At LAX's new private terminal, the rich are pampered while normal people suffer

Guardian UK ^ | 14 May 2017 | Rory Carroll

[Lorianne]

The guiltiest pleasure at Los Angeles international airport’s (LAX) new private terminal for the mega-rich is not the plush, hushed privacy, or the beds with comforters, or the massages, or the coriander-scented soap, or the Willy Wonka-style array of chocolates and jelly beans, or the Napa Valley cabernet.

It is the iPad that sits on a counter at the entrance, with a typed little note: “Here is a glimpse of what you’re missing over at the main terminal right now.”

The screen shows travellers hauling bags through packed terminals, queuing in long lines, looking harassed and being swallowed into pushing, shoving paparazzi scrums – routine hazards for the 80 million people who pass through LAX each year.

“There they process thousands of people at a time, they’re barking. It’s loud. Here it’s very, very lovely,” said Gavin de Becker, who runs the new terminal, called Private Suite.

He wasn’t wrong. The $22m facility, the first of its kind in the US, opens on Monday, giving the 1% a whole new way to separate themselves from everyone else’s reality.

[Lorianne]

I don't know what they are complaining about. I wouldn't want to pay $7,500, per year plus $2,700 per domestic flight or $3,000 per international flight .. on top of my ticket, which for these people is probably a $3,000 first class ticket. It better be nice for that much money.

[IncPen]

I’m all for free enterprise.

That said, the regulators, TSA, Homeland, local police, FAA, unions, media and assorted meddlers have conspired to make air travel miserable.

I say that until that’s all sorted out there is no ‘upper class’. Make the ‘rich’ ride with the peasants. And watch things improve quickly.

Shame on the airlines for taking this filthy money.

[JennysCool]

Gavin de Becker is famous for running a security firm. Kind of weird he’s shilling for this.

[lee martell]

The ipad showing the poor, tired and numbly bored regular passengers being shepherded through the airport lines should be called something like ‘The Schadenfreude Voyeur’, for you dining pleasure!”.

It would be funny if the receiving monitors in the load up area could see back into the exclusive section, due to some malfunction. A two-way mirror!

[Kickass Conservative]

Let them eat Cake?

[a fool in paradise]

How many congress-critters are using it?

[353FMG]

> Make the ‘rich’ ride with the peasants.<

.
Will you still have the same opinion when you become rich?

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

On the one hand, free enterprise is good and if you can afford better service, good for you. On the other, having screens displaying the travails of “the commoners” for the viewing pleasure of the Herr Elite is gauche to the least, and many of the advantages of this sort are not the result of capitalism, but crony-capitalism. For example, it appears, reading the article, that the beautiful people using this service don’t have to follow the same screening procedures as the rest of us.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Maybe they get Fox News instead of CNN.

[LydiaLong]

> Make the ‘rich’ ride with the peasants.<

.
Will you still have the same opinion when you become rich?
_________________

Some ‘conservatives’ don’t get idea of capitalism.

[Paladin2]

Private aviation is the way to go...

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I would say, in this case "make the rich get screened with the rest of us." The article stays that TSA agents will "pop over from the main terminal" when your flight is ready.

TSA agents are paid for by, among others, me. I don't care for them to "pop over" so Elon Musk or Bernie Sanders can get a nice private screening without rubbing elbows with us filthy commoners. You want to use my TSA agents, Bill Gates? Then come over and get screened with the rest of us.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Make the ‘rich’ ride with the peasants.

That's not the solution. The solution is to make every member of Congress ride with the peasants, in coach. No preferential treatment at the airport or in the plane, no skipping TSA lines - make them all experience exactly what the rest of us must put up with. The surest way of getting results in Congress is to inconvenience a member of Congress.

However, there's no way members of Congress will ever agree to be treated the way they treat the rest of us.

[Allen In Texas Hill Country]

Back in the 70s and 80s LAX still allowed private aviation to use the airport. Private like in Cessnas, Mooneys and the like. Several times I flew down from Santa Barbara to pick up friends and family. Their use to be a General Aviation terminal to park at. Its long gone..... Those were cool days.

[reg45]

They will pay for it with taxpayer money.

[Army Air Corps]

That was part of my motivation for earning a private pilot’s license.

[Mr. Blond]

It makes the gen-pop line 1% shorter.

[Mark]

Okay, who gets the two scoops of ice cream?

[Finalapproach29er]

This is Democrat liberalism. Misery for most but the elite get to be exempt.
On ANIMAL FARM some are more equal than others.

Reminds me of the Communist elite of the old USSR.They weren’t affected by they’re idiotic rules of governance.

[Reno89519]

Federal money? Members of Cress get use?