Maisie Williams – also known as Arya Stark on Game of Thrones – is all of 17 years old. She’s adorable and talented and she’s very, very active on social media. She often watches GoT episodes when everybody else does and reacts online, on Twitter or Instagram or Vine. I think her social media activity has probably helped to elevate Arya as one of the fan-favorites (plus, people just love that character). For the most part, Maisie’s social media stuff is innocent, funny and sweet, the portrait of a young working actress who is trying to be normal in a mad world. But over the weekend, Maisie went Full Alec Baldwin on Twitter when she bitched out British Airways for not letting her in the Business Class lounge. #RichPeopleProblems? Here’s a summary of what she tweeted (I’m not going to embed all of these tweets):
MW: Denied from the business lounge once again for being under 18 and without an adult.. @British_Airways sort your sh-t out.
MW: I’m not saying I deserve special treatment..
MW: Just saying if 16-18 yr olds are grown up enough to travel 5,400 miles around the world..
MW: I’m sure we can handle sitting quietly in the damn lounge..
British Airways replies: Hi Maisie. We’re sorry if you were disappointed, lounge guests must be 18 or older. We look forward to welcoming you soon.
MW: Yes.. @British_Airways fully understand that, my question is why? Why can we travel alone but not use the lounge? It makes no sense.
You know what? This doesn’t even qualify as a Twitter rant. She did not go “Full Baldwin.” Think about that – a 17-year-old actress has more self-control and patience than Alec Baldwin. She tweeted directly to the British Airways account and vented her frustrations and she didn’t go on and on about it for days. To me, this is just a disgruntled traveler lodging a completely legitimate complaint.
Photos courtesy of Maisie’s IG & WENN.
Arya has a nose ring?
Her……….eyebrows………..
Girl, chill. Not everyone has line thin eyebrows or wants them.
Plus think about the character she plays. Think Arya cares about the eyebrows??
But I am chill lol. It just caught me off guard.
I think they are great brows, but she way over-filled them in the top picture. Its a little too dark and heavy handed.
Really? I think Her Eyebrows are AWESOMESAUCE ( but then I also dont have thin ones and freak out if I overgroom?
I’m all for a lush set of eyebrows. Brooke Shields, Lily Collins, etc. (I wish mine were thicker)
But hers need to be shaped up a bit more and the brow shading it appears she has drawn in is unnecessary when you have full brows.
Her eyebrows are normal. She just hasn’t plucked them into oblivion like many, many people do…we don’t realize how much eyebrows DON’T GROW BACK.
I think she looks great.
Apparently it’s because there’s a bar in the lounge. Strikes me as a reasonable restriction.
I was going to ask if there’s a bar in the lounge. So yes, in that case, completely reasonable. Sorry, Arya. I love you, but it is what it is.
I don’t know who she is, as I’ve never seen Game of Thrones. Was it in Britain? If so, I’m certain they have the same restrictions as here in Australia. It is more than simply ” policy” – it’s the law. If you are under 18, you may only enter such licensed premises when accompanied by a responsible adult, but are still forbidden from consuming alcohol, since the legal drinking age is 18. British Airlines, as far as I can tell, were simply obeying the law.
I’d imagine someone explained that to her at the lounge itself, or if not, they should have.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable at all, if that’s the case.
It sounds like this has happened to her a few times – if so, she needs to simply accept their policy or feel free to fly with another airline.
but do they have other lounges for minors to hang out? if not, i can understand her issue. if i pay for first class, i expect to enjoy first class amenities. not that i could really afford first class.
I was just going to say-if she paid for a first class ticket, she should be able to do whatever anyone else can do. Card at the bar then, but if she is paying to not have to commune with the commoners, she should be able to lounge.
Kellie, I’m a long time member of BA and I once got upgraded to business class and the Thing is the open bar is not supervised as in there are no servers. It’s sort of a ‘go help yourself to a glass of vodka and coke’. So completely reasonable to me why they wouldn’t admit under 18 years old if it’s the law. Maybe other lounges are different I dunno.
That’s kind of a bad plan-free unattended booze???
I was in the AA lounge at Chicago, and it was like a proper bar, with a bartender etc.
I think the issue is the loose booze, lol!!!
We don’t have any other lounges for minors I’m afraid, so we cannot accept anyone under 18 unsupervised by an adult in the ones we have. I can understand her frustration though but there is a part in both First and Business lounges where you can have whine, beers etc and you grab them without any bar attendant. Same goes for food. The lounges are HUGE so it is very difficult to keep an eye on every one.
