In my recent travels I have been very discouraged by my interaction with the check in agents at airports. I am 30 years old and often fly in casual attire as I am a faculty member at a university I do not have the need to wear suits during my travels.

I have had one land side agent question if I was a doctor (it says so on my credit card) and overall I have been treated as if I was a little kid that knows nothing about flying. By the end of the year I will have about 100k BIS miles for the year on DL and I am an avid FT reader.

My question is do you think i'm being singled our for bad service because of my age or do you just think it is the state of the check-in agents in general and is there anything short of showing up to the airport in a suit (I have found the service is better when I am in one) that I can do?

Thanks

I am under 30 and have been PM for 4 years. I have had great agents and not so great agents. I must say most of the time, I am greeted positively such as "wow, under 30 and PM?".

Suits do help though... YMMV...

there's really no excuse for poor service (except for nasty behavior on the passenger's part)...

i'm 34... been flying for 10 years... last few have been almost exclusively in business... and can't say i've ever experienced "age discrimination"... but can you define "casual attire"

i have seen TAs and GAs be "less" courteous to biz/first class travelers who are "under-dressed" for the cabin. personally, i just think it's true for everything... you show up to starbucks, a restaurant or a clothing store, looking like something the cat dragged in... you're going to be treated less.

if memory serves... there's a couple other threads on here (or the AA forum) about this exact topic...

Of they 30 year old and younger DL Platinums I have come across, age discrimination has not been one of their complaints about DL.

DL agents are used to a lot of 20-30 years old elites since they are a substantial part of the professional services industry that fly a lot. DL agents generally treat them about the same as older elites and sometimes even better.

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Ive never understood the dress code play when flying... imo its the attitude that counts. Being assertive doesnt mean being rude or cocky... the right attitude is what counts - of course you may need to define what your definition of casual is...

For me casual attire includes a nice t-shirt or polo shirt and khaki shorts (in summer) or jeans or khaki pants (in the winter). Not looking homeless by any means but not in a suit or a tie.

Today's attire was a nike t-shirt of my employer athletic team, cargo shorts, and a baseball cap of the athletic teams of my employer.

To answer you question, my experience with Delta gate and ticketing agents is that there are some good ones...and A LOT of bad ones. Delta doesn't seem to do much to ensure a consistent experience and level of service provided by ticket and gate agents.

A GOOD agent provides efficient and friendly service to all passengers independent of their age/race/appearance/etc...

Delta agents just seem to do their own thing and let their own personal opinions and biases guide the quality of service they provide.

That being the case, yes dressing up will probably help you get better service and help them overcome any "age bias" they may have.

Attire-related discrimination more than age discrimination?

I responded with my attire because I was asked. I tend to agree that there are very few good TA out there and I have found that lately. When I have been dressed up I have been treated better.

As for the starbucks... I have been to many in lots of attire and haven't been treated differently, however, by DL TA's it seems to be a factor.

I am confident that you are not the subject of age discrimination. If I were a GA, I would probably not be impressed by your casual attire. I personally find a T-shirt, shorts and a baseball cap to be more casual than anything I would wear. Actually, I hate seeing men in baseball caps inside buildings, but that is probably my age prejudice. It has nothing to do with the age of the person wearing the cap.

I would relax and enjoy the fact that you are younger than you look. If you want to be treated with the respect you feel your academic degree entitles you to be treated a slight up-grade in attire would probably do the trick. Clearly this is an issue for you as you made sure to tell us that your title was on your credit card.

As a society we are used to seeing professionals wearing something more than shorts and a baseball cap.

I think you just proved my point. I paid my fare. I don't smell (Mrs. Hokiekev would tell me if I did) and I am a loyal customer. Why should I have to play a part to get adequate service. The academic status was in response to the TA questioning it and annoying me. I don't remember DL publishing a dress code for the airline. Whether they are impressed or not they should provide good service to all of their customers.

If I had a dollar for every time one of my poorly dressed students attempted to argue that appearance had no factor in presentation I would fly First Class on every trip I take. It really does not matter what you think is fair or right. Even as casual as our society has become, we still evaluate people based on their clothing and grooming. We all do this, and no amount of complaining will change this.

If you want to be treated as a Ph.D then wear the appropriate costume. Currently you are dressing like beach bum and probably being treated like one as well. This has nothing to do with "dress codes" and everything to do with social expectations.

Unfortunately, this is true.

We are all often judged by our appearance initially. Whether or not the initial judgment is warranted comes after based upon interaction. I am treated very respectfully when I travel in a suit. I notice that when wearing a T, I sometimes get the "teenager" treatment. Is this right? Absolutely not, but its life. All types of discrimination exists and I have personally learned to live with it.

I have made it a habit to wear a sports jacket regardless of if I'm in a dress shirt or a T. Not only do I like the look , it also helps ensure I am treated professionally.

Well frankly as a regular frequent flyer I find that most GA or FA uniforms are ghastly and I thank the Lord I don't have to spend my working days in those rags, but I don't go and treat FAs and GAs like s&*t because of it. Get over yourself.

I have a good friend that had DR. (PHD) on his IDs and credit cards. The following year he changed all back to MR. He is much happier now!! He does not feel the need to impress anyone anymore.