anat0l
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- Dec 30, 2006
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Have to echo some of the others here; I absolutely despise being called "Sir". Even "Mr" makes me cringe... I find most titles archaic and overly-formal, and I detest in equal measure the OTT treatment you sometimes get from certain Asian & ME carriers.
My natural instinct is to not use a title when referring to others except in a formal setting or if the situation demanded it, and I would expect the same treatment in return. Maybe I'm too egalitarian, but fawning and OTT formality are the last things I want in my life, especially when I'm travelling.
That is a very interesting thought. One thing that is often picked up - on AFF, FT, MP or most other flying forums - when describing the service of carriers (particularly the Asian ones, since their service standards are often upheld in the highest esteem globally) is when one is being addressed by name all the time, especially in premium classes. In this respect, they are always alluding to their name being stated as Mr or Ms or Dr <surname>, and so on.
Especially if you were in First Class on one of the best Asian carriers, sometimes you could find yourself being called Mr <surname> (or other salutation as appropriate) more times than you could count on both hands and feet. But, people embrace it like a bottle of fine Champagne. For me, I don't care much, as it is just the way to address someone else in that context (or culture) when the relationship is a priori unfamiliar.