DYKWIA stories (Traveling on United Airlines)
 

I had a funny DYKWIA story from the holidays. As a background, I am a UA pilot, and was traveling with my son over the holidays. Given the time of year, and the vagaries of using my non-rev benefits, I purchased two seats in first class for my son and myself, given the length of the flight. Now my bags all have crew tags and such, as does my son's bag. Upon boarding and stowing my bags, I had an irate passenger seated across from me scream that had a few "non-revs" not taken their seats, his wife and daughter would be flying in first class with him. I turned, smiled, and told him what a classy move it was to leave his wife and daughter in the back of the aircraft, while he sat up front. I then proceeded to explain I had purchased those tickets, which he of course refused to believe. To shut him up, I actually showed him my emailed receipt. He pretty much behaved like an entitled ... for most of the flight.

My other favorite which I may have previously shared, was the time a lady sitting in the first row of first class tried to deny my wife who was the captain for this particular flight, use of the front lavatory, claiming it was for first class passengers only.

oh MAN i wish i was there to see this

Hah, that's one-upping the oft proposed use for Silver brag tags, to troll such pax in a similar manner :D

Apparently, this woman was making a nuisance of herself for most of the flight, so my wife told her to stop or be prepared to meet the police upon landing. I believe she ended up being escorted off the flight by police.

Same here. I love this sort of entertainment when it’s not happening to me. 757FO was extremely polite to that p...enger!

Not exactly DYKWIA, but related behavior.

At BOS this morning. I'm checking a bag in the Premier Access counter. A couple next to me was at the Polaris/1K counter. I am not sure exactly what the couple was trying to accomplish, but something about 'I just don't his bags to end up in Montana or a place like that'. Agents told the couple that whatever was trying to be accomplished could not be accomplished at check-in. Clearly the couple was not pleased, but it was a pleasant interaction.

I am headed to 'CLEAR'; there is a family of 5 or 6 behind me, also headed to CLEAR/Pre. Couple of people in line ahead of me at CLEAR/Pre. The couple is behind the family. The line verifier is ensuring that boarding passes have Pre. I waited my turn, but the couple behind me were seemingly trying to get around me. I stated, 'I'm in no hurry, but if you are running late, please go ahead of me'. The (assuming) wife said 'yes, thank you'. The (assuming) husband said 'well, we're not that late', so they did not go ahead of me. I get CLEARed, but only one person working. I am still ahead of the family in Pre. The couple is waiting at CLEAR. I am in line in security, the family enters behind me, and then the couple. I hear, 'see we should have gone in the other line, we have that family ahead of us now'. :o)

Turns out the couple was not in too much of a hurry as they spent about at least 45 minutes in the lounge.

Doesn't sound like to me as DYKWIA but moreso like once or twice a year travelers navigating through various points of getting to the flight.
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Well, she mentioned her 1K status when she was trying to get whatever issue resolved.

Anyhow, I got a chuckle out of the situation.

I would too if I were her.

I always print a paper pass so if there is an issue from check in to arrival I can 'subtly' flash it so whoever I'm asking for help can clearly see the big black letters at the bottom that read, "I EARNED THIS".

They were in a hurry to get to the lounge, perhaps? ;)

Do you use a marking pen to write on your printed UA boarding pass, or a PDF editor and large font?

Do you actually add "I earned this" in large capital letters, or rather, your UA MileagePlus Premier status?

I guess one could hold the paper boarding pass at normal height to subtly let them know who they are. If not getting a positive response then one could stiff arm the boarding pass up to the offender's forehead so that they definitely know who they are.

Oh, and I always print a paper boarding pass. Not saying that I do the above, but...

So much more pleasant of a term than “dragon”…

Had this GA, or another one, do the same thing at SFO yesterday. IMO it was great, no one boarding when they shouldn't. Another side note, 70 on the upgrade list for LAX-SFO on a 738. Only about 40 people left in the gate area when they called group 2 for boarding.

Had a kind of DYWKIA story: A GS or 1K cleared IAH-Lax but wanted to sit with a family member in Y, he stays in Y and when the person who boarded with group 4 comes he asks him to swap the GS/1K F seat for group 4's Y seat. After a quick explanation that his new seat would be in F Group 4 gladly accepts.
About 5 min later a FA tells the GA and another few FAs about the swap and they proceed to put group 4 back in his Y seat. They tell him the swap isn't allowed since and that there's #55 other people on the upgrade list ahead of him. He then goes on to talking to the FA and GA on and off for the next 15 minutes, he wants compensation and the GA tells him to write it in. Right as the GA is about to step off and close the door he has another 5 minute conversation asking why he can't sit up front. At this point we were already 10 minutes behind from when we should have pushed back and the boarding music has looped again. The FAs even make an announcement to take your seat. Group 4 ended up sleeping the whole flight in Y.

Nah, it's sufficient enough for me when the machine spits it out with 'Global Services' printed on the bottom.