A friend was flying last week, returning from a holiday, engrossed in a movie using the in-flight entertainment device.

She had pre-ordered and paid for it when she booked online.

Suddenly, the rented iPad was ripped out of her hands by a man dressed in black.

The earpods too—ripped out of her ears.

She looked up just in time to see the culprit as he hurried down the aisle. Not a word was spoken.

Brett was the flight attendant’s name (name tag noted the next time he walked past, having reclaimed all the rented iPads).

It happened Down Under on JetStar: Qantas’ budget airline.

But if you think ignominy is just a budget economy thing, in far away places, think again:

It happens too in First Class… here… on domestic U.S. flights.

And whereas online bargain hunters have come to expect it, it happens to locked-in loyalists (who least expect it).

They may not have devices ripped off them.

But they still get ripped off. Not by a bad-hair-day flight attendant. By the entire corporation.

Sure, it’s not intentional… just a byproduct of the revenue focus.

And that’s even more of an insult to loyal customers who expect the focus to be on, well, loyal customers.

“Locked-in loyalists get fleeced” is the gist of the commentary in this month’s First Class Flyer.

It’s another primer for those members interested in Domestic Upgrade Mastery.