If you live in Manhattan -- mid- and upper eastside, Greenwich Village and Soho -- you can see and interact with the famous almost daily. I lived in the East 50s near Bloomingdale's for many years and saw just about everyone you can name. The thing is, I have a good eye for recognizing and remembering faces. I can't tell you how many times I'd be walking behind a famous person (Kirk Douglas on Fifth Avenue near the Met once about 40 years ago) and no one else noticed.
The one celebrity I saw often -- on the street, in the theater and in restaurants -- that EVERYONE recognized was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
9
Celebs and the rich in economy class...just like my favorite cliche that the devil may be found in every pew...
7
Fame doesn't equal money. First class equals money. Or frequent flier status.
7
Remember the days of printed airplane tickets?
One early morning back in 1980 i woke up (this time in Tampa Fl) from my LPGA caddying job in a semi hungover all night gambling poker playing bong residue state once again as i was late for my flight -
After rushing through the airport and getting to my gate on time (no problem in the pre uber security days) i presented my ticket for row 7 seat A to the stewardess and was promptly sat in the first row of First Class -
i looked at my ticket and noticed that the 7 was not printed clearly and looked like a 1 -
After recovering my bearings and not complaining i noticed the two very large gentleman seated on either side -
Clarity slowly crept in and i recognized them as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird ! Having no inhibitions because of my state of mind i commenced to have a lovely conversation with them all the way to Atlanta - to bad we were not flying non-stop to LA as i could have increased my basketball gambling knowledge quite exponentially !
6
I wonder if it is just coincidence, but as I was scrolling through his Instagram a few weeks ago, something called on me to ask him via the comments section, “What is it like to live the charmed life of rich white male privilege?” Is this in reaction to that, along with product placement in editorial? His Instagram is filled with pictures of a life most us can only dream about - beautiful places and beautiful people. I withdrew the question because I thought further on it and decided I can’t ask him to explain or apologize for the circumstances of his life. Same goes for Armie Hammer, who I’m sure would have made it in Hollywood without his family’s billionaire connections.
I had the pleasure to sit next to Salma Hayek... LA to Mexico City 1997... First class... just having travelled from Sydney to LA with my wife, and 2 sons... baby 18 months and 9 year old sons... my Mexican brother in law also travelled with us... he was absolutely enamored seeing Salma who I was sitting next to and reminded me of her star fame ...However, I slept the entire flight and I am sure she was absolutely delighted not to be “bothered with”...during the flight...
She was very gracious when we all landed at LAX
5
Now Alankrutha Giridhar is famous!
Flew on the same flight with Bob Hope in coach....February, 1981..JFK to LAX...night flight....near empty plane...he went to the rear and laid out on three seats...
1
I've seen John Malkovich, Cindy Crawford, Kathy Ireland, and countless Victoria's Secret models in coach. Only Kathy Ireland was dressed up and looking amazing- and this was only a couple years ago.. she has an amazingly successful business empire on par with Martha Stewart and she was in coach. But the best was waiting in line for the airplane toilet with Bonnie Raitt.. she is unmistakable. Didn't say anything to her but we shared a warm smile as she knew i knew who she was. I'd been a fan for 20 years and seen her in concert 4 times.. and here we were.
4
Anyone that goes ga ga seeing a celebrity is obviously not a New Yorker. I did give Andy Warhol a raspberry once though.
In Fred Seagals in LA years ago my friend was going nuts because rod stewart was there. As he passed by he looked at me like I would be trouble, I just said how ya doing and went on with my shopping.
I felt sorry for him, he was with that wife that dumped him soon thereafter and a bunch of kids. He looked pretty miserable.
4
The real first class is gone. Before AA started that stupid points upgrade system first class was usually at least 50% airline employees. At Braniff a first class seat cost us $50 each way, coach was $25. Same at AA. Most people in first class are using point upgrades.
@Paulie
You remember Braniff? At $50 one way first class?
You must be as old as me!
