I left out one detail of my review of the Chelsea First Class Lounge at New York JFK: apparently it also is a makeshift gym for restless passengers like the lout who decided to do a full body workout on the floor in the center of the lounge.
Travel Etiquette 101: Do No Perform A Full Body Workout In First Class Lounge
Shortly after my arrival at around 9:30 am, I heard grunting. Puzzled, I turned and saw a man on the floor. Was he okay? Yep, it was just GI Joe (wearing camouflage pants) apparently doing a workout on the floor.
Seriously?
Admittedly, I was somewhat amused. You had a bunch of passengers including Governor Cuomo all seated around him and he simply did not care: first it was pushups, then squats, then sit-ups, then stretching.
I mean, these are all good things. They’re also quite helpful before stepping onto a longhaul flight. But right in the middle of a first class lounge? And making noise?
That’s just rude. He could have at least stepped into the relaxation room in the rear of the lounge, which was empty. But some people just have no shame.
He eventually stopped, put on his backpack, and left the lounge. Nothing was said to him by lounge staff and I certainly did not feel it was my responsibility to correct him. It wasn’t my lounge or my house…
I know someone else like GI Joe. He cannot stop moving. It’s nonstop motion…he has to be doing physical activity or else he goes stir crazy. I pity him and pity GI Joe here.
CONCLUSION
Sorry, but it’s simply rude to do calisthenics in the middle of an airport first class lounge. I do admire the man for wanting to stay healthy, but a shared space is not the place for a workout. He could have at least gone into the relaxation room, but probably should have gone to a vacant gate area if he really could not resist working out prior to his flight.
lout!
lololol
He stays forcing us to use Google
also sometimes I use lookup in ios (never on macos)
And once again the United staff said and did nothing… so much for a quiet and pleasant experience for everyone else. Airlines need to decide if the lounges are a “multi-purpose experience” depending on each guest’s individual wants or a common space shared by many with a minimum standard of decorum and behavior which should not include louts, rambunctious kids and overbearing “outside voice” business calls where the whole lounge gets to enjoy your conversation. Pick one, let passengers know so they can make a conscious decision to go in or not.
This was an American Airlines – British Airways lounge.
I fail to see a real issue here, especially considering the lounge doesn’t look that busy. Then again I’m not a Karen
There actually were people around him that I carefully excluded from the photo. I don’t have a huge problem myself, but it still strikes me as very tacky.
Tacky is surreptitiously taking picketers of someone and then labeling them a “lout”. If you had an issue you should have said something instead of acting like a bitchy teenager. If it bothered you, ask him to stop or ask the staff to ask him. Otherwise shut up
It’s spelled pictures, dear.
I love how the author condescends this commenter about his typo while the original article has plenty itself. Here’s a few:
> He eventually stopped, put on his backup, and left the lounge.
I’m guessing you meant to say “backpack” here?
> probably should have gone to a vacant gate area if he really could not resit working out prior to his flight.
It’s spelled “resist”, dear.
Thanks darling!
There was nobody else’s around me the lounge was empty…. Only a lout taking photos in the first class lounge and a few others dining. No need to lie u cropped nobody. Now that’s tacky….
Ole Señor Tacky.
Make sure not to leave your rice and popcorn on the floor
Brilliant!
Sure Jan.
True it’s not inherently bad and A for effort but not something you expect in the middle of a premium luxury lounge either. It’s outside norms, I guess :/
I wonder if when in the Turkish lounges he substitutes Turkish Get Ups.
I wouldn’t have done that, but the presence of a politician would have no bearing on how I would behave in a public space. The fact that they believe they are more important than me doesn’t mean they actually are.
As for gyms… Seems like a real missed opportunity in so many lounges. Between the 3 new lounges in JFK, AA has plenty of space to stick a Peloton and some yoga mats. The more time I spend working out/showering before my flight is less time I’m drinking champagne. Everybody wins. I wish airlines would consider adding small fitness areas. It’s an amenity that would be appreciated by many.
Etihad has one in their first class lounge at AUH.
I was pretty happy it was available
The old BA T4 Arrivals Lounge used to have a gym. I only ever saw it being used once and it was eventually closed. That’s about 1999-2001 ish.
perhaps people were still in their Snackwell’s and fad diet stupor then, I think the gyms would be busier now. Maybe it’s just me.
Did you ask him which way to the gym?
I miss the old cardio machines in the old A Terminal Admirals Club. I thought this was such an awesome concept!
Right. There is still the Etihad First Class Lounge as well that has a fitness center!
To me this seems no less abusive of a lounge than you camping out in one all day eating multiple meals, etc. You are free to go get a day room, etc. instead of treating a lounge like your work office/breakfast,lunch, dinner buffet for an entire day.
By travelling you will see all sorts of things; breastfeeding women, screaming kids, or praying Muslims. This is just one of the people’s behaviours you might need to put up with. Hopefully, it’s not someone drunk or aggressive at 37,000 feet!
