Frequent Non-Flyer

Private Eye had a hilarious entry in its Funny Old World column which tells the tale of an ingenious customer who exploited the rules governing first class air tickets.

Maybe that's what is meant by the old saying that 'Under socialism, everyone will travel first class'.   

FUNNY OLD WORLD

COMPILED BY VICTOR LEWIS-SMITH

"This was a rare act committed by one passenger," a spokesman for Eastern China Airlines told reporters at Xi'an International Airport, "and there was nothing we could officially do stop him. A year ago, the passenger purhcased a first-class fully refundable plane ticket, which entitled him to free meals in the VIP lounge. 

He used the ticket to gain access to the VIP lounge, ate a meal there, thence hanged the date and itinerary of his ticket, which he was entitled to do, without charge.

Recently, one of our staff noticed that the had changed the date on his ticket more than three hundred times, and had been enjoying free meals in the VOP lounge for almost a year, without ever flying anywhere. 

Airline officials decided to investigate, and eventually confronted him about his behaviour, which he readily admitted to. However, he had broken no regulations, and after discussions, he agreed to cancel his fully refundable ticket. He cashed it in shortly before its twelve-month validity expired, and we gave him back his money, on condition that he does not ever buy a first-class ticket from us again."

The Star (Malaysia), 24.1/14. Spotter: David Dallinson