@Paulie
or they're flying on the corporate dime for biz.
Amateurs. If you're facing a 8 hour flight the seat is meaningless. Take a pill wake up on approach. I was on a Sydney to LA trip recently in a coach seat. I remember about 30 minutes of it.
1
@Paulie- Great! One of mankind's greatest accomplishments and it has become a chore? .... that we have to medicate/sedate for. I can always spot the pros. First thing the do is close the shade. Ain't nothing out there but the world. I'll keep my amateur status.
14
I sat next to sarah michelle gilbert in coach on a trip from los Angeles to nyc. She saw that i recognized her and rolled her eyes like i was going to pester her the whole way. I ignored her her for the whole flight.
I rode on a commercial flight with donald and melania. Melania was so embarrassed to be flying commercial that she hid her face behind a newspaper as the flight was boarding even though they were in first class. Tanning bed man was popping peanuts like they were going out of style.
Nothing i enhoy more than ignoring celebrities.
18
Good strategy by Gilbert, worked like a charm.
4
Spring of 1987 - New York to Madrid in coach sitting next to Antonio Banderas. My then husband and I had no idea who he was (he was Spanish and we lived in Barcelona- duh..). Had a great flight, talked all night, showed pictures of family and gave each other huge hugs at baggage claim in Madrid when it was time to say goodbye. What a warm, friendly, down to earth guy! Antonio, if you by any remote chance read this un abrazaote muy fuerte !
17
Back in the day when I worked for them, there was the celeb who would book coach and expect to be upgraded. Usually worked.
1
I’d like to see one of them fly coach on a 14 hour transpacific flight. Coach from Memphis to Dallas is nothing. This is a boring story.
14
How much did Hopper pay for this article? They didn't add anything except that their app is convenient and famous people use it.
14
@Nick
you don't think this is how journalists get their info, do you?
I sat next to Nancy Pelosi in coach, on a flight from SFO to DCA on Virgin America, back in 2013. I was so thrilled, but didn't say a word to her until we landed and the seat belt sign was turned off. She was busy working for the entire flight, as was I.
20
I learned something very important about myself when I read this...I evidentially need to get out more because I never even heard of this guy.
27
Haha...he is a young, very talented
young man who has been in several
well regarded films and was in a wonderful,
meaningful film this year, Beautiful Boy.
I had a chance to meet him at a screening
of the film in LA and he is the NICEST guy,
an excellent actor with lots of charisma.
10
Is this a news article or product placement for Hopper?
16
Having spent my entire career in contact with both the famous (and some who only thought they were famous) I've found that many of them thoroughly enjoy a chat on subjects other than their specialties. For example, I remember discussing the "fun" of raising teenage daughters with a certain Norman Schwarzkopf.
Or as my mother found out out over coffee in France; the Redfords are keen gardeners!
15
A plane is a plane is a plane. Most "celebs" are just working hacks like the rest of us - except we know who they are. I think the days of the "movie star" have mostly passed. Still, a "star" who is extremely well know won't be flying coach regularly. Not because they aren't "like us" or divas but because they get mobbed by everyone wanting a selfie. So it's private planes mostly, and first class at a public airport in a pinch, because all that attention is really exhausting and draining. Being famous is a double edged sword. Rewarding and draining.
27
Everyone should fly commercial versus private. Private jets create so much unnecessary air pollution. @Random
14
@Ovhnyc
We should cut out flying altogether if you want to reduce air pollution. Commercial flying is so much cheaper now than ever ... there are hundreds of millions flying everywhere both for business and pleasure.
2
wow what a great story, how many resources did the NYTImes assign to a story so meaningless even People passed
13
@think I don't think it was a waste. I loved this story.
26
@think People didn't actually pass on this. They tweeted an article about this a few days ago.
3
@think
I loved it too
5
I was seated a few years ago, on a full flight, when at the last second, a latecomer claimed my seat after the doors had closed, and I was told to exit the plane for him. This quite tall man was rude, ignorant of me, and told me to leave. I had stood up.
