Why look like a slob while traveling?

interesting article on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/07/travel/fashionable-travel-is-possible/index.html?hpt=hp_bn10

Yep...why bother covering real news when there are awesome scoops to share such as "don't wear white" and "remember your face".

 

WOTAB

 

(waste of time and bandwidth)

Yep...why bother covering real news when there are awesome scoops to share such as "don't wear white" and "remember your face".

 

WOTAB

 

(waste of time and bandwidth)

 

it was in the travel section...

Hard to look ones best when they are layering everything they are going to be wearing for a week's cruise :eek:

 

No but seriously..I wouldn't wear a dress like their suggesting.

Ordinarily I try to look presentable when I go out; event to the grocery store. But geeze, when you have to take off your belt, shoes, empty your pockets to get through airport security, I swear next time it's going to be sweats, a tee shirt and grippey socks and just throw them away at the hotel.

 

Seriously, I usually wear sneakers and jeans just so I don't have pack them. Then I get in the line thinking "damn shoelaces!" :eek:

 

~Bob~

No matter how "slob-ish" I think I'm dressed (it's never really that bad), there are always people far, far, worse. I thought the article was frankly rather pretentious. If you "dress to impress" total strangers, that's an issue in my book. Unfortunately the atmosphere of air travel has changed from a nice restaurant to a camping trip...I dress sensibly for the occasion! :D

From a friend in the airline industry, they recommend dressing well, because if they're going to op-up someone, they'll do it to the well dressed person.

From a friend in the airline industry, they recommend dressing well, because if they're going to op-up someone, they'll do it to the well dressed person.

Really.. Who, where & when do they make that determination :confused:...What if someone comes along after me that's better dressed...will I get bumped back :eek::D

From a friend in the airline industry, they recommend dressing well, because if they're going to op-up someone, they'll do it to the well dressed person.

 

That's oh so true.. It's been that way for years and even today where upgrades are generally only given due to overbooking, it's still true.

 

More often than not it's the gate staff who make the decision. They're advised by load control of the situation and the gate staff choose the lucky one's.

These kind of articles always make me laugh. Glad I wasn't wearing a 'dress' and a 'cute little pair of shoes' when our 1 hour connection became a 3 hour one at JFK and the place was so packed even the pilots were sitting on the floor.:eek:

From a friend in the airline industry, they recommend dressing well, because if they're going to op-up someone, they'll do it to the well dressed person.

 

Sorry but most updates are given out due to status these days, which can be down by a computer without knowing anything about the passengers looks.

Sorry but most updates are given out due to status these days, which can be down by a computer without knowing anything about the passengers looks.

 

In the US yes, as so many of the travelling public are in some kind of airline reward scheme but not in Europe and beyond. I can assure you, most of the time it's still left to the gate agents and a lot of who you know.

In the US yes, as so many of the travelling public are in some kind of airline reward scheme but not in Europe and beyond. I can assure you, most of the time it's still left to the gate agents and a lot of who you know.

 

the one and only time i was upgraded for some arbitrary reason, the gate agent asked me if i was wearing 'hose or socks'. being a smartass, i said 'hose' (i'm a guy). unfortunately, this was only a 45 minute domestic flight.

Hmmmm........the possibility of an upgrade vs. comfort when I have shuffle through a security line and then remove all my metal and my shoes, sit in a cramped seat for several hours, walk miles through airport corridors with my carry on, pull my bags off the carousel and manage them through customs......hmmmmm. I'll choose to dress for comfort and convenience. For most circumstances, airport size, security, and crowds make dressing up (or dressing sharply) rather inconvenient and not very practical.

In the US yes, as so many of the travelling public are in some kind of airline reward scheme but not in Europe and beyond. I can assure you, most of the time it's still left to the gate agents and a lot of who you know.

 

So people who have status on airlines like BA, AF, LH, IB, SK, AZ, etc. etc. are just flat out of luck because random nicely dressed people will get upgraded before them? That kinda stinks. I hope the US system doesn't go that way...

 

Not trying to be snarky, that's a serious question because that's how I read it.

From a friend in the airline industry, they recommend dressing well, because if they're going to op-up someone, they'll do it to the well dressed person.

 

That is 100% not true. Every airline has rules that must be followed that dictate how upgrades are given, if they are at all. Airlines have rules in place about upgrades. The GA must follow them. If they must give out a free upgrade, it doesn't matter how you are dressed, if you are the first paying passenger to be eligible, based on status, etc., you're getting the upgrade, no matter how you are dressed.

 

 

That's oh so true.. It's been that way for years and even today where upgrades are generally only given due to overbooking, it's still true.

 

More often than not it's the gate staff who make the decision. They're advised by load control of the situation and the gate staff choose the lucky one's.

Yes, the GAs do make the decisions in a hurry to get the plane out. But, they don't randomly hand out upgrades because it's someone's birthday or they have on a nice suit. If they must upgrade due to overbooking, it's going to usually be by the rules established by the airline.

 

So people who have status on airlines like BA, AF, LH, IB, SK, AZ, etc. etc. are just flat out of luck because random nicely dressed people will get upgraded before them? That kinda stinks. I hope the US system doesn't go that way...

 

Not trying to be snarky, that's a serious question because that's how I read it.

 

I don't know where these posters are getting their information. Most of these airlines will fly with empty seats in business and first to maintain the integrity of F and business. They only hand out "free" upgrades when they are too overbooked in coach. And those upgrades are given determined by status, etc., not by how you are dressed or who you know. It would be very rare for a nonstatus flyer to receive a free upgrade.

