Don’t you know who I am? A United Airlines passenger at Newark airport pushed up to the front of the boarding line of a Denver flight, when the airline called up their ‘Global Services’ members.
He explained that he wasn’t Global Services anymore – but he used to be one before the pandemic. (He also may have once scored four touchdowns in a single game in high school.)
His upgrade didn’t clear, so he needed them to give him an aisle seat on this oversold flight. And he needed bin space for his five carry-on bags.
Naturally, he got nowhere with the gate agent. He shouldn’t have gotten anywhere, but his chances at Newark were even worse than that. He had to check three of the bags. And, they explained to him, he didn’t clear his upgrade since he did not have any elite status.
He responded, what good is having an airline credit card “if I cannot get upgrades, aisle seats, or even pre-boarding to stow my MODEST” bags?
[T]he very large person touting five bags, yes large Tumi bags fully packed, right up prior to pre-boarding. Starts demanding to board with GS since he “used to be GS before COVID”, and that he really needs an aisle seat, since his upgrade didn’t go through, and he was not going to check any bags, “I don’t care what the policy is.” GA did a good job looking at his ticket to see what the GS problem was and says, “Sir, you do not appear to have any status and show up very low on the upgrade list. This is a full flight, I cannot move someone for you, and yes, you will have to check 3 of those 5 bags.”
His response got several laughs, from the Pre-boarders, “Well what good is the explorer card if I cannot get upgrades, aisle seats, or even pre-boarding to stow my MODEST (yes he said that word) luggage.”
Air travel is tough and frustrating. But it pays to attenuate your expectations. This passenger… did not. As for what good the credit card is, he needed to check bags, and the card helps cover the cost of those!
Now that was a day starter. Airlines are responsible for the “entitled” attitude they started when they introduced their status programs. They long ago forgot their business is transportation. They are not in the business of stroking the ego of those they transport from one city to the next. When they started telling passengers they are more important than the person next to them, they created this monster. People were flying long before all of this status crap and they would continue to fly if it were to somehow disappear. Just another way for the Airline to do the money grab.
I was working an oversold flight out of DEN. This was in the Stapleton days, so no GS back then.
Guy comes up and wants an upgrade to first because coach is full and he doesnt like that. I explain that FC is full, so I can’t offer him one. He gets mad, calls me and UA some choice names, and proceeds to pull the “Do you know who I am?” routine. I’ve had quite enough of the guy at this point, so I say no, I don’t. He puffs out his chest and tells me he’s the highest 1K in the system and I should move someone in FC to his coach seat and give him their seat. I told him that wasn’t going to happen, that those folks had actually paid for first class, and that he could have booked it himself if it was so damned important. He informed me that he would have my job.
His comment letter must have gotten lost in the mail. I never heard a peep from management, and I retired 25 years later.
When things go right, status is overrated; when things go wrong, it’s nearly worthless. That said, people watching at airports can be fun…
How was he on the upgrade list if he didn’t have any status?
I had a bully approach me years ago about a matter totally unrelated to the airline business and one that I had no control over. He was yelling and screaming about what he perceived as being “owed” to him. He was making a total ass of himself in front of others and I wasn’t budging. Thinking that I would cave to “Do you know who I am?”, I calmly said, “No, but if you will hum a few bars, we will all join in and sing along.” One person yelled, “Does it go like this?” and started humming. We all joined in and he stormed off. Everyone died laughing as he fumed and left the scene. I thanked the guy who started the humming.
He probably stayed at a Holiday Inn Express as well.
Didn’t I already read this like 6 times on different blogs plus the original on FlyerTalk?
At least he’s asking the right questions now: “What good is this airline credit card now that everyone has one?”
When I was younger I had a killer body, shredded body. Then mother nature happened. Used to be isn’t what is today. And I totally agree with @1990. If you think status is going to get you anywhere you really do need to be transported from 1995 to 2025.
Excellent Al Bundy reference. 13/10, would recommend.
@George Nathan Romey — I’ve never been Global Services, and probably never will be, all of which is just fine, because as @Gene likes to say, if I want First, I buy First; otherwise, I’m fine, even last row, middle, limited recline, so long as I get my United Stroopwaffle and a @CoffeePlease. So, @Gary Leff is right, ‘attenuated expectations,’ or ‘low’ expectations, usually, and never disappointed much. Except those PlusPoints, which, according to my United app, we can now exchange for points or whatever. Phew!