I answered him, “I can’t! You’re standing on my foot!” This was a TV personality, known for his haughtiness. Never liked the guy, anyway.
5
@SoCalRN Wow, I had a very similar experience with the late Garrick Utley, the former NBC news anchor. I was seated in an exit row seat before takeoff when he approached me and asked if he could have my seat. Since he was well over six feet tall, I got up and gave him the seat, then asked where he had been sitting so that I could sit in his seat instead. He replied that he did not have a seat, then he closed his eyes and went to sleep. Fortunately, there was an empty seat near the front of the plane that I was able to use. But he completely duped me into giving him my seat.
5
@RDR2009 It's not possible to board any flight without a ticket and, if you have a ticket, you have an assigned seat. So, how did Mr. Utley get aboard the plane at all?
1
@ThomasT: Because he was a celebrity of course! No, he had a ticket but no assigned seat...
1
I've lived in the Far West Village for 35 years, and in the last 15 or so yrs, seeing celebrities has become very common. One night about 10 yrs ago, I was walking my Bloodhound Nash, when I found myself in front of Glenn Close, walking her small dog. I was a little surprised, b/c I had never run into her, and I walked Nash 4 times a day.
I said "Ms. Close, do you live in this neighborhood?"
"Yes; I do."
"Sunset Boulevard; the second performance. I was sitting second row center, and I have never seen anyone inhabit a character the way you did."
"Was it the second preview or the second performance?"
"The second performance."
"Cute dog."
(Whenever I have spoken to a famous person--which is very rare--there is always a telltale flinch before they realize that I'm not some lunatic who's about to annoy them.)
9
A few such celebrity encounters in coach: Across the aisle from me in the 80s was Richard Allen, Reagan's first national security adviser, who had been fired for what now seems like a minor ethics offense. He was a in a foul mood, from a combination of a bad cold and having been frozen out of first class by Sugar Ray Leonard and his entourage.
And, on a later flight, somewhat more sadly, Gary Hart, after his scandalous fall from grade, intently reading and underlining a book on some policy subject, a wonk without a platform.
Perhaps my favorite was two airport encounters with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the first during his playing days, alone -- no entourage -- perusing titles in a Dulles bookstore. And years later, in an LAX restroom. Didn't try to talk to him, though since he is intellectually interesting contemporary of mine, I'd have enjoyed the chance for a conversation. But here's a man who values his privacy and has been fending off eager fans since he was a teenager. Need to respect that.
15
It was never mentioned in this article but as most of us acknowledge, flying is a highly polluting activity, contributing to climate change. And your carbon footprint is bigger if you fly first class rather than coach. So, yeah, if I were a well-informed and conscientious "celebrity" who actually cared about the future of our planet, I might make the decision to fly coach too.
Kudos to anyone attempting to lower their carbon footprint.
12
@Siobhan — and even more kudos to anyone attempting to lower their virtue signaling!
1
@Larry D No, sorry, it's much more important to lower our carbon footprint, even if we come across as smug in doing so. I had the same thought when reading this story, that maybe these celebs are being environmentally conscious.
1
"Celebrities" ain't what they used to be. For example, I would not have recognized this young fellow if my life depended on doing so. I mean he's not exactly Paul McCartney or John Malkovich, is he?
There just aren't nearly as many universally recognized people still walking (or flying) as there used to be back when I was young enough to really care. Today on those rare occasions when I casually encounter someone I admire I may give them a nod and smile. But I never would intrude on their privacy (even when I cared).
10
@Ken Nyt
Ah, but isn't Mr. Chalamet all the rage right now - Oscar nominated for Best Actor and all of that with no fewer than four major movies in production or post production?
7
@IM455: Believe me, when you get to a certain age you can’t name 85% of the people in those glossy magazines like People, anymore. And by certain age I mean 56. And you don’t care either. Aaahhh, for the days of Cary Grant or Ingrid Bergman when a celebrity looked like a celebrity!