That's oh so true.. It's been that way for years and even today where upgrades are generally only given due to overbooking, it's still true.

 

More often than not it's the gate staff who make the decision. They're advised by load control of the situation and the gate staff choose the lucky one's.

 

Uh, not quite. An "upgrade" is different from an op-up, which is what the poster before you was talking about. "Upgrades" are given all the time on domestic flights that are NOT overbooked. They usually go to the airlines most frequent fliers who have earned elite status. This is an automatic process, in which the computer (not the gate agent) creates an upgrade list based on status levels (and some other factors used to break ties, but no point getting into that here).

 

An "op-up" is an operational upgrade that is given on international flights that are indeed overbooked in coach. The gate agent may have SOME discretion, but the computer should indicate who is first in line if an op-up is necessary.

The reality is the world has changed.

 

For most of my career I flew in first class for business and most men and women were in suits. Now most business people look like tourists.

 

Keith

The reality is the world has changed.

 

For most of my career I flew in first class for business and most men and women were in suits. Now most business people look like tourists.

 

Keith

 

In my case, when I travel for business, I rarely travel on the same day I have to work because of the nature of what I do and the times I have to work - for example, Monday at 8am until Friday at 5pm. In that case, I usually have to travel Sunday to Saturday, and I'm dressed in nothing more than shorts/jeans and a t-shirt. But, because of my status, I am in first class 9/10 times on domestic flights. So that's me looking like a slob in the corner ;)

Ordinarily I try to look presentable when I go out; event to the grocery store. But geeze, when you have to take off your belt, shoes, empty your pockets to get through airport security, I swear next time it's going to be sweats, a tee shirt and grippey socks and just throw them away at the hotel.

 

Seriously, I usually wear sneakers and jeans just so I don't have pack them. Then I get in the line thinking "damn shoelaces!" :eek:

 

~Bob~

 

I have lace-less sneakers ;)

The reality is the world has changed.

 

For most of my career I flew in first class for business and most men and women were in suits. Now most business people look like tourists.

 

Keith

 

Heck, most business people look like tourists at their place of employment these days, and that includes in the executive wing. I'll see more suits on men when I walk through the mall and look in the stores than I do at a corporate office anymore LOL. The CEO at my company ($2B annually, and 13,000 employees) wears an open collar dress shirt on a day to day basis while in the office.

Heck, most business people look like tourists at their place of employment these days, and that includes in the executive wing. I'll see more suits on men when I walk through the mall and look in the stores than I do at a corporate office anymore LOL. The CEO at my company ($2B annually, and 13,000 employees) wears an open collar dress shirt on a day to day basis while in the office.

 

Isn't that the truth. Most days I wear business attire but on Fridays we all wear jeans as long as we are contributors to a charity. Admittedly there are jeans and there are jeans but we all know the difference. Nothing shabby to be seen here. ;)

Isn't that the truth. Most days I wear business attire but on Fridays we all wear jeans as long as we are contributors to a charity. Admittedly there are jeans and there are jeans but we all know the difference. Nothing shabby to be seen here. ;)

 

I dress nicer than I have to. We almost never get any customers coming by our office - maybe a couple times a year, and we always have a heads up, so technically I could get away with wearing jeans just about every day...but I don't.

So people who have status on airlines like BA, AF, LH, IB, SK, AZ, etc. etc. are just flat out of luck because random nicely dressed people will get upgraded before them? That kinda stinks. I hope the US system doesn't go that way...

 

Not trying to be snarky, that's a serious question because that's how I read it.

 

Yes, in theory people with FF status get preference but how would you know that another person who was upgraded didn't have that status..?? The fact is you wouldn't know. Also, when there are no more FF pax left in economy, then it cames back to the smartly dressed thing again.

 

I don't know where these posters are getting their information. Most of these airlines will fly with empty seats in business and first to maintain the integrity of F and business. They only hand out "free" upgrades when they are too overbooked in coach. And those upgrades are given determined by status, etc., not by how you are dressed or who you know. It would be very rare for a nonstatus flyer to receive a free upgrade.

 

I'm not talking about free upgrades, I'm talking about upgrades when flights are overbooked (op-up's) so upgrades are made from economy etc. Those are still free though.

 

As for you not knowing where "these Posters get their information from", the clue is in my user ID.

Yes, in theory people with FF status get preference but how would you know that another person who was upgraded didn't have that status..?? The fact is you wouldn't know. Also, when there are no more FF pax left in economy, then it cames back to the smartly dressed thing again.

Then fare basis algorithms come into play. Full or almost full coach tickets get the move up front. At least that is the case with the USA majors. Their computer systems have a prioritized listing of the upgrade and op-up passengers and woe be an agent that violates that list. I can personally attest that DL has a policy where an agent risks suspension or firing if they don't follow procedure. The computer tracks the upgrades and compares. All to make sure that it isn't just a matter of "well-dressed" or "honeymoon".

 

Now, the one time when this might vary is if the passenger to be upgraded isn't in the boarding area and they can't confirm moving him. Or when there is some very irregular operation where dispatching the aircraft takes a higher priority over everything. But that would be less than one time in ten thousand flights to my SWAG eyes.

 

As for you not knowing where "these Posters get their information from", the clue is in my user ID.

And the international carriers at LHR may do it a bit differently, but I tend to doubt it....at least for the majors. I know that a number of them zealously protect the revenue premium from their business and first cabins and upgrade/op-up as a very last resort.

 

And, of course, you never want to say "never", so this could happen. I could also hit the lottery for $100 million, but I'm not counting on it. Or changing my attire to fit.