People dress up in military uniform to get early boarding at the gate. Some prefer to be a bit more discreet abusing unearned military benefits, showing Department of Defense identification instead – IDs that are handed out to civilian school teachers working on military bases, even.
A United passenger pretended to be military to get a free onboard snack. Some airlines – like American and United – even allow active duty military to get lounge access, and some credit cards that come with lounge access waive annual fees for active duty military. I wouldn’t send fake credentials to a bank, though.
This is often derided as ‘stolen valor’ and the analogy extends to faking your elite status with an airline, often for no benefit at all other than ego. Passengers will often display elite bag tags (also known as ‘brag tags’) that they haven’t earned.
And that’s why there’s a market for these tags for sale at eBay. These aren’t going to get you any special perks, but I guess they might impress your fellow flyers when they see you rolling around your carry-on bag? Even Silver is on sale!
A tag for Delta’s VIP ‘360’ level is listed with a $200 (!) asking price.
Oddly, it never even occurred to me to sell my ConciergeKey luggage tag when I generated that American Airlines status – missed opportunity!
I’m now torn about the ConciergeKey tag that I earned – by generating 7 million AAdvantage miles via a SimplyMiles promotion gone awry – because I’m no longer a ‘CK’ but I really like the tag made from the metal of a retired Boeing 757. It’s just super cool, even though it doesn’t signify anything about my current ‘status’.
Should I remove it, because it’s non-current (even though it’s a CK tag of a specific, non-current year and doesn’t say anything about 2025)? Should I never have put it on my bag in the first place, because it’s just gauche to broadcast status like that? Or should I leave it because I love the idea of a tag made from the metal of a commercial aircraft? I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this.
Gee, if I was going to steal a bag one with a tag saying “I’m rich and important” might be my first choice.
I still have my EXP tag from about 5 years ago (I’m now a “valued member”), but mostly because I either forget that it’s there since it blends in with the suitcase color, or cause I’m too lazy to take it off. I’d say keep it since you earned it at some point and you liked it. You didn’t just buy it. But in reality who cares? Keep it, don’t keep it, up to you.
Geez, with all the freakin’ virtue signalers out there looking to show their “superiority” every chance they get, you go ahead and use your CK tag whenever you want, Gary.
This is dumb and you’re right – it gets you nothing. I don’t know what’s worse: The people who buy these or the people who sell them. Someone did parody tags a few years ago showing “Kryptonium” and “Trillion Miler” status. I might buy that for fun.
My goodness, might as well start selling the hundred extras bag tags I’ve earned over the years; otherwise, they’re just collecting dust in the sock drawer (like 3/4ths of my existing credit cards…) Wonder how much selling those silly United 1K bag handle wraps could net me…
VIP Tag on your luggage says I’m wealthy come rob me!
As for baggage handlers make min wage they heave it harder when loading and unloading 😉
@dwondermeant — You’re not wrong… and, oh geez, do people actually put these on checked bags? Even the new metal Delta ones are just a bit too clanky to me. Several of the United ones broke on me. I’d only ever put it on a carry-on, and don’t even use them much these days.
I’ve got a handful of Southwest paper luggage tags that I just grabbed from the bowl!
Amazon sells “Nylon webbing” bag tags that say “CREW” I think that might cause a FA yo digger deeper – just with casual conversation- but the PAX manifest used to.print out those with elite status (iPads now) and some airlines the CSD would make the rounds and thank elites (even in C/PE).
Might only be slightly beneficial for overhead space on a wide body in coach if an FA was present or if overhead bins were full and they wanted to gate check bags. Unsure if it would be beneficial on a foreign Airline partner.
But things are to computerized nowadays- and Elite status is basically almost a cruel joke –
Guess I should seek my Delta 2 million miler tag since it apparently goes for $289! Seriously I would never sell them.
Gary my take, for what it is worth, is if you actually earned the tag you can keep it on your bag or laptop bag even if you are no longer that status. As you noted not like it gets you any benefit and you did actually earn it (as opposed to buying it)
Really, Gary? Stolen “valor”?
You’re a far better journalist that this.
Try “stolen status.”
Unless you can show me what is in anyway valorous about people’s luggage or flying commercially
Sell not seek in reply above. Gotta be more careful typing on phone. Between spell check and fat fingering way too many typos go out
@AC — Fat whatnow? …giggity.
The tags are worthless . What is good is the PRIORTY tax when your bag comes off so you can get out of the airport BA does not do that and you have to wait . Thank god for Air Tags now.
I like my Eastern Airlines, TWA, Pan Am luggage tags tells me i am OLD
Hey, I want a Gaxillion Miler Tag
I have a stack of 1K tags in a drawer I should try to sell. Thanks for the tip Gary! One of those UA handle wraps disappeared when I was forced to gate check; I should have tried to sell it instead of putting on my bag…
@1990
Wife and I just got back from our annual summer month and a half in Finland. Better half kept her condo. Allows us to miss peak sweat season in Malta.
Just finished unpacking and noticed my ratty old 1k handle wrapper. By the time they started giving them out, I realized how much depreciation in that program. Hey, but it’s a lifetime one so it’s good for acesss to Senator Lounges in LH, as well as Austrian, Swiss and Singapore.
And if you really want go back in time, I still have my EAL Executive card and wallet, along with Eastern system timetables.
On the other hand, one of my favorite ones does not go out of fashion: cash.
a) I wouldn’t notice any of them unless I was flying with a colleague who I knew was on the road a lot and might comment.
b) otherwise, it’s like wearing a Rolex watch or a fake Rolex, don’t care and means nothing to me. If you like a Rolex or want to show it off, great but it’s a watch and shows you the time (unless you have an Apple watch, it doesn’t even tell you the time, it only shows you when you flip your wrist) … I can buy one for $5 that does pretty much the same thing so don’t care if you spent $20 more or $20,000 or $2 million more, literally do not care what you do with your money …
c) so whether you flash your ‘status’ badge or not, it goes goes WOOSH over my head … same as if you made the MLS All star team, got a perfect SAT score or are sitting next to me and paid $14.50 for your ticket, great for you but affects me zero so what do I care?
@AlanZ — Cash is always king.
Finland (and Sweden, Norway, etc.) this time of year does sound lovely! (Depending on how far north you went, I bet the sun hardly set that whole time.)
Lifetime statuses are harder to come by these days, so, if you got it and it gets you access to Star Alliance lounges, I’d say that’s a win!
Ahh, Eastern (R.I.P., 1991), a Miami classic (they did name the bridge to Key Biscayne after its founder, Eddie Rickenbacker, after all.) I was in SJU earlier this year, and saw a 767 with the ‘Eastern’ name, but not the logo or colors, so I guess someone’s trying to revive it…
The whole “status” thing is just people grasping to fill a void in their lives. Status doesn’t mean much other than you get higher mileage earning.