10
But, but, your parents would have not known who McCartney or Malkovich was, and wondered what happened to all the Judy Garlands and Tommy Dorseys of the world...
6
In the summer of 1987 I was traveling around Europe on a Eurorail ticket. Going from Bordeaux towards Milan I stopped in several of the cities on the French riviera.
I believe it was in Monaco that I was walking on a side street that was relatively deserted in the midday heat. I passed a shop with a window and in front of it, looking through the window, was an exceptionally good-looking middle-aged woman.
She was barefoot and held her high-heeled shoes in her hand. As I approached her on that deserted street and just as I was about to pass her she looked at me and I recognized Brigitte Bardot.
I do not think I have ever before or after seen such powerful presence in another human being doing such a simple thing as standing in front of a shop window holding her shoes in her hand.
This was the most memorable few seconds of the first half of my life. More than 30 years later I still feel enriched by this briefest of encounters.
18
Why do "celebrities" fly coach?
On reason, as Claire Danes said, is that the only seat left at the last minute may be in coach. And if you *have* to be somewhere, you take the coach seat.
But aren't their other reasons, too? For example, not every actor is rich. And when they're paying out-of-pocket, cost matters.
From the Hollywood Reporter,
"If you're [a big star], you're getting well paid," says one top agent, "but the middle level has been cut out." Sometimes with a hacksaw. Leonardo DiCaprio made $25 million (including bonuses) for The Wolf of Wall Street, while co-star Jonah Hill got paid $60,000.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-salaries-revealed-movie-stars-737321
20
@RollEyes
Well, as much as I like Jonah Hill as an actor, I don't think people went to see The Wolf of Wall Street for him. There is a reason DiCaprio got paid $25 million - he is "the Star".
1
A few years back I was seated on a plane near Al Gore. I had a great urge to turn to him and apologize in the name of all Americans. But then I said - nah, let him read the Times (which he was doing) - he deserves his privacy. He's been through enough. Maybe more celebrities would fly coach if they were left in peace. In the end, it's about getting from point A to point B. Hopefully without losing sensation in your squashed knees along the way
26
@Naomi That is so cool. An apology would have been apropos.
7
@Lisa
I voted for him and I would have told him so. Nowadays, with people feeling like they wasted their vote (because voting for the outsider seems to have backfired) I would not feel at all hesitant to let people know. If I saw Hillary, i would do the same (although I felt like I almost could have sat out 2016). I have an urge to say to those people STILL die-hard Trump supporters: "I could have told you" but some people are too smart for their own good and they think they know better what's good for them.
5
My boss used to periodically ask his secretary to put random employees in coach 'because that's all that was available'.
He told her that was so they would appreciate the big money the company normally paid so they could fly business class.
Or was he missing something there?
4
I don't sit in coach unless I have no other choice.
4
@Mike That's awesome Mike, good for you /sarcasm.
18
@Mike
You could walk. That's a choice.
25
@Gregory B. Naw, I'll sit in first class, thanks.
2
Timothee Chalamet attended La Guardia High School, so he is the product of a fine NYC high school. It suits him to travel in coach. Thanks for not being too good for coach, Timothee Chalamet!
56
Timothée Chalamet, the great actor, happens to be a very nice guy. Not all actors are so nice. If you dare to bother one in a public place, you may not enjoy the response.
25
@MistyBreeze Yeah, and not all nurses are nice and not all paper boys/girls are nice and not all garbage collectors are nice. And we know that not all politicians are nice.
9
Because maybe in general people don’t want to be bothered in public places? I don’t mind if someone asks me for directions on the street or a little chit chat when you’re in a line or other situation of semi-forced casual intimacy, but otherwise everyone should expect to not be bothered.
3
I once sat next to an absolutely total nobody, and she probably thought I was even more nobody than she was, and it was a really delightful flight getting to know each other.
