If I Ruled the World

So there I was, two days ago, at the airport standing in a queue waiting to check in for a flight to go to my house in Northern Ireland. And what a queue it was! This particular airline had about 15 check-in desks – flights to European and UK destinations – the length of the Concourse. But it was ‘rush hour’ and there was no way to work a way through the crowds.

I queued for 30 minutes at the check-in desk marked ‘All UK Flights’.

Eventually I got to the front. Here is the conversation that ensued.

“Good morning, sir�
“Good morning�
“Where are you flying to today, sir?�
“Belfast�
“Ah, you are in the wrong queue. This queue is for UK flights only.�
“Er…Belfast is in the UK. It’s in Northern Ireland�
“Yes, sir, I know�
“So, this is the queue for ‘All UK Flights’. Belfast is in the UK.�
“Well, it’s not in the UK for the purposes of our company, sir.�
“Pardon?�

“Belfast is not in the UK as far as we are concerned, sir�
“What?�
“That’s right, sir. You will need to join the queue at Check-in Desk 44�
“OK, let me get this straight. Your company has chosen to re-write the political and geographic map of the United Kingdom so that it can get its queue system sorted?�
“I’m sorry, sir. It’s the rules.�

I won’t bore you with the rest of the conversation. Needless to say, I was pretty confident of my stance, since I had done my PhD in 17th-century British history; I searched my memory but was fairly sure that, at no time in British history, was a clause drawn up stating that businesses could unilaterally decide to ignore one nation state for administrative tidiness and staffing situations. The UK is the UK. I stood my ground and, somewhat forcefully, made my point with the weight of history behind me.

Recognising that the CEO would probably have to call a national Referendum to re-inforce his position (and no one in Europe wants to follow that course of action right now!), the airline capitulated and I was allowed to check-in at that desk.

But I thought it was an interesting stance to take. A company feels that, quite literally, the world should change its way of being to accommodate its business practices. Most companies, in the 21st-century are waking up to the fact that it is they, not the rest of the world, who need to be flexible to survive.

I hope that this particular airline learns this before July. Why? Because I will be there, in the ‘All UK Flights’ queue once more – but this time to make a political point, standing in solidarity with my Northern Irish comrades! I’ll let you know how I get on…

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