When VIP Baggage Meets Reality: A Tale of Airport Check-In Drama Every time a prominent political figure or self-proclaimed VIP makes headlines for trying to bend aviation rules and throwing tantrums at boarding gates, frequent flyers and airline veterans let out a collective, knowing sigh. Recent news of ruling party figures trying their strong-arm tactics to board flights, only to be grounded by rigid airline protocols, reminded many of us that entitlement at 30,000 feet is an evergreen genre. The flight departed on schedule, and the internet naturally flooded with war stories from aviation staff who survived their encounters with these VIPs. Hearing those tales brought back memories of my own tenure working for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at the Colombo International Airport, Katunayake, Sri Lanka . Let me take you back to a classic day at the check-in counter. The Excess Baggage Showdown It all started when a Pakistani pas...