Another time, I had a pug sitting next to me--he was cute (in a Pug sort of way)--I wish we could put pictures into these comments threads--anyhow, we was nice, much nicer than many passengers can be,....I don't know if he was a famous Pug though.
47
I'm not sure I understand the praise for celebs flying coach. If anything, we should be blasting them for NOT using their wealth and status to escape to first class! This is the one situation I can think of where I would never judge a person of means to do everything possible to escape flying with the cattle. I've flown both and believe me, there is nothing better than getting the nod to a first class upgrade!
12
@Thomas Perrino What are you talking about, "blasting" celebrities for sitting in coach? Your second sentence makes no sense at all.
3
In the late 90s, my wife & I were ahead of Juliet Binoche in the taxi queue at Waterloo Station, having arrived on the Eurostar from Paris. Not a big deal.
5
@Stanley Ross
In the 50's I once served Milton Berle and Henny Youngman egg salad sandwiches. Not a big deal.
9
Back in the early 90s, my parents were on a flight from Australia to New Zealand. My mom -- who was never into pop culture -- later told us she sat next to a "very nice man" named Neill, who was a movie actor in some "dinosaur" film.
Both "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano" came out that year and she had no idea who he was. No sign Sam Neill took offense.
24
@Mia Ah, unassuming Kiwis! I was on a flight from Wellington to Auckland once with Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, and their two kids. No nanny, no entourage, no jumping any queues, just four seats in coach.
5
Well, the economy seat does get to the destination at the same time as the first class, costs a whole lot less, and also provides camouflage.
22
You are kidding yourself if you think the journey is the same. First/Business is better.
12
Mariano Rivera was in the same theater as I was watching the movie Avatar. He stayed in his seat long after the movie ended so the theater could empty out. His family left to pull the car up to make for an easy getaway. I happened to be standing at the exit to the theater when he approached to leave. I made eye contact but said nothing, opened the door for him, nodded and gave him a little slap on the back as he walked through
4
That these people are willing to sit on airplanes with "the rest of us" is not good news. It's amazing. I am really impressed. Now I know what Odysseus must have felt like when Hera reached out to him.
13
i was on a flight once and Andy Rooney sat behind me in coach - i dropped my eyeglasses and he picked them up and handed them to me -
I agree with the comment by the person who said most people in Business or first are paid to sit there. when I board and see who is going in to first or business I know for a fact that they didn't pay by the way they act and dress
1
@Andre: I visit my elderly parents once a year and have to cross the country. I have health issues and cannot deal with sitting in economy for various reasons. I am not rich but I have to sit in business class. I dress nicely. I behave nicely. And I smile at and even compliment some of the people who walk past my aisle seat. AND I DO pay for my ticket myself!
8
The way to interact with celebrities is to treat them as you would anyone else - with respect and kindness. My father and my husband are masters of talking to such folks. Pick a topic that you think they might be interested in - if they played Churchill in a play or film, ask them what they thought of a famous biography of Churchill. If you happen to know that they were in an exotic location for a shoot, ask them what they thought of that country. Don’t interrupt them in the middle of a meal. If it’s clear that they’re in a hurry, you can say in passing, “Loved the new movie!”
I had a wonderful interaction with a famous actress, standing in a checkout line at a department store, about the towels on sale. After feeling the towels I was buying, she left the line to get some for herself. I said a line from SNL, “ Like Buttah” and we were laughing. They, too, take showers and like soft towels!
17
Around 17 years ago, my wife and I were on a flight from Orlando to Washington on United Airlines' now-defunct all-coach subsidiary, Ted. While we were waiting to be boarded, Senator McCain walked into the boarding lounge and checked in. I heard the person at the check in desk offer to pre-board the senator and I heard him decline. Consequently, we boarded before the senator because we were Mileage Plus premier members and Senator McCain walked by us when he boarded. My wife started clapping when he passed and the senator nodded to acknowledge the applause without saying anything. However, none of the other passengers showed any sign that they were aware that a United States Senator was sitting in the middle of the airplane, around row 17.
