Baze

Well, wetheryet, you are definitely in the minority in this discussion. So I will leave it at that. You are entitled to your opinion, and it is just that, an opinion. Just like mine and everyones who wasn't there.

And calling my example of when I would say something weak or fallacious, i.e. strawman, is again, your opinion. I was just giving one example of when I did say something.

Procopius

If those 300k are on UA, he should already have known that this was a bad, bad, bad idea.

I don't see anything wrong with what you did. However, if it were my non-GS self, I would not have dared to approach the flight crew under such circumstances. Not on UA.

fjfv19

Agreed. Some FAs do get a bit unreasonable at times. I'm of the opinion that this is not one of them.

Then it is the crew, not the OP, that should be the focus of your complaint? The OP took the phone call as escalating hostility from the passenger even after he received his champagne, which at that point, he didn't deserve. I do agree though, the OP doesn't need to be privy to the conversation regarding the passenger's fate.

The crew tried to solve it several times, including a) having ISM provide an apology and even talk to the GS line and b) providing him with his champagne. After that, if he remains hostile, his anger could be perceived as a liability IMO. I've seen people tossed for less.

We're at odds here. I respect your opinion but I'm actually trying to walk in the OP's shoes myself. In that situation, I probably would've done the same thing.

LilAbner

I think that the correct and noble thing to do when a guy like the OP mentioned is probably going to make up a story, down the road, over something trivial, and using his horsepower, make an unsubstantiated complaint to the company, to provide your name, as a witness, to the employee involved.

Otherwise, I think that getting in the middle of something and apologizing for an idiot is not something that anyone should do, even if they also have high status.

I say, give your name to the FA or pilot, for future follow-ups, sit back and relax, myob, and enjoy your flight. Way too many FTer's policing this airline, and for what???

Kacee

+1
The idea of apologizing "on behalf of all other GS" is just weird. DYKWIA?

scottsam66

I tend to agree more with you on this. If something really egregious took place, sure, report what you saw. But tossing in red herring words like suspicious, for effect serves o purpose. Even if he was purposefully antagonizing the crew by pretending to make a disparaging phone call-- who really cares???? Childish- sure, but to enough to warrant bystander intervention certainly.
The antidote upthread about the crew treating the poster like a hero- appears to be what some are after- and thusly search out these scenarios.

fjfv19

Aside from apologising for other GS which I guess others are concerned about, isn't that what he did? I didn't read anything else from the flight about confronting the passenger in any way. In fact, OP even responded to those follow ups.

bsdstone

...so I'm boarding a flight from ORD- MCO last week with my two boys...one 7 and one 9. We're flying on points out of my wife's Global Services account so we are considered Global for purposes of this flight. Since I (like virtually everyone else here) hates gate lice, I refuse to stand in line for zone 1 like so many do. When they call Uniformed Military and GS, my sons and I politely excuse our way to the front of the line with no incident...until we get to the very front when this women puts her hand out and stops me...and says "excuse me, but I'm in first class and we have priority boarding!"
To which I reply..."I'm well aware of that, this isn't my first flight...show her my ticket that has GLOBAL SERVICES printed in bold on it and gently push her hand down and (purposely) stand with my back to her shepherding my two boys past her. We board and the Gate agent gives me a knowing smirk.

So I'm not sure if it was me or her that was the guilty party...or perhaps both, but it was pretty amusing to me.

MatthewLAX

^

Good for you.

JBord

+1
And even when I join line 1, I always make sure to stay to one side to allow GS to pass through.

UA caused the problem though by creating these boarding lines without allowing space at many gates for GS to bypass them.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Silver with her first upgrade. She was probably standing in Group 1 line for 30 minutes.

bsdstone

hahaha...you're probably right! Something about the purple streak of hair she had tells me you are correct!

horse glasses

Not ok.

While I don't have this currently, do you know how annoying it is to be pushed out of the way by a bunch of men who look like my dad because they just assume I'm standing in the wrong line? I didn't realize that wrinkled khakis and middle age were the dress code for Group 1.

Funny how such a post would end up in this very thread.

kenn0223

More likely someone who jumped on an ultra-cheap P or Z fare and isn't even that familiar with UA. I've noticed these inexperienced passengers are more common in UA F these days and you can just see the building face of disappointment after no champagne, a crap meal, and indifferent FAs. I am guessing that for many its the first and last time they buy a first class fare (on UA at least).

bsdstone

Couple of quick ?'s...where did anyone say that I pushed someone out of the way? And who are the "bunch of men" you are referring to?