Really i didnt know that rule exists, I am pretty sure i used to go into Emirates Business lounge at that age and happily helped myself to the open bar.
I used to go into business lounges too. Maybe she was able to get in business lounge in different planes that’s why she is mad.
why book it though when you know they have an over 18 policy? you’ve been turned away once and so you go back for more? a lot of lounges have an over 18 policy. book a different airline? she comes across as a brat. Shame, I liked her character, at least.
Probably she gets the flights booked from assistants or from the studio she works for.
She comes across as a brat. And I dislike Arya, Sansa is a much better character.
That’s not a rant. I would’ve been pissed too.
eh, just normal teenager complaining
It’s not a rant but a 17 year old shouldn’t be in the lounge due to alcohol being served, which is the response they gave to her asking why. BA told her that alcohol is served & the bar tenders do not stand watch over their costumers.
hmmm — “MW: I’m not saying I deserve special treatment..”
Sounds like she is saying that.
Exactly. Break the rules for Maisie, than you have to break them for the Justin Biebers as well. Slow down, Arya, you will be legal soon enough!! LOL
Pretty sure she was saying all 16/17 year olds should be allowed in the business lounge, not just her.
But if you pay for the first class/business lounge ticket, shouldn’t you have all the amenities available to you? I understand their rule, but I can also understand her frustration.
I think it’s a legit question. If they let you travel alone, and let you buy a business class ticket, they could let you into a lounge.
If the issue is the bar, just have the bartender card. I know I’ve seen first-class or business lounges for other airlines that let teens in.
There’s no bartender/attendant, though.
Having been into the BA lounge as a guest of colleague who had a silver card, I can tell you there are no bar tenders – just bottles from which to serve yourself.
Eh whatever. The rules are the rules. Shea never flown with them before? She didn’t know this? What was she forced to sit with the plebeian travelers? If she was getting mobbed by fans that’s one thing, but it sounds like she just really wants to be an adult and didn’t like being told no.
“To me, this is just a disgruntled traveler lodging a completely legitimate complaint. ”
Except it’s not legitimate. They have a very good reason for their policy: BA lounges are stocked with unattended bars. I think, actually, most airline lounges have booze but no bartenders/staff making sure minors stay out of the stash, which is why minors are not allowed unaccompanied into airline lounges. It’s a very reasonable rule, one she’s obviously encountered before because she used the word “again”, and she should be expected to respect it like every other unaccompanied minor. Maisie darling, you’re just going to have to wait till you’re 18 like the rest of us. It is ILLEGAL for you to be in there.
Also, a legit complaint would not read “sort your shit out.” Rude little beast.
DEAD!!!!! @ Rude little beast.
@Pregs – very true. I am sure Maisy is a nice girl and won’t write her off Judy yet but she needs to have several seats.
Maybe she doesn’t know about the unattended bar. I certainly didn’t until your excellent explanation, just thought it was a place to relax and use your laptop to get work done. She’s asking a legitimate question as a customer, BA should have professionally explained the reason for their policy just like you just did. I always wanted to hang out in those lounges.
She’s apparently been turned away before and BA personnel has explained to her, more than once, why she (or anyone her age) wasn’t allowed unattended into the lounge: because she’s 17 and it’s an unattended open bar. The airline’s policy is to not allow anyone who is under the age of 18 and unattended into the business class lounge. No exceptions apparently.
It seems like she just didn’t like the reasons she was given or that the policy should apply to her so she took to twitter to complain about it. Not full blown Baldwin by any means but very entitled bratty teenager of her IMO.
That is mild compared to the sense of entitlement I had and the embarrassing things I complained about at 17.
Oh, Arya. It was a legit rant albeit bratty.
It seems like BA (actually, all airlines) should have an alcohol-free lounge available for young travelers and for people with an aversion to alcohol and people drinking alcohol. The lounges are for first class / frequent travelers, correct? So $$$$ is not a problem. Seems like they could make a separate area without an unattended open bar to accommodate these travelers.
The rest of us are stuck hanging out in chairs or going into over-priced restaurants and bars in the airport, no matter what your age.
You really think there are enough “young travelers” who fly around the word by themselves in business/first class that they should make a separate lounge? Hahah no.
