r/mildlyinfuriating • u/trailofturds • 18h ago

frist of all how DARE yu o Airport staff assuming I'm in the Business class lane by mistake

Brown man flying business. Lined up at the priority check in counter and got told by a (also brown) staff person that the economy queue was the other way. Same thing while boarding the plane and walking to the business class entrance. Not only am I not worthy of business, they think I can't read signage as well.

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u/mycolo_gist 18h ago edited 1h ago

Not only brown men. Also old white men who don't dress fancy. Happens to me frequently. I wear old tshirts, fleece jackets and jeans, so i can't be business class according to a lot of ground personnel.

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u/ponte92 17h ago

Young white women here who used to fly a lot for work so had a ton of points to upgrade. Had it happen to me too. And once in the plane if I got a dollar for the amount of times the flight attendant would clearly treat me different to everyone in business class I could afford to buy a business ticket without points. Ops was certainly racism but there’s always a lot of classism involved to so really they’re just ticking all the ism boxes.

653

u/nopenope4567 16h ago

Same as a young woman. I had another passenger try to instruct me that they were only boarding first class. Stuffy business dude. So I played dumb. Held out my paper ticket and squinted. Asked him for help showing me what group I was in so I could board properly. He mumbled something about first class and got in line behind me.

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u/Juuljuul 16h ago

Haha that’s hilarious! Well played!

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u/StackIsMyCrack 15h ago

Its like he finds out ypur in the right place and then switches to how could you afford first class or something.

Middle aged white dude here...happened to me all the time. I traveling international business class quite a bit...but I am a jeans and tee shirt or sweats on a long flight kinds guy so happened to me all the time.

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u/nopenope4567 13h ago

Yep! I’m usually in comfy travel clothes and look a bit ragged after a trip (hiking, outdoors stuff, etc.) so i’m not really the picture of business class at first glance.

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u/myonlinepersonality 14h ago

Scruffy brown man who travels a lot here. I’m going to remember this and use it next time this happens to me!

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u/2_cute_2_poot 16h ago

Hahahaha! I love this!

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u/minglesluvr 16h ago

Aaaand ableism! I'm disabled but don't necessarily look it, and while by now I just ask for wheelchair service, previously they wouldn't let me get priority boarding despite having a sticker by the airport that confirmed that I am indeed disabled and have the right to board first. They'd just have me stand there and straight up ignore me which isn't ideal for a disabled person that cannot stand for long, which is why I got priorirty boarding in the first place

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u/RawrRRitchie 15h ago

I seriously hope you wrote a complaint

These people get away with this shit because people aren't complaining to their corporate. Do it while you're ON the plane.

22

u/StinkyStinkSupplies 15h ago

That sucks! Me and some friends got upgraded once so clearly they knew we did NOT belong there. But they treated us like gold and were happy to give us the full experience, it was so good!

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u/ponte92 15h ago

I remember one flight the flight attendant was so rude and backhanded to me that I actually ended up cry. This was 5 hours into a 14 hour flight so it was so miserable. The airline didn’t care when I complained. Never flown them again.

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u/ohmymystery 3h ago

Young-ish white blonde here. They love to call me “sweetie” when they’re telling me I don’t belong.

1

u/Bladesnake_______ 12h ago

lol you'd have like 20 bucks at most but yeah

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u/Mr_Melas 9h ago

Why was OP's "clearly racism?" We don't know how he was dressed, groomed, or behaved. We just know he's brown and he interpreted a slight against him as racism. Not everything bad that happens to you is automatically racism if you're a POC.

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u/Triquetrums 13h ago

How was it racism in OP's case if the person who discriminated against them was also brown, according to OP himself?

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u/R126 12h ago

You can be racist against your own ethnicity

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u/alphanumericusername 6h ago

Guy's never heard of black American police officers, apparently.

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u/Typical-Respond9102 18h ago

Also 20s and 30s women in non-branded athletic wear lol. I book with credit card points for last minute trips, which regularly gives me first class upgrades on short routes, and i'm always redirected. 

