From an article "How to Feel Like You're in First Class"

From an article "How to Feel Like You're in First Class"

From today's smh.com.au - this has to be one of the funniest 'tips' I've ever seen!

6. Befriend an air traffic controller

As the saying goes, it's not what you know – it's who. If you have any contacts in the airline industry or at your departure airport, use them. You never know what influence they might have. Air traffic controllers are particularly handy: if they're working when you depart they could move your flight to the front of the take-off queue, sweet talk your flight captain into sending you a bottle of Champagne, or even wangle an upgrade on your behalf.

I used to be an air traffic controller, this is the biggest crock I have ever heard, early departure from queue or an upgrade or champagne - no chance. You may get some track shortening if lucky. You would have to be having a pretty quiet day to be able to waste time taking care of this sort of stuff. I swear half these travel articles nowadays you would wonder if these people even travel!

You mean to tell me that a friendly air traffic controller won't bump my plane to the front of the queue, or hold its departure until the captain has a bottle of Moet sent to my seat? I want my money back!

They may well make an exception for you David, I'm sure!

From what I have heard of the stresses of traffic controlling, I suspect it is they who need the pampering !!

Exactly, there is a reason their retirement age is 7 years before everyone else (58) it takes 7 years off your life haha. Just kidding had a ball, it has its moments but as does every job.

It's a well known fact that ATC's have no real friends; just savvy, exploitative economy travellers.

I myself befriended an air traffic controller for this exact reason, and consequently we always leave hours ahead of the scheduled departure time.

(Despite not being real friends, I do still send him a thank-you photo of my champagne as we taxi off the apron).

While we're on the subject of air traffic controllers, when I was flying from Dunedin to Christchurch on a B737 a few months ago on the 6am flight, the plane couldn't take off because the air traffic controller had slept in!  The captain made an announcement that airport staff had to go to his house and wake him up.  Take-off was delayed by half an hour but all passengers saw the funny side of it LOL.

Haha gold, the perils of only one tower controller!!

I think you would have to take it to the next level and sleep with the controller to get any results.

I think someone should run a quantitative study into this. Maybe Ausbt could sponsor it .....

Might be a PhD in it.