19
So who was sitting in the window seat?
I bet that person was like, Chalamet was so stuck up, he didn't talk to me once during the entire flight, lol.
12
I think the comments here about "Mr." Chalamet are right on par. But the big take-away from this article isn't or maybe shouldn't be about him, but instead about Ms. Giridhar. This young lady had the classiness, for lack of a better word to treat Mr. Chalamet like I'm quite sure he would like to be treated.
63
Tact: I once handled this in a "fun" way. Art Linkletter was waiting to board a plane in LA. For some reason, I was the only one who recognized him. Simply winked at him. He grinned and winked back. End of story!
29
That's awesome, I can't wait to harass one of them for several hours should I be seated next to them.
10
This past summer, I saw a billionaire standing in a long line for a hot dog at the ballpark. This guy could literally have bought the ballpark and all the hot dogs in it should he have chosen to do so. It was rather refreshing to see in a time when so many minor players on life's stage demand attention and white-glove treatment wherever they go.
28
First class, for domestic flights, is really not worthwhile. The upgrade in service and amenities is minuscule compared to the price hike.
31
@Michael I agree. My kids frequently kid me about my $115 snack sized bag of pretzels and slightly more elbow room for knitting (a.k.a a first class upgrade between Charlotte, NC and Des Moines, Iowa.)
4
@Michael
But that seat...
4
@Michael Sorry champ but I upgrade to first class for any flight over 3 hours when I can afford it. I think it is worth every penny, and I don't even drink any of the free alcohol.
15
What a fascinating insight into the fascinating life of these people.
17
I've always said, if Warren Buffett can fly coach...
15
Most of the people you see in first class seats are there because someone else is paying for it. I have flown first class under those circumstances. However, I would never use my own money for a first class seat. I'm sorry, but to pay 5 or 8 times as much makes no sense, even on a transcontinental flight, when all you get for that money is a bit more leg and hip room, free drinks, early boarding and a mediocre meal. I'm sure Mr. Chalamet had better things to spend his own money on.
25
@R.F. My parents are extremely frugal but as they age (they are both 76), they pay for first class on any flight longer than 4 hours. It's just easier for them to have the extra room and service and after a lifetime of penny pinching, they have the money.
60
@R.F. Yes, this in a nutshell. I'm sure most of these celebs take business or even first class flights when travelling on someone else's dime (studio, fashion house, agency).
At least they value their own money enough to not do that with their own money...that's something at least.
1
@R.F. And so yeah, what have the Romans done for use lately?
- More legroom
- More body room
- Much better food
- Free alcohol
- Bathroom for First Class passengers only
- Board first
- Leave plan first
- Only one person in your row
- Better service
- (usually) no babies
15
I'm sure that not-top-name actors will continue to fly coach. But, we will ne'er see Tom Hanks or Meryl Streep in coach. They'd be mobbed.
6
@PFA Who?
3
What I think of when I read this kind of article is about how accepting we have become of certain celebrities and rich people living so completely in a rarified bubble that it becomes big news when one occasionally surfaces and mingles with the commoners. Unfortunately, this often results in acceptance of more serious inequalities in life - like health care, education, and gross wage inequality.
96
Well, these rich and famous personages may fly economy primarily for the sake of convenience, but I still think it says something important about them: they are authentic and pretensions are not a priority for them. I instantly like and respect all the people named here even more.
75
@LGAnd to put up with the lack of leg room!
4
It's always nice to know that a person we ordinary folk know as a "celebrity" can be just plain down-to-earth. Timothée Chalamet is a very talented, young actor. Seems he's also a friendly, unassuming guy to sit next to on a plane. Middle seat, no less!
62
I think he's a really wonderful actor and as a human being he comes across as shy and humble and sweet. More and more I think they should make another film with him playing a young Dylan. He reminds me of him when Dylan was shy and humble and sweet. Dylan is still the greatest and now he's Nobel--he was always Noble. Fly me to the Moon, Timothee!
22