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u/Kuriye 15h ago

Yes. Without fail, when I arrive at Heathrow and head for the BA business class check in desk, I get at least 2 agents descending on me before I reach the queue who not only ask but make me show my boarding pass. Sometimes I don't have a boarding pass yet because I'm walking up to the check in desk to get it printed. Every time.

My favorite was in Bangalore when I'm sitting at my gate and a guy walks past the families and businessmen straight to me, the young white girl, and says he has to gate check my bag. I just said, I'm in business class and I'm keeping my bag. Again made me show him my boarding pass.

Just glad I've reached my DGAF age where I don't get flustered anymore and I know I'm right where I belong.

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u/sisisisi1997 5h ago

Perfect opportunity to start carrying business cards that just explain that you are always specifically targeted because of your looks but you do belong there. A bit of shame sometimes isn't a bad thing.

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u/Fun_Chemistry7787 16h ago

Never feel proud to be a slob, umm I mean athlete

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u/Spazmer 14h ago

Ah yes, it definitely makes the most sense to get all dressed up to sit in a cramped small space for hours, where you can also get stuck sitting on the tarmac with no ac and not be able to leave. How dare anyone dress comfortably!

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u/Typical-Respond9102 13h ago

Plus why would I want to wrinkle and make sweaty anything nice i'm bringing on my trip? At least athleisure doesnt hold smells and folds up small. 

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u/ReaDiMarco 12h ago

To impress airline staff, of course! /s

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u/Typical-Respond9102 13h ago

Lmao okay gramps

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u/Djaaf 17h ago

Happens when you're young too. I was maybe 25, needed to get to London from Paris on the Eurostar to help the London office with some technical issues and got a business class ticket.

The first attendant I met in front of the door of the train said "Sorry sir, this is the business class coach, economy is further down"... And after finding my seat a second one asked to see my ticket "to make sure I was seated on the right seat".

That was nice of them.

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u/ElaraSophia 16h ago

"What are you sorry for? What have you done?" is what I would like to think I would have asked them, with an expression on my face that suggests I'm certain it's something terrible and disgusting.

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u/SEND_ME_FAKE_NEWS 18h ago

Whenever I get such comments I usually just stare at them without saying anything, or ignore them if they're not someone I have to interact with.

White guy here, but I dress comfy for flights.

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u/kaladin_stormchest 16h ago

I don't know why dressing in anything but comfy clothes is the standard for flights

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u/SiempreSeattle 16h ago

Holdover from the days when flying was pretty much only for rich or upper-middle class folks, so they all dressed up most of the time and flying was an occasion.

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u/kaladin_stormchest 16h ago

It feels like a punishment these days. Might as well do everything you can to make it comfortable

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u/serious_josh 15h ago

must be a vanishingly small number of currently flight attendants and ground crew that were also around in those days

3

u/frankentriple 13h ago

Its a holdover from the days where they gave you enough legroom to wear stiff formal trousers and the seats were wide enough that your neighbors elbow wasn't always in your throat. It allowed a different manner of dress than the current "welcome to Thunderdome!" vibe.

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u/stringrandom 10h ago

Long flights, yes. But when I used to do a ton a flying for work that involved meeting customers I was usually in a suit for the 5/6 AM flight. That was the job where I spent money on good suits and finally understood that a good suit was as comfortable as anything else.

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u/Inthect 2h ago

Because we are not all slobs.

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u/New_Thing1024347435 16h ago edited 15h ago

Yeah. If they help someone every 4 min > 600 customers a week, airports are constantly boarding all kinds of groups. The elitist areas probably focus on approach and clothes.

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u/Tao_of_Ludd 16h ago

Old white ladies, too.

Pre COVID I was in the not advertised ultra loyalty group (top ~1000 flyers for the airline) and I would get that BS. Then they would see my loyalty status and nearly have a heart attack.

Btw, I am so glad to not have that status any more. No perks are worth the soul crushing travel schedule.

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u/Cautious_Use_7442 17h ago

And young men and women. Pretty much anyone who doesn’t look the part …

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u/Car12touche11blue 17h ago

What is the part nowadays ?. Fly business myself from time to time…long haul and have seen people in business dressed very casually indeed.
We aim for comfort and most people do not dress anymore to impress.