I’m sure if this was something that occurred frequently, they would. But realistically, how many minors travel alone on a business class ticket? As for the people with an aversion to others drinking in their presence … why would BA need to accomodate them? Restaurants don’t. I think we’re talking about a very small percentage of travelers here.
I would love to have somewhere to not have to be subjected to drunk businessmen.
That would be something I would GLADLY pay for at the airport!!
I’ve never encountered that but I guess everybody has their travel issues.
Nothing wrong with what she said, she seems like a really well-adjusted teen. Hopefully success won’t go to her head.
It wasn’t what she said that bothered me as much as the method she used. However, that is not really her fault. I am noticing more and more that the standard method of communicating with companies is becoming Twitter and Facebook instead of a phone call or letter. Instead of being the last resort, going public is becoming the first resort and I don’t care for that. She was not outlandish given she’s 17. But I wish she had called them instead of going public about a fairly trivial complaint.
The reason everyone is going on Twitter etc is because it’s almost an instant response and it’s public which can expose and harm the companies rep if they don’t respond. Trying to phone them or even email them just means you get a canned response with no action. Just Google airline customer service and see how many frustrated passengers there are,lol.
Complaining on Twitter or Facebook is the only way you can get most companies to actually respond these days. Write an email and at most you’ll just get a form letter back that barely relates to your complaint.
I love her. Love her character on GOT and love her name, Maisie.
I do not consider that a rant. I consider it a teenager complaining about being excluded from a flight lounge and simply voicing her opinion. Did she curse? Did she insult the intelligence of anyone? Did she make threats? Did she scream at people? All she did was Tweet, like most teenagers do.
Because there’s a bar, Maisie. Get over it.
I agree. Even if there wasn’t a bar, and it was just an arbitrary rule, it’s their airline and their lounge, so shut up and go sit in one of the four million waiting areas like everybody else. This is not a tragedy or a dire injustice. Get over it.
British Airlines lost my luggage and were absolutely terrible at helping me so yeah, i won’t fault her for this, hahaha.
Is she widely considered adorable?
I came here not wanting to read anything bad about her, so I’m relieved. She’s an independent, mature working adult who feels frustrated at being treated like a child. I sort of relate. I was by circumstance a very independent teen, but I looked very young (and was not wealthy) so I was often frustrated by running up against what felt like arbitrary age restrictions.
When I was 14, I was outraged because my class wasn’t allowed to go to a school party for 15 year olds and older. Some friends of mine and I demanded to talk to the headmaster about it, and he said, “no. You’re too young. Go away” or something more articulate, but the same message. And you know what? He was right. You might not think you’re a child at 17, but you are, at least in the eyes of the law. Too bad. Get over it.
P.S. I like her, but she’s wrong.
No disrespect but in your example you didn’t indicate that the 14 year olds were more mature/independent than typical 14 year olds, whereas Maisie very much is more of an adult than a typical 17 year old. BA can’t change their policy for her, but I understand her frustration.
Yes, I see your point. Mine is just that she may believe, as I did, that she is the exception to the rule, but it doesn’t make any difference. It’s still the rule. And part of being mature is accepting that. I’m not expressing myself very well.
We mostly agree. I’m just being very generous with her because I want to like her. She does such a great job with Arya that I can’t imagine her not learning something about self-reliance from the character. I know it’s dangerous to judge actors by the parts they play, but surely I can get away with it just this once.
I think she has done a fabulous job in GOT, and I’m sure she’s a nice person.
Ahhh Youth – back when we knew everything – except of course that we have to be 18 or older to gain legal entry into a bar or lounge in the US – regardless of how many miles we flew alone to get there
If they’ve got an unattended bar, then that’s the reason–did they tell her that? But this hardly qualifies as a rant, and, frankly, drinking ages are variable by country and arbitrary wherever you are.
I’m sorry, but if a 17 year old pays for a Business Class ticket on BA, they should get full access to all the amenities that go with the ticket, like their lounge. You have a no-drinks for under 18 policy? Make a separate room/area for them. Otherwise, do not take their money.
As if there are thousands of teenagers traveling business class by themselves complaining. Please, they’re not gonna do all that to placate a few spoiled teen actors.
And there is absolutely no reason they should. Ridiculous.
Totally agree. Very legitimate complain and quite tamed for a 17-year old.
