OTOH....

A couple of weeks ago we were flying LGA-ORD in F. I was shocked that our uprgades cleared on a 319 with F2, but who was I to complain? :p

Toward the end of boarding, we saw a guy with a clearly regulation rollerboard talking to the purser. Turns out he was a late-boarding UGS stuck in the back of the bus, and because there was no room left in the overheads, one of the FAs had made him gate check the bag. He was a little p-od. As he headed back to his seat, he said "You'd think as Global Services I could at least get to bring my bag on the plane." The purser, who obviously had not known he was UGS before then, was very apologetic and made some effort to intercept the bag before it was put under...but it was too late.

I thought this UGS was pretty restrained under the circumstances. I think he's right: One would think that room on the plane could be made for the bags of UGS pax. He should have spoken up sooner.

I agree that in that case you need to be more proactive if you are GS/1K.

It was some time ago, but I observed the following on UA NRT-ORD:

During boarding:

Loud young well-dressed woman speaking to scruffy-looking older man:

LYWDW: "you can't be here, this is for FC and elites"
SLOM: "I would not want to doscomfit you, young lady, please go ahead"
LYWDW: "OK, but you should go to the economy line"
SLOM: not another word
soon after a UA employee came up, addressed SLOM "Please come with me Mr. President, and I will escort you to your seat. We have already loaded your carry-on bag"; to the LYWDW "excuse me, Miss, while we escort President Carter on board.

Not only had he been standing there like any other passenger, but his invisible security were never visible. The LYWDW seemed to be properly mortified. I have no idea of her politics.

Such rude behavior is increasingly uncommon onboard in my experience, but it mis even more irritating when it happens.

Kind of hillarious, IMHO. :D

Nice to see Carter is still classy! ^

:D good to know POTUS is still a recognized status on UA.

Where did he clear? Is he a realGS or is he comped it? lol kidding

A few replies
 

Hi,

I got this thread restarted I guess and a few questions were directed to me.

Firstly, I was flying UA663 (DCA-DEN) and I guess there was an equipment
swap since there were definitely not the 24 FC seats that come with a 752 as
per seatguru.com

Secondly, where were the FAs? They had it under control, they just watched him
and made sure he didn't get too crazy, though I think letting him grab a tray
was being too lenient. But they made him give it back.

Thirdly, air-marshall for all flights out of DCA? I'm not sure about that, though they
did do a routine where the FAs physically blocked access to the cockpit with a food
trolley with someone guarding it while the pilots took a leak and got their food.

Fourthly, the FA did tell him according to his "manifesto" that he saw no ordering
that gave GS priority to food.

Contrary to popular speculation, he did not say my stack of warm nuts was bigger than
his:rolleyes:

1. How long ago was that?
2. Didn't his Secret Service / private security officers have any issues with UA audibly identifying him as PRESIDENT CARTER?

Sounds like an urban legend. Even with semi-famous people they often pre-board
them and they don't wait for the seating area to be called!
It's for everyone's own good, since some people (I've wittnessed this many times)
see a brush with fame as an opportunity to stop the boarding process to get a few photos,
sign a few books ...

As a Georgia resident Jimmy Carter flies often on Delta and reports of encounters with him turn up from time to time in the Delta forum. This "urban legend", as you put it, is quite consistent with the reports -- an unassuming man who prefers to ride in coach and is very personable with those who talk to him.

Vips have the right to request private boarding.
 

Many years ago, my wife and I were flying United out of Denver and they had commenced FC seating. Perhaps 6 or 7 of us were already on the plane when the head FA asked us all to gather our carry-on and de-plane. My wife was really upset and lipped-off to the FA who said it was beyond her control and that some VIP had requested private boarding. We gathered our things and left with the rest of the FC cabin and the VIP and his entourage boarded. They decided that they wanted one of our seats for the entourage so I left my wife in First and I went back to the good emergency exit row. The GA comped me two paper upgrades equivalent to a CR1 today. Needless to say, my wife was still really pissed and at some point in the flight lipped off to said VIP (who shall remain nameless) about what phoney he was for exhibiting such imperious behavior while professing to be an altruistic activist and man of the people. During her confrontation, the head FA came back and asked me to come up and calm her down, which I was successful at achieving. I told the FA to give her 3 to 4 stiff drinks and she would be fine the rest of the flight, and indeed, all went well after that. I think that our experience is the more likely scenario involving VIPs but who knows. My wife has despised the VIP in question ever since this incident--he can do no right!

Who?
 

OK, I am really curious who was the VIP that felt important enough to make people deplane? If you have that attitude you probably should not be flying commercial air and should be on a private jet.

Sorry, I can't answer who it was because I don't want it to go viral on some blog somewhere and then I end up in some story in the "Dirty Laundry" media. I just wanted to point out that VIPs are entitled to private boarding, and I wondered if anyone else has encountered a situation like ours.

I will say that we have met some very nice celebrities who acted like normal folks. One of the nicest to us was ex-Mayor Willie Brown of San Francisco who had a serious-looking but nice bodyguard with him who really sized me up when I recognized the Mayor and started talking to him.
Mr. Brown was exceedingly pleasant and an excellent and well-mannered neighbor in FC even though he and I were not of a like political mind.

Okay, Zombie, I'm going to take your bait. Why on God's green earth would someone be entitled to private boarding just because they are are a "VIP"?

I would hope the secret service had no objection, as since 1997, they only protect former presidents for 10 years after leaving office. I do believe though that presidents in office prior to 1997 may be "grandfathered" in with lifetime protection (so President Carter may still qualify) but George "W" Bush will no longer be covered after Jan 20, 2019.