Infrequent Travelers (VBIT) taking over flights
 

I guess it's that time of year. More and more VBITs. In fact, it would not be a stretch to say VBITs have essentially taken over my IAD to DEN route.

The good news ... they check in all their bags, every single one. So the overhead bins are nearly empty

The bad news, I don't really like having my seat knocked repeatedly throughout the flight. And I don't really enjoy the incredibly loud conversations and yelling back and forth throughout the entire flight. In fact, call me selfish, but I would even prefer to even have an empty middle seat next to me up in old E+.

Unfortunately, more and more VBITs appear to be taking advantage of the 'upgrade' to E+. This is causing a devaluation in 1 of 2 UAL benefits that I actually care about ... and the other one (Star Alliance awards) is virtually gone.

Roger

VBITs?

Very Bitchy Inconsiderate Traveler?

Vacation Bound Infrequent Traveler

how do you tell a VBIT apart?

When you peek at their BP and there's no MP info (at all, not to say status) below the name?

This is good news...
 

The competition for upgrades should be less if these are all non-elite flyers.

Not really that hard to spot.

Take the woman on my UAX flight from IAD-ABE last week. Dressed stylishly in a bare midriff top that revealed a "chain" tattoo circumferencing her (at least 36") midsection.

Dragged a huge - I mean huge - plastic bag filled with stuff onboard. Proceeded to empty the contents of the bag into various overhead bins and under various seats (except her own, of course!).

Once her "stuff" was stowed, she reclined her seat and began talking loudly on her cell phone and did not end the call until we were on the runway awaiting takeoff. Her seat remained reclined for the duration of the flight.

Seated in the exit row, she slept from the time we went wheels up until we arrived at the gate at ABE, and snored loudly the whole time.

Are you sure she wasn't a very clever FAM?

I can spot a VBIT by noticing those passengers with boarding passes that automatically check in with the gate agent upon arrival at the gate.

A few tell tale signs:
-- Have boarding pass, but ask GA if they need to check in again; seem skeptical when GA says they're all set
-- Insist on trying to board with Seating Area 1, with a 3 or 4 pass
-- Sit in E+, but board last
-- If sitting in E+ exit row, call their friends before take off to boast about the new E+ seats
-- If sitting in normal E+, ask FA if there isn't some mistake as they paid for upgraded seats with extra leg room
-- Mention they paid $40 for the upgrade to E+
-- Seem very surprised to hear I did not pay for my E+ seat
-- No carry ons
-- Get confused when the FA asks them if they can handle the responsibility of sitting in the exit row
-- Dress in t-shirts with racing cars, baseball caps, jeans, and sneakers
-- Read guide books
-- Try to hold a conversation with me in spite of fact I have my Bose on and am looking straight ahead
-- Yell back and forth up and down rows to displaced family members
-- Ask how to plug in headphones
-- Ask FA several times what the time change is from Washington, D.C. to Denver ...
-- ... and seem to struggle with setting their watches accordingly
-- Spend 5 minutes quizzing the FAs on the snack box ingredients
-- Continually bang into the back of the seat in front of them
-- Seat reclined entire flight
-- Make numerous trips up and down the aisles to visit friends and family members traveling with, but not sitting with, them
-- Etc.
-- Etc.

Anyway, thanks to UAL's latest revenue generating idea, this is the new face of E+.

They start looking for seat numbers while still in FC cabin (which I see on those rare occations when I'm up there).

EmailKid

How about:

On a widebody, they look at the seat number on their boarding pass, then pick the WRONG aisle to walk down. ;)

Hmmm, but that would ALSO describe a lot of frequent travelers! @:-)

Major :td: to this. I just cannot understand why people think they should be allowed to board when it isn't their turn...

Also a major :td: to GAs who allow this--I 'reminded' a GA about boarding protocol yesterday at LAX who decided to make their own rule and allow anyone to board anytime, from the getgo. :td:

I agree with you. However, in fairness to some GAs in some situations, they may be under pressure to get the flight boarded for an "on-time" departure. Policing "naughty" pax trying to board "before their turn" can be time consuming, and may create a logjam at the BP reader as the GA asks them to "step aside" - further slowing the boarding process. It could be slowed down even further if the "naughty" pax elevate the situation into a confrontation.

Mind you, I'm not saying it's correct. I just wonder what I would do if I were the GA, and I was earning the big bucks UA pays them. Somehow, the old expression, "They don't pay me enough to take this s***." comes to mind.