If they take the money for a business class ticket from someone under 18, than they should have suitable lounges for every costumer or make it very visible (and discounted on the ticket price) that this is something they don’t want to care about. She is one of the most adored characters from GoT, it might be a lot easier for her to wait for a flight in the quiet business lounge instead of in the general waiting space.
i understand both sides. the airline doesnt want minors around the bar that is not constantly watched, that makes sense. Maisie travels alone and thats a pretty mature thing to do. so well, suck it up, we all went through this. i am though not blaming her, i can undertand it as i said, but the airline has a very valid reason.
The airplane should lower the prices for minors though. that would be only fair. it doesnt have to be too much, but if you get less service than it would the the right thing to do. you cant expect them to build an own room. there is not much space at the average airport and building a whole room for only a few people would be a big waste, but making the tickets cheaper would be a good idea. they have calculatings, just substract the amount from every ticket that goes into the lounge.
An unaccompanied minor is not going to have access to any airline lounge no matter what kind of ticket they have. Those are the rules and the sentries at the BA lounge entries have earned their nickname of BA dragons for a reason. You can’t sweet-talk, bribe or bully your way past them. They follow the rules to the letter. If she was traveling with someone over 18 she would have been admitted per the terms of her ticket.
“lodging a completely legitimate complaint”
It’s not legitimate at all. British Airways lounges have self-serve alcohol with no one monitoring it, which is why you have to be 18 or accompanied by an adult. She says their isn’t her first time being denied, so she knows the rules but she just wants special treatment for being rich and/or famous.
The business lounge is an amenity, but what you’re buying is a better seat, more leg room, better food and a flight attendant who actually pays attention to you. She got all of that.
The BA rep who responded had way more patience with a petulant teenager than I would have.
Ugh or understandable? Both. She’s an entitled teen just like most other teens, especially ones that have success, fame, money, attention and everything else that anyone could ever want. It’s also understandable if she didn’t know about the alcohol policy (I didn’t until now) or if she’s just used to getting everything she wants and out of the blue someone that has nothing to do with her career or her personal life says no. It would probably come as a shock and I’d be grumpy about it too.
She should have to follow rules just like anyone else that age. If they change them for 16-18 like she wants, what happens when 15 year olds complain too? Maybe I’m bitter because she’s eaten at the restaurant I work at and didn’t leave a tip…but it’s just a teenager complaining that she isn’t getting special treatment.
Isn’t the drinking age in the UK 16? Maybe she thought they’d make exceptions for Brits who are “of age” or something in their home country… Not saying it’s right but it seems like teenager logic.
Get over it I say that’s the rule or take your mother LOL. It’s corporate customer they have in mind not young actors. Maybe she does t want to be forced to mingle with the regular people in T5.
I think it’s legit reasoning, actually. And at any rate – she’s only 17. In the worst of cases she’d only be acting her age.
Forget about the business lounge kerfuffle… I can’t believe she’s 17. Arya Stark is supposed to be 11, no wonder they’re trying to speed through the series.
Isn’t it allowed for 16 and up to go to pubs in the UK? i watch brit shows and they are always portraying these kids in pubs and drinking when it’s been stated their age is around 16 or 17 yrs old. Perhaps she expected the same in the British business lounge?
If under 18’s can’t make use of some of the benefits of a business class/first class ticket, then either don’t sell them to under 18’s or create a separate lounge. One of the main reasons I shell out for first class is so I can access the lounge and relax, I’d be hugely pissed if they’d taken my money and then refused me access to the amenities that money buys.
Oh, and I fly a lot, and there’s always a lot of teenagers in first class and business class. Lot’s of kids still board at school overseas.
You don’t buy a business class ticket to gain access to the lounge though, you buy the ticket for the upgrade of service in the air, like a better seat, food and space. The lounge is just an added perk that comes with the ticket, a ticket does not mean an automatic admittance if the required conditions aren’t met.
And “sort your sh*t out”? The way I see it BA has, it’s the law and their policy. By buying their ticket you’ve agreed to comply to their terms and conditions.
Sounds like someone thinks they are the entitled exception to laws and rules. Minors travel unaccompanied all the time. This doesn’t qualify them to access airline bar/lounges.
I’m on he fence with this one. BA has rules for a reason, they have to cover their asses. Just because you’re special, doesn’t mean you get special treatment. I understand her desire to be in the lounge, I imagine she attracts a small crowd when she travels, she plays a popular character on a popular show. But if she’s this sick of how BA does things, maybe she should find an airline that lets under 18s into their lounge.