HAPPY TALK: Sir Rocco and the airlines

Sir Rocco Forte, hotelier, was the guest speaker at the Foreign Airlines Association lunch last week at the Dorchester.

He was in a combative mood and told the story of some guests at a 5-star hotel near an airport who were asked to queue in the terminal with patrons of a nearby budget operation, all of them boarding a courtesy bus and standing for the short journey before being dropped off at the 2-star property and then shown across the way to the luxury accommodation.

Of course it never happens.

“If you are paying for First Class you expect first class treatment from the minute you arrive at the airport until you finally arrive at the other end,” he said, or words to that effect.

The message seemed to get through.  Whilst some airlines treat their premium customers extremely well from check-in to “fast track” security, others believe that if they have an award winning cabin that is good enough.  Sir Rocco clearly thinks otherwise.

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