I’m just leaving Vancouver after an amazing 36 hours here, and I’m now at YVR in the Premium Plaza Lounge waiting to take my flight to Seattle for the Seattle sessions this weekend. I was minding my business when an older gentleman looked over and [casually] asked me how I got into the lounge.
“You have an American Express Platinum card?”, he says.
“Yes, among other cards” I replied.
“You seem awfully young to have an American Express Platinum Card.”, he adds.
While the conversation was harmless, it got me thinking – was I just receiving a compliment implying that I look young for my age? Or was his comment an insult to my generation?
The funny thing is, it’s not the first time assumptions were made about my age and my standing in life.
For instance, as a United 1K, I board with group 1, and that line is often filled with businessmen in suits. I usually travel casually in jeans and a cute top, like any other gal in her 20s would do. More often than not, I have been told by a gate agent to “wait ’till my boarding group was called” when I joined that line.
Another example is one time I was entering a United Club, and before I even had a moment to hand over my boarding pass, the agent said, “Are you buying a day pass? You know it’s $xx, right?”
It’s annoying how people automatically assume that younger people naturally wouldn’t have “premium” credit cards and elite status of their own.
Has this happened to anyone else before? Would love to hear your thoughts and stories!
Platinum card just equals money spent on annual fees.
Nothing about age or standing is related, beyond any other card.
Centurion, fine, but here, this just shows the guy’s mistaken assumption.
Ya think that’s bad. Trying being a middle aged white guy. Nobody gives me the time of day. :D
It happened to me twice earlier this year. First, when I was flying OZ203 in business. When they called for the business class boarding, I was approaching the line when a man (probably mid 40s) told me that they were boarding business and I politely told him that I was in business class. He then had this odd look on his face. Second time was when I was returning on OZ202 in First. It is almost the similar situation as I approached boarding and the first person in the travel class line told me the line starts “back there”. I just flashed them my First Class boarding pass and proceed to get my pass scanned.
It does get a bit annoying when people think that I’m too young to afford traveling in the premium cabins.
Hope you guys and gals are all having fun patting yourselves on the back.
I see plenty of teenagers and younger in biz and first. They’re younger than you.
As a guy in my 20s, I get the same kind of looks as I board with group one on UA… Can’t think of a time that a gate agent said anything though.
I must say, it’s nice being the youngest passenger in C or F sometimes ;-)
Happens every now and then. When i bought my car I had to go into the showroom and ask or help when multiple other customers were helped. At the one dealership the salesperson said to me “do you know how much this car is?” No buddy, I just wandered onto the lot and thought I could get a nice car for $1000.00.
I also get looks while sitting in the first class cabin. Mostly from businessmen in suits heading back to coach. It’s the “how is this kid flying first class look”. I just smile and drink my beverage (if I get one).
Excellent! Enjoy!
My sister was flying Lufthansa first class to MUC a few weeks ago. When they called for first class, she and her husband went to board. The agent jumped in front of them and yelled “Halt!” Fortunately, they did not let her ridiculousness ruin their great flight.
Literally laughed outloud.
Reverse ageism. As a 62 YO guy, I love it. Just stick it to ‘um! And enjoy!!
Happened couples time to me when traveling on some Asian airlines. Had almost no problems on United. Also turned away from CO clubs several time b’c of being underage (which admittedly I were actually under 21 at that time) ;-)
Being in my 20s, very petite and looking young for my age, I’ve received similar comments. On one of my recent flights when I was sitting in first class, the flight attendant asked me “Did you get a free upgrade?” while the older businessmen weren’t asked. I actually paid for it that day! And I’ve been accused of boarding too early (I’m 1K as well).
Is anyone else barfing?
Yes, I was travelling with Qatar Airways in First Class LHR-DXB with a backpacker in my back. When I joined the F group, passengers turned up their noses, as if I had received an upgrade or something. I thought the customer service I received was different from the other passengers. I did not have enough time to check baggage so I opted for a backpack…
Seems like a lot of 20 somethings have self esteem issues.
Tell them your jet is in the shop getting polished, so you need to fly commercial just this once ;-)
Exact-ly! I’m kinda getting sick of all the attention!
