> And in some cases, the airlines have substantial control—Delta One has a separate security line at JFK.

I'm actually surprised more airports don't have VIP level gates that the airlines can pay a premium for allowing them to charge a premium to their passengers. It'd be interesting to see where the price could be that would guarantee enough passengers willing to pay the premium for much reduced airport headaches.

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pbh101 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

There’s probably a classist risk to this (recall the uproar over the residential building in NYC that had separate entrances for different unit classes), let alone the logistics are needed at whole-airport level to support it which is difficult to retrofit.

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dylan604 5 days ago | parent [-]

Just build an entirely different terminal instead of shoeing it into the same building as the terminals for the plebes. Out of sight, out of mind.

The classist risk is already there with the pricing they have for first class seats. By making first class only planes, you can have economy only planes like Spirit. Then nobody would be complaining about first class since nobody would see first class. I see no downsides with this concept!

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pbh101 4 days ago | parent [-]

Ah, I was referring to loading the same plane from different gates, which I’ve been told exists at some airports (boarding from business/first lounge one floor above the standard gate)

	▲	dylan604 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		That's what you would consider classist? How about a lavatory for use only for first class. How about "closing" off the first class part of the plane with a little curtain? None of this suggests to me the airlines are trying to not be classist

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JumpCrisscross 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> I'm actually surprised more airports don't have VIP level gates

They all do. Delta’s is branded VIP services. They’ll meet you at the curb and shuttle you behind security and in a car to your plane.

But at that point, in most cases, fly private.