I failed a PlusPoints upgrade on IAD-DFW on a Wednesday. At least they can be turned into something now. Have never been able to use them. I usually just want First, buy First but I figured on this occasion, I mean, why wouldn’t I clear an upgrade into a cabin that has nobody with seat assigned and I put in the request 3 months before departure…. to save $300 versus First in this case. But.. not to be. I find it humorous. But an instant upgrade would have been available if I wanted to shell out 20 points for ORF-IAD.
I was there. This guy had a “White Dudes for Harris” shirt on. Even if he wasn’t wearing the shirt or three masks, his attitude definitely told everyone who he voted for…
@NedsKid — 4 hour drive… 30 minutes flight… 20 PlusPoints… at least you can avoid the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel… that thing is scary.
I buy a new Dyson stick vac or something like that with my points every year or two and that’s about all I’ve ever found them useful for.
More Delta Fallout– being the “first mover” on the twisted concept that you can be an entitled, premium flyer without ever stepping foot on an aircraft. As long as you carry the correct, lame-and-overpriced credit card in your pocket.
Thanks Delta! Even more ways you’ve destroyed the travel industry.
Exec plat here on American no upgrades out of Chicago Las Vegas dfw dtw ect all week
Into cattle I went
If only I flew united & had a United credit card I’m sure they would have known who I am and bounced someone out of first class for me
@1990
“When things go right, status is overrated; when things go wrong, it’s nearly worthless. That said, people watching at airports can be fun…”
OTOH, cash is not overrated.
“Do uou know who I am?”
“No, but it is written on your boarding pass if that helps jog your memory.”
@Alan Z — Cash is king!
@David P — HIE! That’s @Gene’s fav!
@1991 — Nice name you got there.
@Tom Dually — Nearly all the US airlines have co-branded credit cards with elevated boarding privileges… not just Delta.
Poor Gate Agents have to put up with so much. I was at a gate in Chicago talking to a gate agent who I worked with earlier and boarding began. A government employee came up to board first, stating that the contract allowed him to do so. The agent advised him that was not the case. As the man argued with him the agent suggested he talk to me since I was in charge of the contract. Told him, sorry but contract does not stipulate priority boarding for government employees, only military with ID and parents with children under 2. Didn’t make the guy happy that someone was there that knew the rules and was one who helped write and enforce them.
@Tom Billone — If all it takes it ‘Tom’ to enforce the rules, then we’re gonna need more ‘Tom’s.
I was raised as an airline kid, my first job was as a ramper and even when I left, I married back into the airlines. That being said, I can tell you standby or revenue, I have gotten more upgrades by buying coffee and snacks for the poorly treated gate agents over my years. It is ironic that I have flown millions of miles, front and back of the plane, I have no status anywhere, but simple gestures often work. I pay for it nowadays but back in the day, they would simply add a VIP to the top of the list and on the plane I went. Like I said, has been many years, still fly free on AA, I just buy my tickets nowadays, unless I have a lot of time to kill.
Teacher gives final exam and tells students it must be handed in top of her desk no later than 55min past the hour.
Student is still scribbling on the test form at 55min… then 57min… 60min… and at 1h15min he comes up to her desk with the completed paperwork.
Teacher: The deadline was 20 minutes ago. This is not going to be graded.
Student: DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?
Teacher: No, and I don’t care.
[Student puts his paper smack dab in the middle of the pile of other handed in test papers]
Sometimes it pays not to be known.
E
P.S. I used to be 1K. Now my Chase United Card works hard every day to make my table not wobble on the uneven tiles. Best use for that card ever! If you don’t agree… do you know who I am?
@ Tom Billone
Learn something new everyday. Thank you!
@american
Nostalgia is a great feeling but it isn’t reality. Flying has always been something for the elite. Flying in and of itself was limited to the entitled for decades. It is arguably still limited to those with the income to do so.
Even modest status has helped me tremendously when things dont’ go well, so I disagree with the poster above. The only exception I would say is AA since they hate all of their pax equally.
Was this written in the third person?
Yeh as a cashier customer would love to point out when I asked cash or card that they were using “(Bank Name) Visa platinum elite plus”.
It’s just a Visa like everyone else’s and no one cares. Swipe your card and move along.
No one cares this guy had an airline card.