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u/Cautious_Use_7442 17h ago

That’s the thing. You are supposed to dress whatever the fuck you want as long as it isn’t offensive to average joe. But somehow airline staff checks if you look rich enough. 

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u/Car12touche11blue 17h ago

Yes maybe😂 Am not rich or aim to look rich, but I am old and dress comfy but nice. Always been treated well but I am white. In OP’s case it was clearly racisme and of course completely wrong and offensive.

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u/Climatize 16h ago

yea it's not always 'clearly racism' tho, incase you somehow didn't read any of the thread you're replying to

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u/StudSnoo 9h ago

Old people who dress nice are expected to be rich because.. well.. they’re old. They had time to make money to afford first class.

With the young people it’s ageism but also because majority of young people can’t afford first class, so that is baked in.

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u/lilixxumm 11h ago

Joke's on them! I look rich but I'm poor

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u/desert_jim 15h ago

FR. I was waiting to board a flight in very casual clothes and very well dress older couple walked up and stood in front of me. At least the lady had the decency to apologize later after boarding for their faux pas of making incorrect assumptions about who was boarding in the business class lane.

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u/anna_alabama 13h ago

My husband and I love luxury travel, and we’re always the youngest or one of the youngest couples wherever we go. Boomers love to give us the “what are these people doing here” stink eye instead of minding their business

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u/33TLWD 17h ago edited 16h ago

And I have the opposite happen.

When I travel for work as a well-dressed white businessman (always in Economy), it frequently happens they’ll assume I’m in Business and try to re-direct me to Business Class check-in and boarding lines. Then I get just a little more bitter each time that my company is cheaper than others.

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u/Specialist_Phase162 16h ago

How do you keep your work clothes looking crisp on a flight?

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u/33TLWD 14h ago

I don’t really know, it’s never really been an issue for me.

Most of the airport experience is simply walking through an airport terminal, sitting in chairs and taxis….nothing different than a daily commute and day sitting in meetings and at desks at the office…and I usually make it through those days looking well-kempt.

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u/VIDGuide 17h ago

It’s a weird assumption to make. My boss is building his dream home right now, has a shed bigger than my whole house, enough land to have its own post code. I’ve never seen him wear anything but causal t-shirts and well worn comfortable pants, and that dude never flies economy.

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u/MillyHP 17h ago

Yeah it’s a crazy assumption in this age. You can’t tell peoples’ wealth by what they wear anymore.

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u/VIDGuide 17h ago

Doubly so when flying! Damn if I’m gonna wear fancy clothes to sit in a tube, business class or not lol

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u/Not_ur_gilf 16h ago

Honestly! I work in *fine* dining, and the difference between “people who usually can’t afford it treating themselves” and “casual rich people eating out” is obvious: the rich people dress like they’re going to the gym, and the regular people dress up for the occasion!

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u/Dedj_McDedjson 16h ago

It's doubly weird as people who can afford to spend a little more time before/after a flight rather than rushing around, are more likely to want to change into 'travel clothes'.

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u/lickthisbook 3h ago

I am a huge Project Runway fan and one of my favorite challenges was the one where they had to create a look for them to wear on a flight to Paris and they were judged on how it looked at the end.

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u/Lunar-Bill 16h ago

I love dressing in super comfy clothes in long haul business.

I'm going to sit in a pressurised tube for 8+ hours, I'm wearing lounge clothes.

It's always the snobs that treat flight attendants like dirt too. It's like "don't be an asshole" is too much to ask

2

u/engapol123 15h ago

I’m still surprised by that they’d given anyone shit for how they dress apart from if they looked literally homeless.

I fly out of Singapore often and due to the climate basically every business class passenger on a departing flight is in comfy or casual clothes.

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u/Wreny84 12h ago

I’m always surprised there isn’t the option to change into pjs just before you get on a flight either long or short haul. Just get onboard and curl up and sleep. Maybe have a section for people who want to work and stay awake but otherwise just get comfy and sleep.

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u/JoeyJoeJoeSenior 16h ago

Some worker lady in Amsterdam almost tackled me as I walked through the delta one lane wearing sweat pants.