Not the praying Muslims lol
Well, by now it should be obvious that money and class / manners weren’t meant for each other , ha!
Wow, lying on the floor in an airport lounge. The only clothing of mine that I would want to touch the floor in a public place such as an airport/airport lounge is the bottom of my shoes. Guess we know he’s not a germaphobe.
Not sure the relevance of a former gov being there. I wouldn’t change any behavior in the presence of a politician and certainly not a misogynistic one like cuomo.
Just a personal bias. He should not have resigned if he truly did not do it, as he still maintains.
X2!
So are you suggesting his behavior would been less loutish had there not been a politician there?
I was speaking about Cuomo.
Lout? Sometimes you are so kind. The term brings to mind alternatives like oaf, knave, or varlet. Personally I’d simply go with effing douchebag even though that reflects poorly on me.
It’s a little harsh. Some people identify as plants and some use the galley in-flight to exercise. As we continue to live in the wild, anything goes these days. I agree that lounges should find the space for (huge) exercise rooms, but it would be $495 to get in. I think the popularity may surprise people.
I would imagine that you have been called that enough times that calling someone else that name is just a reflex at this point
You’re obviously the voice of experience here on being called such things but given that that’s terminology I almost never use, this being an apparent exception, this guy is deserving of the description. Interesting that you enjoy his behavior.
Nothing is wrong with doing some workout if everything is safe around that person. I always support people doing workout when they can especially sitting on airplane for too long.
He just might have stepped off a very long flight in economy. I bet he was looking for attention.
This seems like someone who is trying to win a P90x battle with a friend or something. I sincerely hope it wasn’t for attention.
Did disgraced/former gov Cuomo harass any women in the lounge while this was going on??
They brothers did have a fall from grace. Chris faking the COVID restriction video coming out from his basement was pretty ridiculous. And obviously I don’t care to see Andrew’s nipple ring(s) again. But none of us are perfect. Let’s leave it at that.
..meaning, additionally, I’ll spare everyone on the politics
These lounges used to be a refuge from the cut and grind of the terminal area.
Now, they might as well be gyms or controlled playground areas for noisy kids.
I’ve seen better behaved folks in the terminal area.
I hope I live long enough to see super trains between large cities like in the north east when I lived in New York State or all across Europe. Folks are civil, Amtrak had “quiet cars”, the trains ran pretty much on time, and there was a cafe car for a light snack.
Today, air travel has turned into such a fiasco…..I now dread going to the airport to start a journey.
Gotta send positive energy out before your trip. Pray for your pilots and crew and for everyone you meet along the way 🙂
As far as fiascos though, you should see some of the transit terminals in the south. That’s another story.
Based on your comment, I am guessing you are the only one that hopes you live that long.
Very snide Jack….you are now in the same league as your crass exercise buddy in the lounge.
You two need to compare notes.
“Not Aaron” has more class than you!!
I hear he’s great at parties though.
On the Melbourne to London flight via Perth ( Western Australia), Qantas organises a stretch and relax session in the business class lounge during the one hour refueling break. This session is conducted by a physical education trained professional in a separate room and is available at no cost for arriving and departing passengers. Innovative and a great break after arriving from London after 16 hours.
You had a bunch of passengers including Governor Cuomo all seated around him and he simply did not care:
“You meant Former Governor Cuomo?”
Unfortunately, yes.
Meh, who cares? No one is there. Saying there were a “bunch” does not make it so as the pics clearly show very very few people around – no one at the bar except in the last pic with maybe a bartender and one customer. No one near, no one in the set of seats in the back left, no one to the left in the bigger view. More power to that guy. If it’s any sort of issue (which is clearly is to Matt for even reporting….I mean…pulling a National Inquirer blog about it), report him to the proper authorities instead of whining.
I don’t see an issue with what he did. You should stop being that sensitive to others in public. He didn’t harm anyone, you also were amused by it. So get that stick out of your **s and have fun instead of looking what others do.
Dude, relax. It’s all about the clicks.
Maybe I’m old fashioned (but not old), but this really seems quite reprehensible and outrageous. I don’t fault the passenger at all, rather I fault the staff for their apathy.
Personally, I would have filmed it and demanded compensation from the airline (only after politely asking the staff to intervene, to no avail). Sure, there’s bound to be noise, kids, etc. in a lounge, but I think the minimum expectation of any reasonable person is that people will not be using it as a gym and getting noisy/sweaty/smelly.
I will cop to having done that in the United airlines first class lounge in SFO some twenty years ago. Having said that, I was the only person in the lounge
Why all the hate against Matthew Klint…?
I absolutely agree with him. You are not supposed to be on the floor of a first-class lounge. But then again, as a former flight attendant of 30 years, I know that good manners and stylish behaviour are slowly but surely disappearing.
Thanks Biba!
The funny thing is, he’s still fat.