My stats: 33, size zero, like to travel in Victoria’s Secret clothes.
Does that give license for these gross old guys to hit on me in the lounge and up front on the planes?
I think lounge should cost more for these old guys than for us. They’d probably even be happy about it since it would increase our ratio to them :)
This is very common. I become a 1K on United at 21 (due to my job). Anyway, I can’t even count the number of times I have received comments or looks. Most of them are harmless, though I was once denied access to the Delta lounge in DCA while traveling on an int’l business class ticket to Japan because I didn’t have a sky club pass (it was quickly resolved by the mgr, but still). In all honestly, I love boarding a long haul int’l biz flight in gym shorts and a t shirt. I feel that it equals the playing field; you shouldn’t have to be a 45 year old white male in a suit to get decent attention or service.
In my 20’s I got one or two comments, but now in my 30’s I’ve started noticing how young some of the passengers up front are. I fly out of SFO a lot and I guess lots of the techies are a younger generation than me.
My baby sis first credit card was a platinum and she was 16 when she had it ( authorized user). She shocked the sales people a lot when she buys things with the card. Never had a problem when traveling in business despite how we dressed.
I went to the Centurion Lounge at Vegas last month. To my surprise, I did see a majority of young people there. Owning a AMEX Platinum card is one thing not so luxurious (equivalently $250 per year, but you got benefits in return), but having a top tier airline elite status is totally a different thing.
Well, I’ve gotten the same treatment because either I look like the backpacker, or have been in a rush trying to get everything done before getting on my plane and consequently, look frazzled and not dressed to impress. Hey, I am in my fifties. I was flying Business class and First Class a long time ago on points and miles and always, FC and BC were filled with men. They gave me strange looks as if to say, “How did she get on here?” Since I am 6 feet tall, most have not approached me and addressed me on it, but sometimes I get the agent who states that I should wait. Instead, I politely say that I don’t have my reading glasses on, and could they look at my boarding pass. They read it and then give me a smile and scan my pass. It could be sexism, ageism, but I think it is is clothingism.
I don’t like personal questions from complete strangers period.
I’m in my teens and have the platinum card – my own too, not an authorized user. Only time I can think of something like this happening is a lady sitting next to me in first class asked if I was upgraded. I said, “no, paid first” and she had this horrified look on her face. Other than that, nothing. I like it that way too. I don’t need, nor like, the added attention.
Yes! Ugh, nothing annoys me more. I’m 35, a professional (physician) but look like i’m 18 and like to wear cargos and tshirts. Get the judgemental looks aaaallll the time. So obnoxious. It’d be lovely to get judged on merit rather than looks, but i don’t think that’ll ever happen in our society; it’s all about first impressions.
Happens to me all the time…in my sleep! Usually by Shaparova! And I say “Thanks” and she says “Let’s have a drink to get to know each other” and I say “Sure, my pleasure” and then after a few drinks I need to unbutton my shirt and then….damnit I always wake up!!!!
Ben over at One Mile at a Time wrote about the same thing a few years ago. You might want to look for those posts. They’re fun reading!
May you link the posts for me? I’d love to read Ben’s one(s) about this too. Thanks.
Rarely happens to me, but last summer I went to check in at the Lufthansa business class line at MUC and the agent told my sister & I that the “line was over there” (referencing the general check-in line). Even when we tried to hand over our business class tickets, she wouldn’t help and it took awhile for her to even bother to read our (legitimate) tickets. No apology or anything… at least we had a good experience onboard!
I was flying BA first last summer with my girlfriend (both mid 20s). At IAD when we walked up to the checkin desk the agent said something along the lines of “this is for first class passengers” to which I replied something like “yes I know we’re flying first class” after that she was very polite. When I walked up to check in for CX first in HKG the other day I made the first interaction and said something like “first class?” Think I’ve gotten some surprised looks too but in general most people have always been friendly onboard.
Angelina this happens to me all the time as well w/ the plat … the look of disbelief is generally from those who grew up during the baby boomer era … they grew up under the assumption that Amex cards were impossible to get … although the times have changed … the name/brand recognition has not. It is still very much a symbol of status … and that look of disbelief is identical to the look of jealously :)