above...it is simple human nature to judge each other on many factors, including appearance.

HOWEVER it is BAD customer service to act on this judgement. I have witnessed people of South Asian decent in expensive hand beaded clothing being treated like migrant workers because they were "dressed funny"...

My point being that part of being a PROFESSIONAL is treating all your customers well, no matter if you approve of their attire or not...

Sorry, "we all" don't do this.

I don't even know how a Ph.D is supposed to be treated except on an airline which is just like everyone else.

And I don't know how beach bums are supposed to be treated either except on an airplane which is just like everyone else.

Six year old thread on the CO Forum that is regularly resurrected.

I'm sure there are others but I knew just what to search for with this one! :)

I just want to add my point of view to all this...

I am only 18 years old and a GM on Delta. I have found that I am always treated just like every other Medallion in line, weather good or bad. I must say though, that I always dress business casual when I fly weather it be coach or 1st class and I feel like I do get treated better sometimes on the plane.

no, i don't. i did a lot more traveling when i was in my early 20s (consulting), and the agents aren't exactly not used to young frequent flyers, and i've never felt badly treated because of age. dress also doesn't seem to make much of a difference, other than it seems "natural" for people treat you more "professionally" when you're in a suit vs. a t-shirt, no matter where you are. i wouldn't say that means you're being singled out when you're not in a suit though...

what DOES seem to make a difference, in observing people at the airport for the last 10 years, is attitude. if they say "hello mr. so and so," and you're like, "it's dr. so and so- check my card"- you might get attitude back. :D

I'm an (unfortunately) a 55 year-old PhD. Having had my PhD for 27 years I have no idea how a PhD should be treated other than with the proper respect and courtesy due anyone else. Having mentored about 20 people getting their PhD and seen countless others, the one thing I am (almost) certain about is that having a PhD means only that you managed to overcome the requirements for it. There are lots of really smart people with PhDs, but more really smart people without one. There are also a surprising number of not-so-smart people with PhDs. Like any large group of people, to classify or treat them as a group is silly. Some are nice, good people due courtesy and respect. Others demonstrate by their behavior, often by being very self-impressed that they have a PhD, are not due such treatment.

As for travel, I happen to be in a fairly well-paying discipline, and travel a lot, including a lot for business and consulting. My travel uniform is almost always jeans or khakis and a tea shirt or polo -- never a tie. I tend toward the "more casual". My brother, who is a very successful lawyer makes probably 3-5 times what I do almost always travels in very scruffy clothes, even on business, planning on changing before any meetings. We both expect to be treated professionally and courteously as expected in their job by anyone we deal with, will not put up with anything less, and treat others the same way, professionally and courteously. We are both pretty friendly guys, usually, which helps.

People working for airlines have a tough job. So does most everybody, in my opinion. So they should either do the job correctly - treating all customers correctly, or move on. And the employers should make sure that happens. So if an agent does not treat you right, report them. It is as simple as that. But make sure you don't confuse respect and courtesy with deference. If you expect deference, you are in the wrong, not them.

Well said Yamaka...I could be wrong on this but the title thing caught my attention in the original post as well....I have a title (actually 2) but I choose not to use them for they don't add to the relevance of my posts :D

As this Thread is not really DL-specific, I am moving this over to TravelBuzz.
Obscure2k
Delta Moderator