I think it was due to the fact that recently middle eastern looking people have hi-jacked, attempted to hi-jack or set fire to shoes in attempts to blow-up planes that caused airport officials to pay extra attention to anyone who looks middle-eastern.

Of course,in a complex society simplification is stil an organising principle. Rasism on the other hand, is not. The type of frequent flyer is a prejudice (or a type) in itself ("the one who knows how to take an airplane, who knows how to behave..") Apparently, not how to dress :p
But this time it's just about the dress or anything else you can not change :cool:

The hi-jacking: Last time when in Germany suspected terrorists were arrested the two guys were blond and tall. - So much about right wing prejudices.

Since ever then, I am afraid when I see a tall blond :p

Oh, for goodness sakes, no! Those are abhorrent and illegal discriminations based on membership in a "protected class", a legally and morally indefensible kind of action.

T-shirt wearing flyers are not members of any such class, and absent any more specific complaints than being "questioned" about "really being a doctor" (how many innocuous things could that mean?), I'm still not sure how he was not being afforded proper service.

Hokiev, you are probably tired of our speculations about this, so could you tell us more specifically what these TA's did or didn't do to or for you while "talking down to you" like a little kid who "knows nothing about flying". Thanks.

Just to clarify, the point I was trying to make was that an opinion that comes from people who are older, and therefore have "accumulated experience and wisdom" is NOT somehow automatically, or inherently, correct.

If older people think that people should always dress up when flying, that is their opinion...however that is NOT an argument or a reason for a company to provide a good or service based on how individual employees judge a paying customer's appearance or choice of attire or age.

I'm 72 (look 50 of course), have a phd and it is listed on my tickets. i usually fly in sport coat and slacks on early morning flights as i get cold on a lot of flights. on summer afternoon and evening flights, i travel in shorts and wear a ballcap i found floating in the Potomac river.

i can see no difference in the way i am treated. as an observer, i see no difference in the way any and all of the passengers are treated, with but a single exception.. the morning elites on AA are allowed to bring in and store two oversized liveaboards, and strap on a third.

i was amazed to hear on my last flight out of DCA on US the GA asked if anyone need a bit of extra time to board. first time in a long time.

I find it amusing that these age/dress code threads always originate from US or (occasionally) Canadian members. The rest of the world doesn’t seem to have this problem. IME, passengers in international F tend to wear scruffy clothes and tend to be young. Again, IME, pax in domestic business class are more likely to be wearing suits (AKA work clothes). This is presumably because they are travelling straight to or straight from work.

Most gold card holders I have observed are young. I got a gold card when I was in my 20s – now I no longer have gold status because I have a job that is more compatible with sedentary middle age. I’m guessing that this is not an uncommon pattern. I tend to feel a bit sorry for the silver haired gold card holders and wonder whether they are truly happy to still have the same amount of dislocation and upheaval in their lives. I hope they are, but I can’t help wondering. Frequent flying is a young person’s game.

I have never had any issues based on what I was wearing or based on my age. I did once present at an LX check in desk in BKK dressed as a backpacker and asked whether I could check in for my flight. I was told (courteously) that it depended on which class I was travelling. I replied that it was first class and so was checked in perfectly happily. This seemed perfectly reasonable – I guess they must get plenty of people who approach the empty premium check in desks in error.

I have found that eye contact, smiles and humility go much further than wearing a suit when it comes to getting good service.

I'm a former academic, and during my career, I soon found that the lower the prestige of the school, the more likely the professors were to insist on being called "Doctor." In the Ivy League, any Ph.D. holder who wants to be called "Doctor" is laughed out of the faculty lounge.

A drunk smelling of alcohol and body odor, no matter how well dressed, may well be a much less desirable person to sit next to than an ordinary casually dressed person.

Just to give you some thoughts on where I stand on this. The TA have often told me that I am in the wrong line when I go into the medallion line and that check-in in to the left (often conveyed in a very condescending way). If this happened once or twice I would understand this, however, I would say it has been about 60% this year when not having my medallion card out in advance.

I was paying for a same day confirmed one day and took out my credit card (which has Dr. printed on it) and the TA said there is no way that you are a doctor (at first I thought this was a complement). I told her that I had received my Ph.D. in the last year. She continued to badger me about how I was lying about it. I took my boarding pass and went to the gate fuming.

Although I am very proud of my Ph.D., I certainly do not command anyone to call me doctor or even expect it outside of the classroom, but to be badgered about it (not in a jokingly way) rubbed me the wrong way. As I said before I have had the most problems with TAs. GA on the other hand have mostly been great.

The topic of dress came up when I commented that when I had a suit on I did not have these problems. I was flying yesterday (with Mrs. Hokiekev) and she brought up that the TA's had not been friendly to us and it made me take a look back at some of my experiences lately and that is what prompted this thread.

It seems like some people have experienced this sort of treatment in the past and some people have been lucky enough not to. I know that I travel through hubs most of the time (SLC base to the east coast mostly) and I realize the pressures and the stress that the employees go through. However, as a loyal customer (and a paying customer) I believe that there should be a baseline level of service provided and the TA's are not providing that for whatever reason.

I do find the conversation in this thread interesting and I have found myself agreeing with Burj quite a bit.

This is when you either ask to see a supervisor immediately, or note the TA name and send a complaint to the airline. When I said you should expect courtesy and respect, whatever you wear and whatever you degree, this is what I mean. Don't accept poor treatment, and don't expect special treatment.

I think you are taking this all too personally. I have been a CO platinum for the past 10 years. Imagine being female, young and elite. You get even more questions about being in the wrong line. If a TA says "general check in is this way." I usually retort with "Gee, I thought since I was a Platinum traveling in frist class I was entititled to use this line." They usually shut up REAL quick.

Unless I am looking for some sort of upgrade that I am not entitled to I don't give a rat's patooty what others think about the way I dress. I have traveled in all matter of clothing. (clean, covered, etc.)

If an FA isn't delivering a service, then ring the call button. I could get all bent out of shape about things but I have seen FAs take all the men's jackets but fail to take mine. I simply just ask for what is expected.

Get a backbone. Speak up!

My advice...............

Life is not fair.

Better get used to it.


MisterNice

If they have a check in dragon I think they ask anyone who isn't brandishing a suitably coloured card. You don't need to be snide or clever, just say "I have a first class ticket" or "I have a gold card". Then you get a "then please come through" and nobody has to shut up or feel slighted.

On the question of the Doctor who was told he was too young to be a doctor, I may be making assumptions, but I suspect he may not have English as a first language and he may have misunderstood an ill judged attempt at flattery (perhaps to cover up for an earlier faux pas?). It sounds inconceivable that a check in assistant would genuinely challenge a passenger's credentials in this way.

yamaka... I agree with you... I should have called for a supervisor.

prncess674... I guess I don't want to have to shut anyone up. Being treated with courtesy is all I'm asking for.

MisterNice... Life is indeed not fair but that maybe oversimplifying the situation...

Mr H... I usually keep my card out now to avoid this but I often see others who do not have to do that... and just for clarification English is my first language and my first thought was that it was a compliment or a flirting attempt, until she said that I was a liar.

In that case I offer apologies for my assumption. This sounds like one bizarre check in assistant who will not be long for the world of aviation.