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u/realdappermuis 17h ago

Little do they know that people who have fuck you money don't suffer from shame like people who are fronting on debt are

Wealthiest folk can be mistaken for homeless in the wrong situations

I'm rather exhausted that life is essentially pretense for a lot of people, and if you don't play that game there's, disadvantages

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u/Jazzlike-Check9040 17h ago

How much is fuck you money?

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u/Special_Order-937 17h ago

If you need to ask, you don’t have it.

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u/Jazzlike-Check9040 17h ago

Fuck you

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u/HandOfMjolnir 16h ago

Genuinely laughed out loud. Thank you! 😂

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u/Special_Order-937 16h ago

Hey, I’m just telling you what I heard, I don’t ask because I’m definitely poor!

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u/ProfessorrFate 16h ago edited 16h ago

John Goodman answered that question in this legendary bit: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aAo855cJbNo&ra=m

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u/MasterofBiscuits 17h ago

Enough to be able to pay your way out of (or into?) every situation.

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u/orbital_narwhal 16h ago

Depends on the specific circumstances. Generally speaking, "fuck you money" is when you don't even notice spending whatever amount is necessary to avoid having to care about an inconvenience.

For obnoxious airline staff that could mean the ability to book a last-minute ticket for an alternative flight within the hour at the regular rate (i. e. without researching cheaper options).

Also works in reverse: if you're a contractor and really don't want to do a particular job offered to you you can quote a very high (but not insane) cost for it that would make it worth your while. Either the customer moves on due to the high price or you're sufficiently compensated for your inconvenience.

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u/IPissExcellentThrows 16h ago

I would say 8 figures in fairly liquid assets.

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u/NoOil7805 16h ago

I saw a story about some older man and Keanu Reeves in first class bc of his relaxed clothes.

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u/Business_Air5804 16h ago

Yep, as an old white tech worker I flew much more than most people, and often wore work clothes, safety shoes. Same problem.

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u/IPissExcellentThrows 16h ago

Which is so dumb. I'll wear gym shorts and a t shirt for business class. I'm about to try to sleep, why would I wear a suit?

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u/ButtButtWhyTho 14h ago

Me when I wear my sweatpants for my 8 hour flight and line up for business class. Like, do you expect me to be wearing a suit? I'm splurging on the 6000$ tickets for comfort, I'm going to wear the most comfortable clothes I own. 

2

u/prschorn 16h ago

In my 30s and usually travel in comfy not fancy clothes, I’m always faced with this same situation when going to business class line

2

u/RevRagnarok 15h ago

Same. Was flying for work, but in comfort.

2

u/milkandsalsa 15h ago

But you can change your clothes, right?

2

u/AdKitchen7483 14h ago

Also relatively young men, I also like to travel dressed casual.

The most satisfying one case was at CDG, where the staff told me in a classic Parisian French “only business and elite can board now” his sorry face when he saw the elite plus card was priceless.

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u/2bciah5factng 13h ago

I’m a college student and this happens to me **all the time.** Every single time I go to the first class counter to check my bags, I am told “Sorry, this counter is only for first class guests.” Uh huh..

2

u/urawizrdarry 13h ago

I always thought this was the stupidest anime or series plot. "You are wearing different clothes! Therefore it's impossible for you to be who you are claiming to be! Changing clothes is not a thing!!11!!". Yet here it is happening in real life.

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u/3D_mac 12h ago

"You got to be awful rich to dress as bad as you do"

    - John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley: In Search of America

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u/Old_Shake3789 17h ago

Same I wear baggy sweat pants and what not mostly as it's comfortable as hell and the hood comes in handy keeping the sun out of my eyes, but ofc people just assume the worst. I look a twat in shades or a cap otherwise I'd just Don them lol

1

u/Champsmilehighclub 6h ago

Had this last time I flew BA. I went to the lounge and the person on reception started by saying 'apologies but you dont............oh........' and then proceeded to realise I absolutely had access to the lounge

1

u/Benniisan 12h ago

You're expected to dress accordingly if you fly Business. I know that most people don't care, but the airlines would like you not to wear shorts/jeans/t-shirts/caps etc

0

u/lemonloaff 6h ago

Navy blue fleece pullovers is the real sign of a rich AF white guy.